Laurel and Hardy play two hapless would-be bandits who team up as servants of the notorious Fra Diavlo (Dennis King), whose career is schmoozing with the upper class with intentions to rob them blind. But the kindly Stan and Ollie decide to foil his plans and try to capture him and perhaps reap a handsome reward. When the comedy duo are on screen, they deliver amusement and don't disappoint their fans. But how much one will enjoy this musical/comedy depends on their tolerance for Operettas of this time. In my case, they make me want to stab myself with a kitchen knife, and I have never liked when Laurel and Hardy's comical antics are put on hold so we can suffer through more singing, courtesy of Mr. King as he tries to woo Thelma Todd. When Stan and Ollie themselves are not center stage, the film becomes a burden, with cringe-inducing crooning so awful that it makes the songs in Abbott and Costello's 1940s films sound like catchy Rock 'N Roll. **1/2 out of ****
Review of The Devil's Brother
