Le petit frère

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...

Even by Harold Lloyd's high standards, this is one of his most entertaining and most imaginative movies. It combines humor and melodrama very well, and it is particularly rich in sight gags, again even by Lloyd's standards. Lloyd has a character that is well suited to his style, and he adds some impressive stunts as well.

As "The Kid Brother", Lloyd's character is the put-upon son of a tough sheriff, with two older, domineering brothers. The story has Harold involved romantically with Jobyna Ralston, who comes to town with a traveling medicine show that the sheriff is trying to shut down. There is also a large sum of money that has been collected for a new dam, and entrusted to the sheriff. There is a lot going on, and Lloyd's character faces challenges and difficulties both from his family and from the villains in the medicine show.

The efforts of Lloyd's character to win the respect of his family give the plot some depth that complements the comedy and melodrama well. The action sequences often combine stunts, drama, and visual comedy at the same time, and there are just enough thoughtful moments to keep the important characters from becoming flat. Constantine Romanoff makes a memorable villain, and the lengthy showdown in the old abandoned ship is a wonderful set piece with lots of interesting details.

It's well worth watching a number of times, in order to catch and enjoy everything that Lloyd and the rest of the cast and crew have packed into less than an hour and a half of running time. How fortunate it is that this and Lloyd's other gems have finally come out on DVD for all of us silent movie fans to enjoy.

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.

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 ****

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!