Runtime: 84 minutes
Directed by: Douglas Sirk
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Ann Blyth (RIP), Robert Douglas, Anne Crawford, Philip Friend
From: Universal
RIP Ann Blyth
Some will be as surprised as I was to learn that she was still alive at the age of 98 until passing away last week. The circumstances were eerie: an account on Twitter noted she would be turning 99 later in the year, then praising both her and Joan Crawford for 1945’s legendary Mildred Pierce, where Blyth played her evil teen daughter. Indeed, both performances were great. Right after this post was made, her death was announced. As I’ve already reviewed Pierce, instead the choice was made to check out a Douglas Sirk picture starring Claudette Colbert. It’s nun noir, to steal a phrase from a mutual. Hey, Kino released it as part of a box set on film noirs…
The plot for certain intrigued: Colbert is a nun at a convent attached to a hospital. Torrential downpours and flooding are in the area of Norwich, England (I’m sure the UK would prefer that to the brutal heatwaves they and most of Europe have received as of late) have not only resulted in a jam-packed building, Blyth and her cop escorts are stuck there… she was convicted of murdering her invalid brother. Claudette believes she’s innocent so while mainly stuck in the convent, she attempts to prove that Blyth’s Valerie is innocent.
Yes, you can tell this was based on a stage play. “Old newspapers” is one way she attempts to be a sleuth.
The scenario is admittedly far-fetched; be that as it may, I was still entertained by this malarkey. The viewer has to accept that more than one man is rather tiresome and his behavior is especially bad by 2026 standards. I was entertained by the drama, the petty squabbles between the nuns & nurses, an oppressive doctor, a “half-wit” groundskeeper named Willie (the movie’s term, not mine), and all the rest. The score was solid as was the direction from Sirk and the sets created for this Universal production.
The key reason why I enjoyed Thunder on the Hill were the powerful performances from Colbert and Blyth. The former was always likable despite the resistance she received from multiple characters, especially a nurse who was a hater through & through. The latter was bitchy at first, although if it was the night before you were to hang from the gallows by the neck until dead… my mood wouldn’t be cheery either.
While the mystery was solved by me quicker than usual for the genre, Thunder was still a nice way for me to tip my cap to who was one of the last few famous names from that era of Old Hollywood still around.
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