Il fratello minore

I kept thinking how he deserves recognition as one of the great silent comedians alongside Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin--especially with his wonderful work in the well-crafted THE KID BROTHER.

The simple plot has him as the youngest and rather nerdy kid brother with his two strapping brothers towering over him as the apple of their father's eyes. Whenver something has to be done, he's left out of the picture while his father assigns his brothers to the task.

But the funniest scenes have to do with him trying to outwit and pull fast tricks on his brothers in a series of sight gags. They're perfectly willing to bully him whenever a show of muscle is involved--particularly when impressing a girl they all have a yen for.

There are too many sight gags to enumerate here and they all involve physical dexterity and timing of the highest order. A particularly demanding set of stunts are performed in the latter half of the story when our hero must board a ghost ship to retrieve money his father has been accused of stealing. The scenes involve a monkey in a sailor suit and a vicious villain out for the kill in keeping hold on stolen money.

All of it is photographed with great style and there's an emotional attachment to the romantic angle involving the girl (JOBYNA RALSTON) so that the hectic comedy is anchored by a story that keeps the comedy on firm ground.

Summing up: A delightful physical comedy, wonderfully photographed and played by an excellent cast, with Lloyd at his all-time best. In my opinion, this one tops SAFETY FIRST.

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...

THE KID BROTHER should be the film Lloyd to be remembered by. No matter how many times you watch it, you can always find something you did not notice previously. The structure of the film is something to be marveled at. It is so delicately built that every frame, even every prop serves a purpose for either characterization or as link between gags, or both. Even the tilt of the abandoned ship serves toward the end of the movie. The film is so beautifully shot that it has an idyllic quality. It also has a really great plot and even greater sight gags. And Lloyd's acting is beyond praise. The film itself is a masterful blend of great comedy and sentiments. Definitely one of the best silent films ever made.

In some ways it's a shame that Harold Lloyd is so associated with the film Safety Last. This is not because it is a bad film (in fact it's one of his better ones) but because it represents a style of film that is based almost completely on physical humor, whereas his best films also included significantly more plot, exceptional cinematography and a lot of heart.

Among my favorites is THE KID BROTHER. It is very funny at times, but all the humor takes a back seat to the plot involving Lloyd falling for Jobyna Ralston (as he had in many previous films). The camera work is just unbelievable and just goes to show that just because this is a silent film doesn't mean it wasn't a very artistic film. A funny, sweet, beautiful and memorable film! And, because of it's gorgeous and beautifully crafted scenes, it's highly reminiscent of the best of Chaplin's full-length films, such as CITY LIGHTS. This film certainly has a lot of heart and will shock anyone expecting slapstick.

So is THE KID BROTHER or THE FRESHMAN Lloyd's best film--it's hard to say. The FRESHMAN is more enjoyable and funny, but there is an elegance to THE KID BROTHER that help it transcend the genre--making it truly a work of art. As for me, I love them both and recommend you see them soon!