The Kid Brother (1927) + Extras [The Criterion Collection]

Silent-comedy legend Harold Lloyd goes west in this irresistible blend of action, romance, and slapstick invention. The bespec­tacled everyman is at his inimitable best as Harold Hickory, the gentle son of a prominent lawman who lives in the shadow of his rough-and-tumble brothers. When a traveling medicine show rolls into town, it brings with it excitement, the possibility of love, and a chance for Harold to prove his mettle. Deftly balancing Lloyd’s brilliant sight gags and thrilling set pieces – including an epic, knock-down, drag-out fight aboard an abandoned ship – with one of the actor-filmmaker’s most fully realized, root-for-the-underdog narratives, The Kid Brother is a hilarious and heartwarming high-water mark of early screen comedy.



Audio commentary with filmmaker and Harold Lloyd archivist Richard Correll, film historian Annette D’Agostino Lloyd, and Harold Lloyd’s granddaughter Suzanne Lloyd

Score tracks:
1) Orchestral score by composer Carl Davis from 1989
2) Alternate archival organ score performed by Gaylord Carter

Extras:
– "Anatomy of a Gag: Monkeyshoes" video essay by David Cairns (8:45)
– "Close to Home" video essay by John Bengtson (15:52)
– Restored rare early Lloyd short: "Over the Fence" (1917) (5:04)