Best Actor 1929: George Bancroft in Thunderbolt

George Bancroft received his only Oscar nomination for portraying "Thunderbolt" Jim Lang in Thunderbolt. 

Thunderbolt is actually a mostly not bad film about a brute gangster, however it spends far too much time away from the titular character and with the extremely one note "good people".

George Bancroft, who actually became one of the more reliable character actors in the late 30's, here plays the leading role of a wanted gangster nicknamed Thunderbolt. It must be said at the outset that Bancroft's performance here, in the dawn of the talkies, thankfully isn't of the bad acting of the early sound period. This in he doesn't have the overt stiffness in manner and overly stilted quality in speaking, he rather seems to remember the important thing, which is maybe to occasionally relax with his performance. This as so many performances of the period are so constricted and trying to be part of the film, that stand out as this near artificial mannequin of a man. Bancroft though carries himself with a calm, fitting as well to creating the confidence of his gangster. Bancroft in his opening scene actually being part of the environment in his casual manner as he sits, befitting a man of power, and eyes befitting a certain yearning as he wanders around his club, particularly though on his current girlfriend. Now even as the film positions him as the villain, in which we are made that quite clearly from his girlfriend's long speech about how she wants out of the life, Bancroft doesn't go arch. Bancroft certainly carries himself with that confidence and assurance when speaking to her, but he does underlay within it a bit of earnest tenderness as well. Bancroft delivers an appreciated balance in his work even as his girlfriend's speech paints him as insidious. 

He also delivers the only real engagement within the film, though it isn't actually poorly directed by Josef F. Sternberg, which when he's off screen are filled with really dull scenes of Thunderbolt's girlfriend with her bland alternative to ole' Thunderbolt. The funny thing here being just Bancroft standing around and looking for his girlfriend is more engaging than seeing people actually speak. This as Bancroft has an actual presence and even within just looking there is a suggestion of who this guy is. Oddly enough though the film isn't a precursor to little Caesar, as we find it has a more comic intentions strangely, which we first meet as Thunderbolt is trying to distract a dog by getting on all fours himself. To Bancroft's credit he goes all into himself, and actually doesn't come off badly in trying to get the bit to work. This as brings a degree of charisma and even likability in the expression of the gangster bothering to spend time with the dog to get rid of it rather than resort to any sort of viciousness. This quickly leading to Thunderbolt's arrest, and again even going to jail, Bancroft's swagger is remarkable. This as he just carries himself as a kind of king, even within the jail. This creating the consistent sense of self-assurance who hasn't at all phased by the situation he's found himself in. This even when he asks for a light from a guard, Bancroft brings this great ease as he relaxes back in his chair and lack of shame in his delivery without hesitation, showing a man of great power even when behind bars. 

At first it seems like the film might be turning itself around as Thunderbolt is almost taking over the prison from the inside by earning favors from the warden by beating another criminal into submission. Again Bancroft carries this moment through sheer swagger and suggests a man just doing it for the fun of it. Nonetheless it earns the man that dog back, and Bancroft has a nice sweet moment of interaction there suggesting the softer side of the gangster. Sadly the boring couple rears its head as the boring other man shows up having been framed by Thunderbolt, and is also set to be executed. As much as they wail on and on in that classic, rather uninteresting, early talkies sort of way, credit must be maintained for Bancroft as he depicts in just quiet moments of reflection the sense of calculation in reacting to the man, speaking towards guilt  by confessing to get the man released but in fact trying to set up killing the man on the way to his own execution. Still as he awaits execution Bancroft naturally segues this within his silent work a sense of reflection rather than just execution. His final moment being a highlight as he stares down the man he exonerated. First with a tight glare with a murderous intent, that segues naturally towards a bemused understanding as he hears the story of how the romance between the boring couple predated his own. What we really see is Bancroft as an actor with an understanding for film. Although his vocal delivery I think would get a bit more attuned a few years later, though its not ever bad here just honestly speaks his line with more of a slower pace than needed, and again he still delivers the emotion more often than not, it is just a minor mark of the film period. That minor criticism though is made up by his real sense for the closeup, just as he stands just as any man would, rather than needing some stance easily noticed from the back of theater. His performance has the right confidence for the role, but also for the medium.