The Kid Brother stars Harold Lloyd and Jobyna Ralston in this 1927 silent comedy. While his brothers and Father are a rough and tumble type of guys, Harold Hickory(Lloyd) is kind of the opposite. When he meets a pretty girl(Ralston), he tries to put up a front of being tough but inside, he's a complete softie. His brothers aren't too pleased with him overall, and when he pretends to be something he's not, they aren't too happy about it. This is a fun film! The movie had me laughing, the whole time. Harold is soooo funny and the pairing between he and Jobyna is splendid! Same with Buster Keaton, it's hard to pick a favorite movie of Harold's. He is so perfectly funny in this, so for now I'll say this is my favorite HL movie, but I'm sure that the next time, I see another HL movie, that'll be my new favorite.
Review for Tomorrow: The Patsy(A Re-Watch!)
1 comment:
Nicole, I've always felt that Lloyd was unfairly neglected in favor of Chaplin and Keaton. I suppose it's because he didn't direct his own movies, or at least didn't take credit for directing them. Keaton didn't always take credit for his movies or shared the credit with someone else and as for Lloyd, it seems to me that devising the stunts is in a way at least partially directing the movie. Lloyd's critics often criticize him for not maintaining a distinct persona in all his films the way Chaplin and Keaton did, but I think there's something to be said for versatility. And I do detect some continuity in his characters.
Anyway, "The Kid Brother" is my very favorite Lloyd movie followed closely by both "For Heaven's Sake" (hilarious) and "The Freshman." (Compare the last to Keaton's similar "College" to see just how underrated Lloyd is.) These two are followed by "Safety Last," "Grandma's Boy," "Girl Shy," and "Speedy." Not a bad bunch of films (many of which I notice you've also watched), and all of them very funny. I have a limited interest in silent dramas but love the comedies. I'm glad to find someone else who shares my appreciation of Lloyd.
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