The Corsican Brothers (1941)

A feud between two powerful families results in the Franchi’s being wiped out except for the just-born Siamese twin sons of the Franchi patriarch. The twins are separated, and to keep them safe one is raised in the woods as a bandit while the other is raised in Paris. Twenty years later Lucien and Mario (both Douglas Fairbanks Jr.), along with the Franchi servant (J. Carrol Naish) are brought together to plot vengeance on the man who killed their parents, Baron Colonna (Akim Tamiroff). The twins are both aided and thwarted by Lucien’s ability to feel what happens to Mario, and by their duel attraction to Countess Isabelle (Ruth Warrick).

The fourth in a series of Alexandre Dumas-based, independently produced Swashbucklers, following The Count of Monte Cristo (1934), The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), and The Son of Monte Cristo (1940), The Corsican Brothers, like those others, is nicely filmed on a small budget. That works well for conversations and slow moments, but this is a Swashbuckler. Action scenes cost money as do special effects for rear projection and split screens. That money is missing, making the fights a bit silly.

The film’s advantage is Fairbanks. He was one of the more charismatic actors of the time and could have been one of the great Swashbuckling leads. He looks natural with a sword in his hand and can handle the patter effortlessly. Unfortunately WWII took him away from acting in his prime. This was his last film for six years. I wish it could have been a film to elevate him (as his one great Swashbuckler, The Prisoner of Zenda, did), instead of one that required him to elevate it. The passable direction, classic story, and amiable cast give enough support to Fairbanks to create an enjoyable afternoon romp.

I’d forgotten that The Princess Bride borrows from this film, both in the general torture subplot, and in the specific framing and blocking of the swordsman’s return from death.