Lloyd is the neglected younger brother of a rough country family. His foolish antics result in a suspect medicine show staying in town, who are then believed to have stolen money. To impress a girl, Lloyd must save the day.'The Kid Brother' follows the exact same story template as his earlier film 'Grandma's Boy'. It is also his most Keaton like effort. There are Western family feud elements that recall 'Our Hospitality' (1923) (including the famous shot of an animal disguised as a lady in a dress), haunted ship elements that recall 'The Navigator' (1924), as well as inventive mechanical humour, which recalls much of Keaton's work. So it is entertaining enough with a few chuckles, but not very original, and none of it matches the work of the master he is imitating. I would seek that out instead.

Chaplin had City Lights. Buster Keaton had The General. Though Safety Last may be more iconic (indeed one of the most iconic movies of all time), I think The Kid Brother (1927) is the best expression of Harold Lloyd's brand of silent comedy: warm, peppy, and breathless in pace.This has to be one of the most tightly constructed movies ever. Other commenters have brought up how every shot, gag, and character is woven into the plot. There is not an extraneous shot in TKB. The gags are also uniformly excellent, not a dud in the bunch. More than his other features, Lloyd and his collaborators balance comedy and drama with seemingly effortless grace. Even when the story has brushes with dark material (ex. lynchings, stalking), it does not feel jarring.The character types who appear again and again in Lloyd's comic universe are here perhaps in their purest form: Jobyna Ralston as the love interest is at her most sweet and charming (in her last appearance opposite Lloyd), Walter James (who appeared as the intimidating father of Buster Keaton's love interest in Battling Butler the year before) is gruff but noble as Lloyd's estranged father, and the villains-- by God, the villains are terrifying here! The climactic chase/fight in the sunken ship succeeds not only due to the great choreography and Lloyd's physicality, but also Constantine Romanoff as the brutish Sardoni. When he throws Harold across the room, you can practically feel the bruises forming before he even lands!TKB also showcases Lloyd not only as a comedian, but as a performer in general. As an actor, he is the polar opposite of the reserved Buster Keaton; not to say Keaton is inexpressive (he was anything but), but Lloyd plays far more extroverted types, go-getters. Some say he mugs, but I think his expressions are among his best traits, a little exaggerated but hilarious. He oozes screen charm, all jaunty youthful energy so perfect for the optimism of the 1920s. Despite being in his thirties when this movie was made, Lloyd could still play eighteen and does it so well, channeling the insecurities that come from feeling you don't measure up to everyone else, trying to find yourself. He plays the emotional scenes well; nothing as powerful as the weeping scene in The Freshman, but still impressive.Overall, this is a masterpiece. Tight, funny, and with a happy ending which may or may not have you crying a little. What else could you want from a comedy?

You can't go wrong with self-confidence. This was Harold Lloyd's recipe for life, and the same holds true with the characters he plays. The best example of this is Harold Hickory in "The Kid Brother."Harold is the youngest of three sons in the all-male Hickory clan who keep order in the town of Hickoryville. Harold desperately wants the approval of his father and brothers, but can't quite manage it. A new reason to shine comes in the form of beautiful dancer Mary (Jobyna Ralston), who rides into town with a medicine show. When Mary's partners steal the town treasury, it's up to Harold to save the day."The Kid Brother" isn't as iconic as "The Freshman" or "Safety Last," but it's right up there with the first and a good deal better than the other when it comes to showcasing the full range of Lloyd's cinematic talents. There are stunts and thrills and a big scary finish to keep an audience gasping between laughs, but the true beauty of the film is how well it sets up the sentimental side of Harold, which is where movie clowns often fall short.Right away, we are told Harold is a bit of a town joke, born on April 1: "The stork that brought him could hardly fly for laughing." When we first see him, watching his father and brothers easily lift a great trunk, Lloyd's face reflects pride and chagrin. He can't measure up, his eyes tell us."You're too modest, but I like you for it." That's Mary talking to Harold, but it could as well be us for the way we are introduced to him. There are many laughs in this film, but what makes "The Kid Brother" stand up so well 90 years later is the craft of the production.Even if he didn't take a director's credit, giving it instead to his ailing collaborator Ted Wilde and journeyman J. A. Howe, Lloyd's touch is both unmistakable and deft. An opening scene of a derelict boat on a sun-burnished bay not only introduces the dreamy, pastoral quality of the entire film, but sets the scene for where it all comes to an end, desperately and triumphantly, in 90 minutes.That final battle in the "Black Ghost" is a masterpiece of pure cinema, and so is a scene of Harold waving goodbye to Mary by climbing a tree that never seems to stop rising - without the camera ever losing Mary in the ever-deepening background. Likewise, Harold gets maximum use from the intense physiognomy of co-star Constantine Romanoff, who plays the heavy Sandoni, but could just as easily be Nosferatu for the way he is shot. He presents a horrific adversary, yet he's not only overcome but literally becomes a vehicle for Harold's final triumph."The Kid Brother" doesn't have the greatest gags of silent cinema. Harold's rivalry with an annoying neighbor who tries to steal Mary away is more trope than plot point. The crisis of the stolen money is kind of introduced out of left field. But craft and charm count for a lot in comedy, and so does timing, all of which this movie gives you. I never laughed once when I watched the scene where Harold's two brothers are caught out in their nightshirts by a sudden visit from Mary, but I never stopped smiling. It's not just some good gags, but the way the camera moves from room to room, and the way light and shade are used to suggest lurking menace, just before the tables are turned yet again and Harold escapes fraternal punishment.You watch other Harold Lloyd films and get blown away by the skill, the comedic chops, and the acrobatic daring he brought to the screen. "The Kid Brother" has a quieter, subtler power that only builds with repeat viewings. If it's not quite a masterpiece, it shows how a great screen comedy can be made.

I'd only seen bits of The Milky Way and The Sin of Harold Diddlebock prior to this, and those don't really count, so it's safe to say that this is the first all-caps HAROLD LLOYD movie I've ever seen. I thought it was interesting how the whole movie felt like it could have been conceived by a slapstick loving version of Joseph Campbell with a daddy complex. It's such a naive and fun take on the hero's journey. I guess today's lovable goof would need to have some vaguely creepy or sexual element a la The 40 Year Old Virgin or something. I say this because I just don't see audiences these days going in for something as innocent and big-hearted as the conceit of trying endlessly to please one's father. It's a weird thing to be sure, especially when tied intrinsically to a romance angle wherein he can only become a man by winning the admiration of a (very gorgeous) lass at the same time as his dad, but that's what kept me invested, I guess. It's almost too personal to just be comedic. It's also got a surprising number of good looking shots. I don't know why gags like tears turning into rain or a pig wearing a bowler hat on its back are so freaking funny and bizarre, either. I also don't know if it is just a century's remove that made the last third a bit tedious, but it didn't ruin the overall film for me and I quite liked getting to see the twerp becoming a dude!