Le petit frère

Comedies like this simply are not made anymore. "The Kid Brother" has some of the most excellent timing of any comedy I've ever seen. Everything from the gag involving Lloyd tumbling out of a tree to the scenes with the monkey toward the end are simply hilarious. The plot is as typical as in any Harold Lloyd film, but that doesn't matter. All that makes these films as great as they are is the sense of timing and the brilliance of the comedy. Fans of Lloyd generally consider this to be his greatest film, and I would simply have to agree with that. Some of his other movies may tend to slow down until they get to a hilarious, climactic ending. The difference with this one is that it is much faster-paced and full of great comedy throughout. The gags in this film simply must be seen to realize how funny they are. You will laugh and laugh at this movie. One of the greatest comedies of all time. They just don't make them this funny anymore.

**** out of ****

All silent movie buffs know about Chaplin's THE GOLD RUSH and Keaton's THE GENERAL. Strangely, THE KID BROTHER has been almost forgotten, which is a shame, as it is Harold Lloyd's masterpiece.

Better known for the "human fly" sequence in SAFETY LAST, it is in THE KID BROTHER that Harold reaches the top level of silent comedy stardom, alongside Chaplin & Keaton.

The story is a Western, set mostly on the ranch where Harold lives with his burly sheriff father and two older brothers. There's a dumb bully down the road, a very pretty young lady, a traveling medicine show and a nasty, bald bad guy. I don't want to give away any of the plot, but suffice it to say that Harold gets to showcase his famous athletic agility and there is a very complex & satisfying final showdown with Mr. Bad Guy at the climax.

For pure romanticism, however, there are few scenes in any silent film that can beat the one where Harold climbs a tree, ever higher, for one more glimpse of the very pretty young lady. It's about as sweet as they come...

While this is not one of Lloyd's most famous films, It is certainly one of his best. You can look through countless numbers of comedy films (The Gold Rush and The General included)and you will struggle to see better timing than that on display here. That is not a put down to those two classic comedies it is only a testament to the timing of Lloyd, Who was certainly on a par with Chaplin and Keaton. In this movie he plays the weakling in a family with two strapping brothers and a large hard to please father. Always put upon Harold has to capture a villain by himself to gain the respect of his father and brothers, And win the heart of his fair maiden. The amount of sight gags crammed into this 80 minutes is incredible, and the timing is as I said earlier is absolutely perfect.

Even though I had enjoyed several of Lloyd's films, I never really looked at him as being on the same level as Keaton. That's changed after seeing "The Kid Brother." The last half hour is as entertaining as anything on film. Harold's resourcefulness while fighting is a thing to behold! And the monkey with the shoes? Fantastic!

As for silent films, I consider "The Kid Brother" every bit as good as Chaplin's "The Gold Rush" or Keaton's "The General" and not too far behind "City Lights", in my mind, the ultimate silent masterpiece. To me it's Harold Lloyd's best and why it isn't more well-known to fans of old movies, I don't know.