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Thunder (film)
Encyclopedia
Thunder is a melodrama
film released by MGM, starring Lon Chaney
.
Directed by William Nigh
, it is noteworthy for several reasons. First, it was Chaney's penultimate film appearance and his last silent film
, as well as one of the very last films of the silent era. Second, it was while making this film that Lon Chaney was stricken with an illness that would contribute to his death the following year from bronchial cancer.
On location in Green Bay, Wisconsin
, Chaney caught a cold during the snow scenes which then developed into walking pneumonia
. This combined with his throat cancer
led to Chaney's death just after the release of his last film, and only talkie, the 1930
remake of The Unholy Three
. Thunder is a lost film
, although several minutes of surviving footage were discovered in the late 1990s.
with an obsession for running his train on time. His slavishness to promptness causes several tragedies which alienate him from his family. Fortunately, by the story's end, the engineer restores their faith in him and validates his obsession by forcing his train through a flood to bring badly needed Red Cross supplies to the victims.
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
film released by MGM, starring Lon Chaney
Lon Chaney, Sr.
Lon Chaney , nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Faces," was an American actor during the age of silent films. He was one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema...
.
Directed by William Nigh
William Nigh
William Nigh was an American film director, writer, and actor. His film work sometimes lists him as either "Will Nigh" or "William Nye".He was born in Berlin, Wisconsin....
, it is noteworthy for several reasons. First, it was Chaney's penultimate film appearance and his last silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
, as well as one of the very last films of the silent era. Second, it was while making this film that Lon Chaney was stricken with an illness that would contribute to his death the following year from bronchial cancer.
On location in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, Chaney caught a cold during the snow scenes which then developed into walking pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. This combined with his throat cancer
Esophageal cancer
Esophageal cancer is malignancy of the esophagus. There are various subtypes, primarily squamous cell cancer and adenocarcinoma . Squamous cell cancer arises from the cells that line the upper part of the esophagus...
led to Chaney's death just after the release of his last film, and only talkie, the 1930
1930 in film
-Events:* November 1: The Big Trail featuring a young John Wayne in his first starring role is released in both 35mm, and a very early form of 70mm film and was the first large scale big-budget film of the sound era costing over $2 million. The film was praised for its aesthetic quality and realism...
remake of The Unholy Three
The Unholy Three (1930 film)
The Unholy Three is a 1930 melodrama involving a crime spree, directed by Jack Conway. It is a remake of the 1925 film The Unholy Three. Both were based on the novel of the same name by Clarence Aaron "Tod" Robbins....
. Thunder is a lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
, although several minutes of surviving footage were discovered in the late 1990s.
Synopsis
Lon Chaney plays Grumpy Anderson, a railroad engineerRailroad engineer
A railroad engineer, locomotive engineer, train operator, train driver or engine driver is a person who drives a train on a railroad...
with an obsession for running his train on time. His slavishness to promptness causes several tragedies which alienate him from his family. Fortunately, by the story's end, the engineer restores their faith in him and validates his obsession by forcing his train through a flood to bring badly needed Red Cross supplies to the victims.
Cast
- Lon Chaney, Sr.Lon Chaney, Sr.Lon Chaney , nicknamed "The Man of a Thousand Faces," was an American actor during the age of silent films. He was one of the most versatile and powerful actors of early cinema...
- Grumpy Anderson - Phyllis HaverPhyllis HaverPhyllis Haver was an American actress of the silent film era.-Early life:She was born Phyllis Haver in Douglass, Kansas. When she was young, her family moved to Los Angeles, California, then a city of less than half a million people. Haver attended Los Angeles Polytechnic High...
- Zella - James MurrayJames Murray (actor)James Murray was an American movie actor.-Background:Born in The Bronx, New York, James Murray went to Hollywood in the 1920s to try to succeed as an actor. After several years of work, mostly as an extra, with little hope of a starring role, he was "discovered" by director King Vidor, who saw...
- Tommy - George Duryea- Jim(billed as: Tom Keene)
- Frances Norris - Molly
- Wally AlbrightWally AlbrightWally Albright was an American former child actor.-Career:Albright was born Walton Algernon Albright, Jr. in Burbank, California. He appeared in a number of films during his career, and is notable for appearing in six Our Gang short subjects throughout the early 1930s...
- Davey(billed Wally Albright Jr.) - John MacIntosh - railroad worker