The Devil's Brother

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy is one of the greatest comedic couple ever.In this movie they get to be the retainers of a singing bandit called Fra Diavolo(Dennis King).Of course, everything goes wrong, when Stanlio and Ollio are trying to do their job.The Devil's Brother is a great musical comedy.The movie contains some very funny moments, that just make you laugh.From the couple Laurel is the more childish one, who cries in these movies many times. Hardy is trying to be more adult, who is barely standing his friend.There isn't one problem, these two fellas can't manage with their own stupidness.

Of the three features L&H made based on operettas - The Devil's Brother (Auber's 'Fra Diavolo'), The Bohemian Girl (ibid, Balfe & Bunn), and Babes In Toyland (ibid, Sigmund Romberg) - I feel that this one shows off The Boys' comic abilities the best. James Finlayson, an L&H regular, is in his usual fine form, and Thelma Todd is marvelously coquettish. James C. Morton, who appeared so often as a policeman in so many of the L&H shorts, does a brilliant turn in the tiny part of the woodchopper. Best moment: Stan, ordered to hang Ollie, tightens the noose around his neck prior to hauling him up. "Stop that! You're choking me!" complains Ollie.

Dennis King is a marquis, traveling around the countryside. trying to seduce Thelma Todd. He is also the notorious bandit Fra Diavolo, although that's supposed to be a secret.

Laurel and Hardy offer a lot of comic relief to this Americanized version of the Auber operetta; although the music is used throughout the movie, there's little in the way of actual singing until halfway through. Mostly it's an excuse for Laurel and Hardy to offer a lot of comic relief Stanley provides most of the gags, including his disconcerting nimbleness, while Ollie is his perpetually disconcerted straight man and unconscious accomplice. The singing, what there is of it, is good. Miss Todd is gorgeous, although she doesn't get much to do. With the Boys to while away the time, who cares?

I can't understand how the comments on this film, thus far, can have been less than spectacular. This is probably among the top five of my favorite L&H films...the scene with drunken Stanlio alone is enough to split my sides every time I see it. L&H are such a joy to watch, and this film truly shows how much chemistry they had, and in the end, how much they truly respected and cared for each other--beyond the slapstick! I also loved the triptych of Thelma Todd, James Finlayson, and Dennis King. Todd was just so beautiful, graceful, and a true diva of her time. She even captures the tittering laughter that is described as typical of ladies-of-court in the late 1700's. James Finlayson, all pepper and brimstone, is a fantastically funny foil (and an alliterative jewel!) to the cast. And what can I say about Dennis King...it is such a shame that this gentleman did not have much in the way of recorded work. He is most dashing, charming, swashbuckling and handsome as the bandit Diavolo and his pseudonym, San Marco. True, he is the villain, but can we really resist him when he sings to the tavern folk, stealing a kiss from the Countess? This is a jewel of a classic. I will need to find a new VHS cassette of it soon, for mine is nearly worn with use. Better yet--wouldn't it be grand if these classics were released on DVD?

Two hapless misfits find themselves working for Fra Diavolo (THE DEVIL'S BROTHER), the notorious singing bandit of the early 18th century.

Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy are at the top of their form - high praise indeed - in this lavish, but rather obscure, rendition of Daniel-François Auber's popular operetta. Laurel's frightened squeak & Ollie's pout of wounded dignity are on display, as is the easy camaraderie and genuine affection of these two gentle souls. Here they are simply allowed to do what they did best: amuse. One hilarious sequence follows another: Stan attempting to hang Ollie (really!); their slapstick endeavor to capture the bandit; the Boys helpless in an uncontrollable fit of laughter. Director Hal Roach understood their comedic style better than anyone, and he lets them make the most of their time before the cameras. Their every moment captured on film is precious; each minute they are missing so that subplots may develop is decried as an intolerable waste.

In the title role, British opera star Dennis King monopolizes much of the screen time. A good deal of his vocalizing is unintelligible, but he plays the charming rogue well. However, it is important to notice that despite his charm, he is one of the most dangerous villains the Boys encounter in any of their films. Beneath the thin veneer of civility, he is little more than a murderous, thieving rapscallion. He has nothing but his handsome face & dulcet tones to separate him from a Karloff or a Lugosi.

Peppery James Finlayson & lovely, tragic Thelma Todd play silly, vain aristocrats who have more jewels than common sense. Both of these wonderful performers were always welcome in roles large or small - his bristling mustache and popping eyes & her classic beauty so often the focal point of great humor. But here they have very little contact with the Boys and so much of their comedic talent is rather dissipated in mildly adulterous scenes with the Bandit Chief. Pity...

There is a subplot involving the Innkeeper's daughter and her forbidden love of a young military officer, but fortunately it is not allowed to intrude too much. Henry Armetta as the Innkeeper, however, is given some very funny moments as he tries without success to duplicate Stan's intricate hand games.