PLAZA

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 777, 25 September 1929, Page 17

PLAZA

“THUNDERBOLT” Tense, suspenseful drama, in a setting as intriguing as any ever brought to the screen, is now at the Plaza Theatre, in “Thunderbolt,” George Bancroft’s new completely talking picture. New York’s negro district, with all its sinister, hidden underworld, is revealed on the screen as it actually is. Bancroft portrays the part of a hardfighting gang boss in love with Fay Wray, Eric von Stroheim’s beautiful heroine of “The Wedding March.” The girl repulses Bancroft and, in an effort to go straight, turns to Richard Arlen. They fail in love, but Arlen incurs the enmity of Bancroft. That is the big climatic situation. Bancroft, the virile he-man of the screen, has sworn to kill young Arlen, the likeable hero-aviator of the famous “Wings.” They are together in Sing Sing’s death house. Will Bancroft kill the youth? Will he let Arlen be sent to his death? When that great climax is passed there is A genuine sigh of relief throughout the theatre. The remamdor of the programme includes a number of short talkie features, inclLiding an all-talking comedy, “Tuning In”; humorous songs accompanied by musical instruments by Miller and Farrell; selections by the Six Brown Boys and their jazz band; and items by Horace Britt, celebrated cellist. Estelle Bradley, the popular comedienne who plays an important role in the Fox Movietone Clark and McCullough comedy, “All Steamed Up,” says that she likes to play in comedies because she likes to laugh and to make others laugh. She adds that she hopes the audience will laugh as much when the picture is shown as she herself did on the set when it was in production.