The Brothers O'Toole (1973)

The brothers, a couple of ne'er-do-wells, turn a sleepy mining town upside-down in their search for quick riches.

Director:

Richard Erdman

Writers:

Marion Hargrove, Tim Kelly (screenplay)

Stars:

John Astin, Pat Carroll, Hans Conried

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Astin	...	Michael O'Toole / Desperate Ambrose Littleberry
Pat Carroll	...	Callie Burdyne
Hans Conried	...	Polonius Vandergelt
Richard Erdman	...	Judge Quincey P. Trumbell
Allyn Joslyn	...	Sheriff Ed Hatfield
Richard Jury	...	Harmon P. Lovejoy
Lee Meriwether	...	Paloma Littleberry
Jesse White	...	Mayor
Steve Carlson	...	Timothy O'Toole
Miranda Barry	...	Bonnie Lou MacClanahan
Francelle Fuller	...	Prudence Burdyne
Ted Claassen	...	Gurnie Burdyne
Harlan Knudson	...	Dexter the Banker
Leon Enge	...	Hard Rock
Jacques Hampton	...	Attorney Bedemeir

Storyline

The brothers, a couple of ne'er-do-wells, turn a sleepy mining town upside-down in their search for quick riches.

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Plot Keywords:

colorado | 1890s | jailed | hanging | mistaken identity | 

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Taglines:

The Brothers O'Toole get into trouble faster than you can say... Molly - B'Damn In the Wackiest, funniest, family Western of the year!

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Genres:

Comedy | Western

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Certificate:

G

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Mayor uses the phrase 'like a wolf upon the fold', a quote from "The Destruction of Semnacherib" by Lord Byron.

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Goofs

The attorney's name is shown as 'Benoni Beidermeier' on his bag but as 'Bedermeir' on the credits.

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Quotes

Michael O'Toole: I have, in my time, visited three political conventions, four sessions of congress, and two homes for the criminally insane. I have known army generals, steam doctors, vegetarians, prohibitionists, and a female suffragette. But never, even in an Orangeman's Day parade, have I seen such pure and stainless brainlessness as I now behold in you. The Almighty, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, has given the worm enough sense to turn with, and the barnacle can grasp whatever happens to be standing by...
[...]

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Connections

References The Great Gildersleeve (1942)

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Soundtracks

Molly Be Damned
Vocals by Sonny Curtis

User Reviews

A Long-Time Favorite

About the only movie I consider funnier than "The Brothers O'Toole" (1973) is "The Big Lebowski" (1998). Both have the same combination of huge exaggeration coupled with subtle parody, exploding film conventions of their respective genres with completely out-of-place dialog. My appreciation of this no doubt speaks to a twisted sense of humor and an appreciation of the absurd; of which there is so little in more mainstream comedy features. So if you happen to be "Duckman" off-kilter, then "The Brothers O'Toole" is a film that you should seek out.

John Astin's success the year before in another western parody, "Evil Roy Slade" (1972), inspired a sequel of sorts. Or at least a reprise of his title role, this time playing a very similar extreme outlaw character named "Desperate" Ambrose J. Littleberry. When not busy terrorizing citizens, poor Desperate is a henpecked husband. An almost unrecognizable Lee Meriwether wonderfully overplays his shrewish wife Poloma. It is definitely her signature performance and I laugh every time I think about what the Miss America pageant people must have thought about this hysterical portrayal.

The humor in both films is nicely twisted but the "The Brothers O'Toole" is several notches above "Evil Roy Slade" on the IQ scale, which may account for it being a bit more obscure. Think "Support Your Local Sheriff" vs "Support Your Local Gunfighter" for an example of the same type of comparative difference.

For Astin this is a duel role, as he and Steve Carlson play the title characters; a pair of too sophisticated drifter brothers Michael and Timothy O'Toole. Michael is an unambitious cardsharp and Timothy is a small-time rogue and roué. They come to the tiny town of Molybdenum, Colorado (Molly B'Damn to the locals) from separate disasters. Michael has just been ridden out of another town and Timothy is fleeing the shotgun wedding bells and angry father of his latest conquest, Bonnie Lou MacClanahan (Miranda Berry who is flat out irresistible).

The town is a collection of characters played by a collection of character actors like Richard Erdman, Pat Carroll, Allyn Joslyn (the reluctant sheriff), Jessie White (the slimy mayor). Joslyn and White are especially good, as is Hans Conried who plays a financier obviously modeled on Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The main plot device is mistaken identity as Michael O'Toole is mistaken for A. J. Littleberry and thrown in jail. Michael's summation at his trial and a later diatribe about the town are simply comedy classics, as is pretty much everything done and said by Richard Jury who plays the town's greedy undertaker, Harmon P. Lovejoy.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 May 1973 (USA)

Also Known As:

Los hermanos O'Toole

Filming Locations:

Buckskin Joe Frontier Town & Railway - 1193 Fremont County Road 3A, Canon City, Colorado, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

American National Enterprises, CVD Studios

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color