The Kid Brother (1927)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The Hickorys are a respected family in Hickoryville. Sheriff Jim (Walter James) and his big, strong sons Leo (Leo Willis) and Olin (Olin Francis) have little respect for the youngest son, Harold (Harold Lloyd), who does not have their muscles. When Jim, Leo and Olin go to an important town meeting to discuss a dam, Harold is left behind. He puts on his father's gun and badge and is mistaken for the sheriff by "Flash" Farrell (Eddie Boland), who runs a travelling medicine show for Mary (Jobyna Ralston) after the death of her father. Farrell talks Harold into signing a permit to let him, strongman Sandoni (Constantine Romanoff) and dancer Mary perform. Later, Mary tries to avoid the unwanted attentions of Sandoni and encounters Harold. They are attracted to each other... - Actors:
- Harold Lloyd, Jobyna Ralston, Walter James, Leo Willis, Olin Francis, Constantine Romanoff, Eddie Boland, Frank Lanning, Ralph Yearsley, Fred Brown, Lem Hardy, Gus Leonard, Jim MacIntyre, Arthur Millett, Frank Mitchell, Jocko the Monkey, Roger Moore, Frank Nelson, George Redding, Joe Ryan
- Writers:
- John Grey, Ted Wilde
- Aka:
- The Mountain Day
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Classics, Comedy, Drama, Romance
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Reviews (1) of The Kid Brother
Silent Romcom. - The Kid Brother review by Steve
This is a sweet boy-meets-girl romcom, until the amazing last twenty minutes of action when Harold rousts a huge redneck who has stolen public money from his dad. Lloyd is the weakling youngest son of a family of tough rustic musclemen led by his father the sheriff. And Harold admires them devotedly, and dreams of being just like them.
The innocent Jobyna Ralston comes into town with a crooked medicine show, and her associates steal the town's savings. And Harold goes to get it back, employing the inventive intellect that no one else in the family or community shows any interest in, they being thick in the arm, and in the head too.
Harold plays his usual archetype, a skinny, optimistic do-gooder we can root for. His alliance with Jobyna is utterly virtuous. The film is dense with charming, clever gags and the set-piece climax on a wrecked ship gives Harold plenty of opportunity to display his character's wholesome determination and his own genius for physical comedy.
Lloyd made more at the box-office in the 1920s than any of his great contemporaries. His work was so consistent. But it's 1927 and the talkies will change everything. Lloyd did better than some, though his clean-cut hero began to go out of style in the sophisticated era of screwball. But, for me he remains the funniest of the silent comedians.