NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: Indicator Blu-ray (July 2023): Indicator have transferred Josef von Sternberg's Thunderbolt to Blu-ray. Kino released on Blu-ray in 2021 and I suspect the image quality of being very similar although I don't own it to directly compare. We must take the age (approaching its 100th birthday) into account when looking at the compromised image. Even as a very soft, speckle-laden 1080P image - it's wholly watchable. Hopefully the captures below will give you an idea of the HD presentation.

NOTE: We have added 42 more large resolution Blu-ray captures (in lossless PNG format) for DVDBeaver Patrons HERE

On their Blu-ray, Indicator use a linear PCM mono track (24-bit) in the original English language. Thunderbolt's audio also suffers from its age and has an uncredited score by Karl Hajos (Four Frightened People, Werewolf of London, Supernatural, Summer Storm.) There is also Thinkin' About My Baby, Daddy, Won't You Please Come Home, Roll, Jordan, Roll, with Rock-a-bye Baby (when Thunderbolt knocks out a fellow inmate) + (Here Am I) Broken Hearted sung by a male chorus in the prison. It is sometimes referred to as a "musical". Certainly pioneering for the use of sound and music for mood enhancement. There is an active underground nightclub with muffled gunfire and an inmate who plays the piano. The audio is very imperfect with the very early use of 'talkie' sound. Indicator offer optional English (SDH) subtitles on their Region 'B'-locked Blu-ray.

The Indicator Blu-ray repeat Kino Lorber's Nick Pinkerton's audio commentary from 2021. He identifies some of the cinematographic techniques including use of shadows etc., the film's history, von Sternberg, the evolving technology in the late 20's from silent to talkies and much more. It is excellent. There is also a feature-length 'Guardian Interview' with Fay Wray from 1990. It is an archival audio recording of the famed actress in conversation at the National Film Theatre, London that plays to the running of the film. New (2023) is Sound and Vision - 3/4s of an hour with Tony Rayns on Thunderbolt with an extensive discussion of von Sternberg’s classic by the writer and film programmer. There is Indicator's usual image gallery of promotional and publicity materials and the package includes a limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Pamela Hutchinson, archival articles, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and full film credits.

Josef von Sternberg's Thunderbolt is often described as a Pre-Code proto-noir - similar to the director's 1927 Underworld also with George Bancroft. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1929 for Thunderbolt. There are hardened criminals, a death-penalty prison sentence for the title character and minor redemption(s.) Thunderbolt is notable as Sternberg’s first film using synchronized sound technology. Unique shots through the bars of the prison cells also show an artistic cinematographic leaning. After completing Thunderbolt Sternberg, went to Germany with the experience of his first "Talkie" and made The Blue Angel (1930) - one of the first German language sound films (filmed simultaneously in an English-language version) - representing his initial collaboration with his immortal muse, Marlene Dietrich. Thunderbolt might lean more toward von Sternberg completists or those keen on its Pre-Code proto-noir qualities.

Gary Tooze