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The Thunderbolt
(1912) United States of America
B&W : One reel
Directed by (unknown)
Cast: James Cruze [the dishonest broker], David Thompson [the poor man], Jean Darnell [the poor man’s wife], William Garwood [the poor couple’s son], Mignon Anderson [the broker’s daughter], Helen Badgley [the broker’s daughter, as a little girl], Riley Chamberlin [the lodge keeper]
Thanhouser Company production; distributed by Film Supply Company of America. / Released 26 November 1912. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.33:1 format.
Drama.
Synopsis: [?] [From The Moving Picture World]? A broker who was trying to get rich dishonestly, found himself in danger of arrest. Just as he was preparing for flight a neighbor entered. This man had been poor all his life, but coming unexpectedly into a legacy of $10,000, decided that the broker was the man who could invest the money for him. The broker took the cash, stuffed it into his pockets and left his office forever. He decided that this windfall should he set apart for his little daughter. The old lodge keeper on his estate had been in his employ for years, and was very fond of the little girl. To him the broker went, swore him to secrecy and obedience, and gave him the money, which he promised to hide from everybody until the girl came of age. The broker then departed, but was captured while trying to escape, convicted, and served ten years in prison. On his release the broker hunted up his old servant, intending to reclaim the money and with it and his daughter to start life anew. The servant had been faithful to his trust, but when the broker arrived the other man was on his death bed, and passed away without being able to tell where he had hidden the money. The ex-convict and the girl were sitting alone one night when a fearful storm arose. A thunderbolt struck the house, wrecked the stone chimney and in fragments it fell tumbling into the room. The old man jumped forward, and out of the rubbish pulled a small strong box. He opened it with trembling hands and extracted a roll of bills. A yellow piece of paper was bound with them, but this dropped to the floor as the ex-convict counted the money. The girl picked up the paper and glanced at it. She then learned that the bills were the same ones her father had stolen years before, the victim being the father of the young man to whom she was engaged. The girl declared that the money should he restored to the rightful owner. The old man protested, and the argument grew heated. Suddenly the door opened and the girl’s fiancé entered. From his home nearby he had seen the lightning strike the lodge and hurried over to be of assistance. The girl took the money from her father, placed it in her sweetheart’s hand and asked his forgiveness.
Survival status: Print exists.
Current rights holder: Public domain [USA].
Listing updated: 3 July 2025.
References: Website-IMDb.
Home video: DVD.
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