The Corsican Brothers (1941)

Douglas Fairbanks jr plays Siamese twins, separated by a good doctor [scalpel hemostat sutures quickly!!] after their parents are killed by Vendetta, personified by Akim Tamiroff in bolero ... See full summary »

Director:

Gregory Ratoff

Writers:

Alexandre Dumas père (novel), George Bruce (screenplay),

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Ruth Warrick, Akim Tamiroff

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Lucien Franchi / Mario Franchi
Ruth Warrick	...	Countess Isabelle Gravini
Akim Tamiroff	...	Colonna
J. Carrol Naish	...	Lorenzo
H.B. Warner	...	Dr. Enrico Paoli
John Emery	...	Tomasso
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Count Victor Franchi
Gloria Holden	...	Countess Franchi
Walter Kingsford	...	Monsieur Dupre
Nana Bryant	...	Madame Dupre
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Gravini
Veda Ann Borg	...	Maria
William Farnum	...	Priest
Sarah Padden	...	Nurse
Manart Kippen	...	Martelli

Storyline

Douglas Fairbanks jr plays Siamese twins, separated by a good doctor [scalpel hemostat sutures quickly!!] after their parents are killed by Vendetta, personified by Akim Tamiroff in bolero suits. One goes to Paris, one to the Corsican Mountains to become, respectively, a gentleman and a bandit. What will happen? "I have performed the miracle I have separated their bodies. But what of their souls?" Lucien [the bandit] feels everything Mario [the Parisian fop - I mean, gentleman] feels. 20 years pass...then another year...and they are reunited in Corsica. Banditry and vendetta and a beautiful Corsican countess ensue.

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Plot Keywords:

corsica | conjoined twins | dual role | based on novel

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Taglines:

ALEXANDER DUMAS' IMMORTAL CLASSIC (original print media ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Adventure

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die korsischen Brüder

Company Credits

Production Co:

Edward Small Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min 96 min (video) 95 min (TV)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Cheech & Chong's The Corsican Brothers (1984)

User Reviews

This film just didn't capture my attention

This film is about a set of conjoined twins who are separated shortly after their entire wealthy family is wiped out by a rival clan in Corsica. Because the clan wants ALL of this family dead, the boys are raised separately to protect their identity. One is raised in luxury in Paris, the other as a bandit in the Corsican countryside. Later, upon reaching their 21st birthdays, they are reunited (though Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. looked about 30). Together, they vow to exact revenge for their dead parents and spend most of the rest of the film wiping out the evil clan until the ultimate showdown with the #1 evil-doer, Akim Tamiroff.

While I usually love swashbuckling adventure films, this one never really caught my attention. Part of it could have been the silliness of the notion that once separated, these twins had a sort of psychic bond--where even if they are hundreds of miles apart, they can feel what the other is experiencing. Part of it might be the script. I never read the Dumas novel so I don't know if it's his fault or the script writers--but the film offered few thrills and the one twin was so selfish and unlikable, I had a hard time caring about him. I don't blame the cast, as in other later adventure films, Fairbanks, Jr. did an excellent job.

Regardless, this film is basically a nice looking time passer and not much more. For a funnier and totally ridiculous version of the Dumas story, try watching START THE REVOLUTION WITHOUT ME. This comedy completely jumbles several Dumas stories into an incomprehensible but hilarious film that is a must-see for weird movie buffs.