Thunder (film)


Thunder is a 1929 American silent melodrama film starring Lon Chaney and directed by William Nigh. The
film has no audible dialogue but featured a synchronized musical score and sound effects. Thunder was Chaney's penultimate film appearance and his last silent film.
The majority of Thunder is now considered lost, with only a half a reel of the entire footage known to survive.

Plot

Lon Chaney plays Grumpy Anderson, a railroad engineer with an obsession for running his train on time. His slavishness to promptness causes several tragedies which alienate him from his family. 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

Production notes

The film was shot on location in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Green Bay, Wisconsin, Pulaski, Wisconsin, Green Valley, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. It was there that Chaney caught a cold during the snow scenes which then developed into walking pneumonia. Production was shut down for a time but was eventually completed. Chaney's illness combined with his throat cancer led to his death two months after the release of his last film, and only talkie, 1930's The Unholy Three.

Reception

Thunder was released to theaters on July 8, 1929 and eventually grossed a total of $1,018,000. It was Lon Chaney's fifth highest-grossing film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.