037: The Kid Brother (1927) - released 1/22/1927, viewed 2/16/06 BIRTHS: Eartha Kitt.
DOUG: I was quite surprised that I hadn't already heard of The Kid Brother, since it turned out to be my favorite Lloyd film. Turns out it was also Lloyd's favorite, not to mention the last with the lovely Jobyna Ralston, who would go on to star in Wings (which still isn't out on DVD! Grrr!). I'm going to miss her in Speedy. I noticed that between The Circus and The Cameraman, this film completes a kind of Silent Film Masters Monkey Trilogy, pairing Lloyd with a bothersome but resourceful capuchin in the climax. Lloyd's trademark go-getter attitude is never more evident than in this film, where his character really does have something to prove. It's quite heartbreaking when his father refuses to let him help find the bandits, telling him, "It could be dangerous," not realizing that the resourceful Harold will probably be more helpful than both Leo and Olin combined. Harold's journey to prove himself becomes quite compelling, and his relationship with Mary (Ralston) is that much more romantic for it. In several scenes, he manages to outsmart his gigantic stupid brothers by using his wits and ingenuity, while also warming up to Mary while the brothers run and hide. Those scenes show just a few of the film's many lengthy gag-filled set pieces, as the film is loaded to the brim with spectacular gags. The climactic ship sequence must be at least 20 minutes long, as Harold and the villain (who has already murdered his own partner) battle each other over every inch of the ship.
KEVIN: Many silent comedies include some sort of mistaken identity. From Keaton's The General to Lloyd's own Safety Last, there is often some variation of a nobody being mistaken for a somebody. And so it is here with our penultimate Harold Lloyd silent comedy, where Lloyd plays the black sheep in a family of prominent lawmen, until Mary (Ms. Ralston one last time) mistakes him for the real sheriff. Similar to The Freshman, Mary becomes supportive of Harold midway through the film, and it's through her support that he finds the courage to get back the stolen money when the town arrests his father for losing it. The extended scene on the boat is an effective mix of comedy and suspense, as the bag of stolen cash changes hands from Harold, the malicious robber, and a monkey. (So now Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd have all done comedy scenes featuring monkeys.) I laughed every time Harold outwits the robber, and at the same time I was scared for him because we just saw the robber murder his partner over the money, which makes Harold seem even more heroic when he finally wins out.
Last film viewed: For Heaven's Sake (1926). Last film chronologically: Metropolis (1927). Next film viewed: Speedy (1928). Next film chronologically: The General (1927).
The Movie Odyssey is an exhaustive, chronological project where we watch as many milestone films as possible, starting with D.W. Griffith's Intolerance in 1916 and working our way through, year by year, one film at a time. We also write a short review for each and every film. In this project, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the time period, the films of the era, and each film in context, while at the same time just watching a lot of great movies, most of which we never would have watched otherwise.
DOUG: I was quite surprised that I hadn't already heard of The Kid Brother, since it turned out to be my favorite Lloyd film. Turns out it was also Lloyd's favorite, not to mention the last with the lovely Jobyna Ralston, who would go on to star in Wings (which still isn't out on DVD! Grrr!). I'm going to miss her in Speedy. I noticed that between The Circus and The Cameraman, this film completes a kind of Silent Film Masters Monkey Trilogy, pairing Lloyd with a bothersome but resourceful capuchin in the climax. Lloyd's trademark go-getter attitude is never more evident than in this film, where his character really does have something to prove. It's quite heartbreaking when his father refuses to let him help find the bandits, telling him, "It could be dangerous," not realizing that the resourceful Harold will probably be more helpful than both Leo and Olin combined. Harold's journey to prove himself becomes quite compelling, and his relationship with Mary (Ralston) is that much more romantic for it. In several scenes, he manages to outsmart his gigantic stupid brothers by using his wits and ingenuity, while also warming up to Mary while the brothers run and hide. Those scenes show just a few of the film's many lengthy gag-filled set pieces, as the film is loaded to the brim with spectacular gags. The climactic ship sequence must be at least 20 minutes long, as Harold and the villain (who has already murdered his own partner) battle each other over every inch of the ship.
KEVIN: Many silent comedies include some sort of mistaken identity. From Keaton's The General to Lloyd's own Safety Last, there is often some variation of a nobody being mistaken for a somebody. And so it is here with our penultimate Harold Lloyd silent comedy, where Lloyd plays the black sheep in a family of prominent lawmen, until Mary (Ms. Ralston one last time) mistakes him for the real sheriff. Similar to The Freshman, Mary becomes supportive of Harold midway through the film, and it's through her support that he finds the courage to get back the stolen money when the town arrests his father for losing it. The extended scene on the boat is an effective mix of comedy and suspense, as the bag of stolen cash changes hands from Harold, the malicious robber, and a monkey. (So now Keaton, Chaplin and Lloyd have all done comedy scenes featuring monkeys.) I laughed every time Harold outwits the robber, and at the same time I was scared for him because we just saw the robber murder his partner over the money, which makes Harold seem even more heroic when he finally wins out.
Last film viewed: For Heaven's Sake (1926). Last film chronologically: Metropolis (1927). Next film viewed: Speedy (1928). Next film chronologically: The General (1927).
The Movie Odyssey is an exhaustive, chronological project where we watch as many milestone films as possible, starting with D.W. Griffith's Intolerance in 1916 and working our way through, year by year, one film at a time. We also write a short review for each and every film. In this project, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the time period, the films of the era, and each film in context, while at the same time just watching a lot of great movies, most of which we never would have watched otherwise.