edwagreen As their parents are murdered by a ferocious Akim Tamiroff, twin boys are separated at birth and grow up separately only to reunite to extract revenge in this 1941 thriller.As young adults, the boys, each played by Douglas Fairbanks, are able to feel each other's pain.When reunited, not only do they seek revenge but of course they fall for the same woman.The film becomes one of love, extracting revenge and the brothers becoming almost foes as they vie for the love of a woman.Tamiroff steals the show here for his performance as the irascible tyrant, ready to kill all to gain his objectives.

blanche-2 Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. are "The Corsican Brothers" in this 1941 film also starring Ruth Warrick, H.B. Warner, Akim Tamiroff, Henry Wilcoxin and Gloria Holden. Based on the Dumas novel, it's the story of Siamese twins born to the Franchi family (incorrectly pronounced frahnchee instead of frahnkey throughout the movie) just as the Baron Colonna arrives to wipe out the family and take over Corsica. He believes the twins perished in the fire that destroyed their home and the rest of their family; however, the doctor who delivered them (Warner) escapes with them. He is able to separate them, and it is decided that for their own safety, he will raise one, Lucien, and the other boy, Mario, will be raised in Paris. Lucien, however, is the empathic twin, experiencing all of his brother's emotions before he even learns he has one. They meet when they are 21 and vow to get revenge on Baron Colonna (Tamiroff).This is a very good movie, but the beginning scenes at Colonna's house contain some of the worst acting ever put on film. Apparently the guests at Colonna's house were extras found wandering the set that day and were given lines. Pretty appalling.Fortunately, the rest of the film isn't like that. It's fast-moving, exciting, and brilliantly acted by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. who should today be regarded as a much bigger star. Unfortunately, unlike his father, he was working at a time when there was just too much competition, and, like Brian Aherne, he just didn't get to appear in enough of the films remembered today. Handsome, athletic, with magnificent acting technique, Fairbanks creates two completely different characters in Mario and Lucien and has, of course, genetic ability with a sword. Whenever one reads about swordfights, the Tyrone Power-Basil Rathbone swordfight at the end of "The Mark of Zorro" is said to be the best. It's dear to my heart also, but Fairbanks and Tamiroff do a bang-up swordfight in this film. Tamiroff is a real buffoon as the villain - it's a great characterization - he doesn't seem to know he's an idiot. Ruth Warrick, Phoebe Tyler of "All My Children" is lovely as Isabelle, the object of Mario, Lucien and the Baron's affections.Very enjoyable, if a little awkwardly filmed with dated effects.

MartinHafer 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.

whpratt1 It was hard for me to believe this film was made in 1941 because it deals with the operation of Siamese Twins and a doctor named Enrico Paoli, (H.B.Warner) who is able to perform surgery and separate these twin boys and give them a life. However, Dr. Enrico worries about the soul of these twins and hopes that one is not without one. There are times in this film when I think I am seeing a Boris Karloff film with all kinds of experiments bringing people back from the dead and mixing all kinds of steamy chemicals glowing in the dark. The star of this picture is Douglas Fairbanks Jr., (Lucien Franchi/Mario Franchi) who stars in both roles as the twin boys and gives an outstanding performance. Akim Tamrioff, (Colona) plays a ruthless person who controls Corsica where this film takes place and is responsible for the deaths of Lucien and Mario father and mother. This is a film which is way ahead of its time and is very entertaining with Douglas Fairbanks Jr., doing all the sword swinging like his father years ago. Great Film.