Thunderbolt (1910 film)

Thunderbolt
Still from film
Directed by	John Gavin
Produced by	H. A. Forsyth
Written by	H. A. Forsyth
Based on	novel Three Years with Thunderbolt by William Monckton and Ambrose Pratt
Starring	John Gavin
Cinematography	A.J. Moulton
Production company	Southern Cross Film Enterprise
Distributed by	West's Pictures (Qld)
Release date	12 November 1910
Running time	4,000 feet
Country	Australia
Language	Silent
Budget	less than £300

Thunderbolt is a 1910 film in the genre of "outlaw" films at the time that tended to glorify the life of the outlaw "Bushrangers" that roamed the Australian outback in pre-commonwealth days. Shortly after this movie was made, the government of New South Wales banned the manufacture of this type of film on the basis that they were promoting crime.

It was the directorial debut of John Gavin who later claimed it was the first "four-reel movie" made in Australia.

Unlike most Australian silent films, part of the movie survives today.

Frederick Ward is a cattle drover earning money for his wedding when he is accused of cattle theft and sentenced to seven years at Cockatoo Island. He escapes three years later by swimming across the water only to learn that his fiancée, Jess Anson, has died of grief. He seeks his revenge by taking on a life of crime, becoming the bushranger Captain Thunderbolt.

He befriends some aboriginal people, steals a racehorse, "Combo", and robs the Moonbi Mail Coach. He then enters "Combo" in a horse race and wins. He is rescued from a police trap involving Chinese by a half-caste girl, Sunday. He is grateful to her and they get married. He then holds up the Carlisle Hotel, and narrowly escapes. He takes on a boy apprentice and Sunday dies. Thunderbolt then dies in a shoot out with police on the riverbank at Uralla.

According to contemporary reports, the various chapter headings were:

The film was based on the book Three Years with Thunderbolt by William Mockton and Ambrose Pratt which was published in 1905.

The novel was popular and was adapted by Pratt and A Joseph for the stage in 1905.

The play was structured as follows:

The play was produced by William Anderson and starred Eugenie Duggan. A cast list from a 1910 production was:

H. A. Forsyth produced the film and adapted Three Years With Thunderbolt into a screenplay. He also appeared in the film as a young bushranger. John Gavin directed and played the lead role.

Because the film was longer than the typical movies of the time Gavin later claimed that "everyone warned him that his venture was doomed to failure".