Vintage original 11x14 in. US lobby card from the 1920's WWI-themed silent film war drama, HIS MASTER'S VOICE, released in 1925 by Lumas Film Corporation and directed by Renaud Hoffman. Thunder is the loyal pet of Bob Henley (George Hackathorne), a thoroughgoing coward. He behaves like the 98-pound weakling in a Charles Atlas advertisement, but Thunder loves him anyway and when George is drafted in the Army for World War I, Thunder decides to join the Red Cross. We then advance several months and Thunder appears to be the relief driver in a Red Cross ambulance when he sees George sitting by the side of the road, shaking in terror. Eventually things settle out and George overcomes his cowardice because of Thunder's love for him. The cast includes Marjorie Daw, Mary Carr, Will Walling, Brooks Benedict, White Fawn the Dog, Flash the Dog, and Jack Kenny.
The image features an exterior night scene on a battlefield a a group of American soldiers stand around a small fire to keep warm while they plan their next move with their bayoneted rifles at-the-ready. A portrait of Thunder the Marvel Dog is featured in the upper right corner. It is unrestored in fine+ condition with a small chip on the bottom left corner; three small creases in the left border and three on the bottom right corner; and a tiny tear on the top border. The rich color tints are fresh and vibrant without any signs of fading.
Original release lobby cards from this film are quite scarce, as the reissue cards under the title The War Dog are much more prevalent.
Thunder the Dog was one of the numerous dog stars that sprang-up in the wake of Rin-Tin-Tin. He starred in a half dozen movies in the mid-twenties and then disappeared from the screen. The viewed print, which was incomplete and had no production credits, ran approximately 45 min. According to a Variety review, when the film played in New York City, it had a running time of approximately 70 min. In 1932, an edited version of the picture, which was retitled The War Dog, was approved for exhibition in New York by the New York State Censor Board. The 1932 version, for which no reviews have been located, appears to have incorporated large portions of the 1925 silent film, with some sound sequences added. Although the plot remained essentially the same, the character names in the 1932 film were different. Also, Thunder is billed as the canine star of His Master's Voice, whereas the dog's credit in The War Dog is "Rex."