Cinematheque: Josef von Sternberg

In Sternberg’s first talkie, Bancroft plays a doomed gangster awaiting execution in prison. The story revolves around the love triangle between Thunderbolt, his girl, and the innocent man placed in the cell next to him. “This 1929 release is probably the most underrated of Josef von Sternberg's sound pictures, and it's underrated for the same reason: Sternberg is known almost exclusively as a visual stylist, but the most exciting thing here is the highly creative sound track.” (J. Rosenbaum)