He escapes three years later by swimming across the water only to learn that his fiancée, Jess Anson, has died of grief.

He befriends some aboriginal people, steals a racehorse, "Combo", and robs the Moonbi Mail Coach.

[19] Because the film was longer than the typical movies of the time Gavin later claimed that "everyone warned him that his venture was doomed to failure".

[7] Shooting took place in October and November 1910 Lithgow and Hartley Vale, with extras recruited from local miners who were then on strike.

The scene depicting the death of Thunderbolt was shot near the second junction bridge, on tho road from Bowenfels to Rydal.

[21] Gavin later recalled: When the troopers had to shoot Thunderbolt with blank cartridges, the lead was taken out and the space filled with hard soap.

Being near a brewery, both bushrangers and troopers wore imbibing frequently, with the result that when the chase along the road was to commence, nearly all the supers were pretty nigh ‘full of hops.

One critic, for The Newsletter, wrote that: The film has been admirably produced, being as clear and as distinct as any yet shown in Australia, and great credit is due to the bio operator, Mr. Moulton... Mr. Jack Gavin made an impressive Thunderbolt, being a fine upstanding man, big-enough to fight Jack Johnson; and Mr. Bert Forsyth was all that could be desired as Monkton, the boy bushranger.

The outlaw's swim from Cockatoo Island, where he had been imprisoned, was a very fine scene, and his theft of a horse followed by his sticking up of the Moonbi mail coach, in which the antics of the passengers caused amusement, was excellent....

[31] The Sunday Sun declared, "Forsyth has a mine of suitable matter right under his hand, and he has already, demonstrated that the "Southern Cross Enterprise" is capable of producing films of a merit, which renders it unnecessary for showmen to seek their cinematographic repertoire abroad.

[7] In advertising Forsyth would claim he was the "original creator" of the films on Thunderbolt and Moonlite, not mentioning Gavin at all.