Filmed prior to Sons of the Desert (1933), one of their most famous and enduring comedies, The Devil's Brother (1933), aka Fra Diavolo, Bogus Bandits, and The Virtuous Tramps, marks an interesting turning point in the early sound features of Laurel and Hardy. Despite years of perfecting their "act" in comedy shorts, the duo were still experimenting with the tone and style of their longer features and settled on an 1830 operetta by Daniel F. Auber as their musical film debut. It was a decision that made perfect sense as both Laurel and Hardy were quite accomplished song-and-dance men, having performed in various musical roles on stage and in vaudeville. But the real musical star of The Devil's Brother is Dennis King, whose famous baritone voice was heard in operas on both sides of the Atlantic in his day. As the much feared Fra Diavolo, King makes an ideal straight man for the duo, alternating between intimidation and self-mockery as he boasts about his exploits in song.
Laurel and Hardy both had misgivings at first that appearing in a period piece might be a cause for concern; their fans were used to seeing them in contemporary settings. Laurel also quarreled often with producer Hal Roach over the screenplay which was being adapted for the screen by Jeanie Macpherson (a frequent collaborator and mistress of Cecil B. DeMille). Luckily, co-star Thelma Todd was on hand to cheer Laurel up with her bawdy sense of humor and comic accounts of her off-screen love life.
When The Devil's Brother was finally released - after a sneak preview in which twenty minutes were reportedly cut - it proved to be their biggest box office hit and still holds that distinction today.
Despite the commercial success of the film, some moviegoers were divided over the film's mixture of comedy and music. Fans of the original operetta complained about the intrusion of what they felt were unnecessary slapstick interludes whereas some Laurel and Hardy fans felt the musical numbers, mostly performed by King, took up far too much screen time. A perfect example of the former opinion was voiced by Mordaunt Hall in his New York Times review: "Without being unkind to the apprehensive Stan Laurel or his companion, the ponderous Oliver Hardy; one is apt to conclude after witnessing this production that much less of their antics and more of Mr. King's fine baritone voice would have made this shadow version of an opera far more entertaining."
Quibbles aside, The Devil's Brother features some of Laurel and Hardy's best moments on the screen. From their ridiculous period wigs to Laurel's talent for butchering the simplest clichés ("You'd better watch your Qs and Ps," "Come easy, go easy"), the duo create memorable mayhem in scene after scene, the most famous being the wine drinking sequence in which both men become hysterical with laughter. Other routines from this film that you'll probably recall from your childhood are Laurel's maddening games of dexterity - "Earsie, Eyesie, Nosie" and "Finger-Wiggle" - and the famous final shot of the boys riding a wild bull out of town.
Producer: Hal Roach
Director: Hal Roach, Charles Rogers
Screenplay: Jeanie Macpherson
Cinematography: Hap Depew, Art Lloyd
Film Editing: Bert Jordan, William Terhune
Music: LeRoy Shield
Cast: Stan Laurel (Stanlio), Oliver Hardy (Olio), Dennis King (Fra Diavolo/Marquis de San Marco), Thelma Todd (Pamela Rocburg), James Finlayson (Lord Rocburg), Arthur Pierson (Lorenzo).
BW-91m. Closed captioning.
by Jeff Stafford
