The Corsican Brothers (1941)

After their parents are killed, co-joined twin boys are separated, with one raised as a gentleman in Paris and the other in the mountains becoming a bandit.

Director:

Gregory Ratoff

Writers:

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

Stars:

Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Ruth Warrick, Akim Tamiroff

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	...	Mario Franchi / Lucien Franchi
Ruth Warrick	...	Countess Isabelle Gravini
Akim Tamiroff	...	Baron 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	...	Count Gravini
Veda Ann Borg	...	Maria
William Farnum	...	Priest
Sarah Padden	...	Nurse
Manart Kippen	...	Martelli

Storyline

After their parents are killed, co-joined twin boys are separated, with one raised as a gentleman in Paris and the other in the mountains becoming a bandit.

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Plot Keywords:

death of brother | diamond necklace | silverware | red wine | flogging | 

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Taglines:

FATE PLACED ONE SOUL IN THEIR TWO BODIES! (original print media ad - all caps)

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Genres:

Adventure | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to his service in the US Naval Reserve after the United States' entry into World War II, this was Douglas Fairbanks Jr.'s last film until Sinbad, the Sailor (1947) six years later.

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Connections

Version of The Corsican Brothers (1898)

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.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 November 1941 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Corsican Brothers

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