The Corsican Brothers

"ALEXANDER DUMAS' IMMORTAL CLASSIC"

1942 1h 51m EN

👍

7.0

SOLID

★7.0TMDB · 10

AdventureDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Cultured Mario and outlaw Lucien, twins separated at birth, join forces to avenge their parents' death at the hands of evil Colonna. Because each feels all the same sensations experienced by the other, swordplay is difficult for them. Worse yet, raised very differently, they struggle to find common ground between their conflicting personalities. But to defeat their enemy, the two will have to overcome the obstacles and work as a team.

“ALEXANDER DUMAS' IMMORTAL CLASSIC”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Lucien Franchi / Mario Franchi
Ruth Warrick
Countess Isabelle Gravini
Akim Tamiroff
Baron Colonna
J. Carrol Naish
Lorenzo
H.B. Warner
Dr. Enrico Paoli
John Emery
Tomasso
Henry Wilcoxon
Count Victor Franchi
Gloria Holden
Countess Franchi

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gregory Ratoff
Writers: George Bruce
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

84 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gregory Ratoff, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William F. Claxton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Ruth Warrick and Akim Tamiroff carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "ALEXANDER DUMAS' IMMORTAL CLASSIC".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0033490 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gregory Ratoff directs. Harry Stradling Sr. behind the camera. Dimitri Tiomkin scores. William F. Claxton cuts. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Gregory Ratoff, shot by Harry Stradling Sr.. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Dimitri Tiomkin. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor William F. Claxton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Ruth Warrick and Akim Tamiroff carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "ALEXANDER DUMAS' IMMORTAL CLASSIC".
7IMDB entry: tt0033490 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 14 themes, including "twin brother", "sword fight", "beautiful woman", "brother against brother".

The technical file

Cinematography: Harry Stradling Sr.
Original score: Dimitri Tiomkin
Editing: William F. Claxton
Production design: Nicolai Remisoff
Costume design: Walter Plunkett
Makeup / hair: Don L. Cash
Runtime: 111 min · 1h 51m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Box office: $1,300,000
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Corsican Brothers (1942)

Also by

Gregory Ratoff

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-03-06
★ 6/10
Alexander Dumas liked stories about separated twins so this time we find it is brothers “Mario” and “Lucien” (Douglas Fairbanks Jr.) who are born conjoined. The doctor manages to separate them but before they can do much more, violence at the hands of the cunning “Baron Colonna” (Akim Tamiroff) robs them of their parents and the boys are split up. “Mario” ends up being well brought up and used to the finer things in life whilst “Lucien” becomes a highwayman but both have a sensation that they are not alone! When they do finally meet, they begin to understand just how connected their spirits actually are and how easily they can feel each other’s pain - and they both determine to avenge their murdered parents. As a team they are chalk and cheese, and so must learn to trust each other - and that’s not made any easier as both of them fall for the “Countess Isabelle” (Ruth Warrick) who is also the object of the desires of their scheming nemesis. With love triangles all over the places and a solid dose of familial vengeance here, too, this is an ideal vehicle for Fairbanks to shine. Somehow, though, he just doesn’t. The photography that puts them both in the same shot regularly is natural but his reconciliation of the two differing characters doesn’t quite come off. Even at it’s most swashbuckling, there’s just a paucity of flare. Not for the first time in his career, it’s really Tamiroff who steals the show with an effort that could easily have inspired the nasty from the “Zorro” adventures from the late 1950s. The production looks great though and when there is action, it mixes the swordplay with a little humour and delivers a perfectly watchable adventure film that though it does disappoint, that’s maybe just because I had higher expectations of this actor in his element. It’s still worth watching.

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