Phantom Thunderbolt (1933)

Powerful

Just what I expected

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I had a conversation with a fellow IMDb member where the name Ken Maynard cropped up , an actor I'd never heard of but was relatively popular back in the day . Checking his biog on this site makes interesting reading and is one of those rags to riches back to rags again mainly caused by an inbuilt self destruct button . As someone who doesn't like Westerns it's not too surprising I'd never heard of Maynard since his resume revolves around the genre This film PHANTOM THUNDERBOLT is I'd hazard a guess somewhat typical of the actors output . One of these films that were popular at Saturday morning matinées that has its tongue planted firmly in its cheek . A man rides in to town warning the townsfolk that a stranger with a violent reputation is on his way and everyone had better board up their windows and doors if they know what's good for hem . Then the stranger rides in to town howling and firing his pistols and not only is he a misunderstood anti-hero he's someone who knows a fine dry cleaners in 19th Century frontier towns After this scene which feels it belongs in a slightly more camp version of BLAZING SADDLES the film continues in the same vein . It's a comedy with very unsophisticated humour and scenes that are laughably unrealistic . On the surface it's rather dreadful stuff but for some reason remains watchable probably because it doesn't take itself seriously in any way . On the subject of Maynard he does have a likable on screen persona and perhaps he's a better actor than he's given credit for since it's difficult to see how he is anywhere as mean and nasty as his reputation suggests . Mind you Hollywood is the dream factory and all too often some dreams become nightmares

"Phantom Thunderbolt" is a tongue-in-cheek, town tamer, B-western that slings more laughs than lead. Ken Maynard stars as the Thunderbolt Kid, and he wears a white, ten-gallon Stetson that looks bigger than anybody else's headgear. Although it is a low-budget oater, director Alan James and scenarists Forrest Sheldon and Betty Burbridge skewer western conventions with a straight face. Initially, "Phantom Thunderbolt" looks like another standard issue, costume-clad cowboy epic. Maynard wears a fancy rodeo outfit and rides a smart Palomino stallion. Everything you'd expect to find in a vintage B-movie is intact in "Phantom Thunderbolt." You've got a tall, square-jawed hero who shuns tobacco products. When we see him for the first time, he admits he is broke. The Thunderbolt Kid's miraculous use of firearms prompts the city fathers to approach him. "We want to hire your guns." "My guns," Thunderbolt chuckles, "You see if I hired out to you as a professional gunman and took money for my services; it might interfere with my standing as an amateur." Mind you, if this isn't a sacred western tradition branded for the cliché that it is, then I must be reading too much into this sardonic little oater.Of course, "Phantom Thunderbolt" has a virtuous heroine who owns the Little Gem Restaurant. The hero rides into a town at the mercy of the dastardly Red Matthews (William Gould) who runs out every lawman that Coyote Gulch hires. The town fathers are so greedy that they have assured Railroad President Eaton (Wilfred Lucas) that they have cleaned out Mathews. In other words, they have told a tall tale. They want Thunderbolt to deal with Red so their town can convince Eaton to put its line through Coyote Gulch. The future of Coyote Gulch hangs in the balance. The hero agrees as long as he can get three kisses from Judy Lane. Can you smell romance in the air? Nothing in the way of mean-spirited violence occurs in this horse opera. The first half surpasses the second half. The comedy is well-done, especially after the hero demolishes the restaurant."Phantom Thunderbolt" opens with Nevady (Frank Rice of "Charlie Chan's Courage") riding into Coyote Gulch to warn the townspeople that the Thunderbolt Kid is due in town soon. When the citizens ask about the Thunderbolt Kid, Nevady regales them with tall tales about him that rival Paul Bunyan. According to Nevady's outlandish claims, four graveyards have been named after the Thunderbolt Kid. Nevady calls him "the orneriest wolf who ever howled" and "he is the fastest lead-slinger who ever drew a six-gun." One lady complains, "Oh, I just knew something would happen to spoil my day in town." Nevady gulps a drink and continues: "And undertakers, why they go plum loco whenever he's announced. He's their best business getter." The townspeople disperse with news of Thunderbolt's impending arrival. "And I'm warning you, he's the most dangerous when he is smiling, that is a sure sign he is riled." Of course, some folks don't believe Nevady. The prime disbeliever is Red Mathews. "Let me tell you something else," Nevady claps a frail, bespectacled customer named Old Joe on the back, "whenever he comes and slaps you on the back and calls you partner, then your goose is cooked. You're just as good as planted." No sooner has Old Joe scrambled out of the saloon for the hills than Thunderbolt Kid comes galloping into Coyote Gulch with both six-shooters blazing. The Kid spots Old Joe and Joe faints as if he were dead. The Undertaker grins with relish because he has a new customer, but Thunderbolt takes him over to a restaurant. The Kid believes the old-timer is starved to death. When he recovers from the fright of meeting the Kid, Old Joe escapes. The lady who runs the restaurant, Judy Lane (Frances Lee of "These Thirty Years"), refuses to serve Thunderbolt and utters several uncomplimentary things about him. Another mean-looking hombre rides into town. He is 'One-Shot' Mallory (Bob Kortman) and he refuses to leave after Miss Judy tells him to leave. Thunderbolt and 'One-Shot' smash up the restaurant before Thunderbolt gets 'One-Shot" off the premises.The timid Coyote Gulch townspeople want Thunderbolt Kid as their sheriff. "Coyote Gulch is about to be wiped off the map," the banker claims. "Everything we have, everything we've struggled for, we stand to lose." They are competing with another town to get the railroad to lay its rails through town and heighten their prosperity. Thunderbolt strikes a deal with the town fathers. He will handle Red's gang in exchange for three kisses from Judy. Initially, he takes Red's gang into custody with an old trick. He asks Red to join him in a back room about a matter of personal concern. When Red enters the room, Nevady is there to club Red unconscious. Thunderbolt pulls the same stunt on the entire gang. He rounds them up without firing a shot. Later, 'One-Shot' tells Thunderbolt that some of Red's gang plan to sneak past him into Coyote Gulch. As it turns out, 'One-Shot' plays a prank on our hero. The guys on the stagecoach are the President of the railway company and his assistant. Thunderbolt makes good on his earlier promise to Red's gunmen. He swore that he would strip them down to their underwear and he strips these two down to their drawers. Later, Thunderbolt is lassoed out of his saddle, tied up, and held at the outlaw's camp. Availing himself of his super-smart horse Tarzan, Thunderbolt has his horse chew through his ropes. Afterward, he climbs into a barrel to escape and has Tarzan roll him down the hill. Red Matthews and his gang return to Coyote Gulch with 'One-Eye." Thunderbolt arrives as the fight begins. It seems that the railroad president has decided to run his rails through town because the competition was so thick. "Phantom Thunderbolt" degenerates into just another town-tamer after a promising start.

In a town where people like to signal their arrival by shooting their guns high high up in the air! Comes a stranger who warns of the mean mean man heading up this way by the name of 'Phantom Thunderbolt'. The townspeople are predictably alarmed (except for of course, the undertaker, who starts fondling his tape measure), When Thunderbolt DOES arrive, he's actually not as bad as all that. You see, the warning stranger is actually his friend, and he just likes to do that to bring attention to himself (smart guy!). Soon, thunderbolt does do some good by ridding the town of some problematic folk. The bankers are impressed, and want Thunderbolt to be sheriff. He'll do it under one condition.. He must first get to kiss the town's only girl! The bankers agree that it's a fine idea to sell her off for this proposal (!!) and soon, Thunderbolt is fighting badasses in town so that the town will have a squeaky clean image for a chance for the railroad to come through! This is a pretty fun film, though instantly forgettable. Ken Maynard is fun as the hero, and Francis Lee is quite good too.

I believe in comparing apples to apples, and not to oranges. So with that in mind, I want to point out that I am a fan of old westerns, including old "B" westerns, of which Phantom Thunderbolt is one. So my comments and this grade are made in comparison with other low-budget "B" westerns of the early 1930s, and not compared to what we all expect in a contemporary movie.This movie is absolutely awful. It has to be the worst film of its kind that I've ever seen, and I've seen quite a few. An average grade school student could write a more intelligent script. The acting of the entire cast is atrocious. Even that of the star, Ken Maynard. About all that can be said for him is that he can ride a horse pretty well. Clearly the director had absolutely no sense of how to entice a believable performance from any of the actors.Don't waste your time. There are many more old "B" westerns available in the public domain that are much more worthy.