Customer Reviews

The Corsican Brothers (B&W)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This incredible Dumas tale, which has some basis in fact, is brought to the screen with great gusto on the part of Fairbanks, whose dashing feats rival in many scenes the acrobatic antics of his illustrious father. The story has two Siamese-type twin boys born in the fabled island of Corsica where they are separated by a brilliant doctor played by Akim Tamiroff. One child is sent to Paris to be raised, and the other into the mountains with family retainer J. Carroll Naish. In later years telepathy (yes, telepathy!) is the theme...Fairbanks does an incredible job portraying both Mario and Lucien; his separately unique facial workings, posture and vocal modulations make for a splendid job of acting. Fairbanks excels in showing just how the emotional/intellectual telepathy works on each twin both psychically or physically when the other is in danger & it's fascinating to observe. Tamiroff plays his role with gutteral relish and Naish is likewise excellent as usual. The special effects are outstanding (especially for 1941) and this film actually benefits from colorization. A treat for lovers of vintage adventure and derring-do films.

"The Corsican Brothers" is one of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.'s best swashbucklers. He's most effective in the dual role and the supporting cast, including a villainous Akim Tamiroff, doesn't let him down. The Alexandre Dumas story proves both exciting and moving, with fine duels and sparkling romance!

The VHS copy I was sent by Amazon features a bright orange jacket, and proved to be a well-made colorization of the original B&W film.

I also recommend Fairbanks' "The Exile", if you can find it. It's a great pity that these two top-drawer swashbucklers aren't available on DVD.

When I first saw the original Corsican Brothers with Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., it was in black and white, grainy and the sound was tinny. I was about five years old at the time. But it made such an impression on me, even though I was very young, I never forgot it.

When I saw it was available on VHS, I ordered it immediately still expecting it to be black and white and grainy. We have a wide screen, flat-panel HD TV. When the tape was delivered in record time, we were totally amazed that it was not only in color, but the picture was as sharp as any DVD we own! It was not only a bargain, even on VHS, but it is one of our top favorites in a collection of over 300 movies!

Once again, a great classic has been preserved for future generations!

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. stars in this film in which he plays the roles of twin brothers. Separated at birth and raised by different families, one brother becomes a Parisian gentleman; the other a Corsican bandit.
But the brothers meet again years later, in time to rescue their country from the tyranny of Colonna, played here by character actor Akim Tamiroff as a smirking villain.
Fairbanks is splendid as the righter of wrongs in this old-fashioned film of swordplay and adventure.

I'm sorry. My English is poor. "The Corsican Brothers" was very popular in our country, South Korea, around Nineteen fifties and sixties, I think this is one of the most interesting swasbuckler movie -inclusive of action packed, full of romance, beautiful sword play scene- that I've ever seen. Yes, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Cornel Wilde, Louis Hayward, They are my boyhood heroes.
Couple of weeks ago, I found this VHS in here. and I ordered this minute "The Corsican Brothers". The VHS has been arrived very fast to me from Keeweebook. The tape is very good, looks clean view. I appreciate that this seller. However This is color version, recorded medium long play mode. I have no idea different kind of version of this VHS. So, the day coming released b/w and DVD version of this movie, I'll definitely take this one.

The movie, The Corsican Brothers, is slightly different than the novel written by Alexandre Dumas. It is an interesting quasi/fantasy story about conjoined twins separated at birth literally and figuratively.
It is an exciting story and should be enjoyed by all ages.

This is the first sound version of the old Dumas story of two Siamese twins, Mario and Lucien , born into a prosperous family and separated at birth by a brilliant surgeon ,played here by H B Warner.They are raised apart ,one among Paris society and the other in the rugged Corsican mountains by the old family retainer(J Caroll Naish) where they have been forced to flee by the scheming Callona (Akim Tamiroff)who has killed their father and taken over their family estates.They are telepathically linked -when one is stabbed the other also feels the pain etc .They fall in love with the same woman -the elegant society belle Isabelle (Ruth Warwick)but this does not prevent them uniting to avenge their father's death and restore the family name

The adaptaion -by George Bruce and Howard Estabrook plays fast and loose with the original book but it provides for lots of lively action including swordply ,knife fighting ,kidnapping and torture .Fairbanks is fine but for me is just a tad too "heavy" in tone to be in the top flight of swashbucklers like his father or Errol Flynn and there is a similar ponderousness to the direction of Gregory Ratoff .The rest of thecast are fine and this is an enjoyable,if not quite top drawer slice of rousing period melodrama
Please note -I saw the original monochrome version ,not the colourized one (thankfully ! I deplore colourization on principle)