The Devil’s Brother 1933

In the early 18th century, Fra Diavolo [Dennis King], a notorious bandit, regales his compatriots at their encampment in Northern Italy with a telling account of his latest encounter with the aristocratic couple Lord Rocburg [James Finlayson] and Lady Pamela Rocburg [Thelma Todd]. Disguised as the Marquis de San Marco, Fra Diavolo ingratiates himself with the duo during a carriage ride, coaxing Lady Pamela to reveal the whereabouts of her coveted jewels. He then sends his men to raid Rocburg’s estate and steal Pamela’s jewels. Meanwhile, two hapless individuals, Stanlio [Stan Laurel] and Ollio [Oliver Hardy], after falling victim to a robbery themselves, entertain the notion of adopting a life of banditry.

Their ill-fated attempt to imitate Diavolo leads them into a farcical confrontation with the outlaw. Diavolo, suspecting Stanlio of impersonating him, orders his execution, only to learn that his henchmen have secured Pamela’s jewels but failed to locate Rocburg’s hidden fortune. Undeterred, Diavolo, once again assuming the identity of the marquis, enlists Stanlio and Ollio as his attendants, plotting to seize Rocburg’s wealth at an inn where he resumes his amorous pursuit of Lady Pamela.

However, their scheme is disrupted when Stanlio inadvertently drinks a soporific intended for Rocburg, thwarting Diavolo’s efforts to locate Rocburg’s hidden riches. Amidst the chaos, Stanlio inadvertently exposes Diavolo’s machinations to Captain Lorenzo [Arthur Pierson], who resolves to clear his own name of a theft attributed to him by Diavolo. As Lorenzo confronts Fra Diavolo, aided inadvertently by Stanlio, a confrontation ensues, culminating in Fra Diavolo’s defeat and the restoration of Pamela’s jewels.

In a gesture of redemption, Fra Diavolo relinquishes the ill-gotten gains to Lorenzo, enabling the latter to benevolently rescue Matteo [Henry Armetta]‘s inn from financial ruin. The narrative climaxes with Fra Diavolo and his cohorts facing the prospect of execution, only to be spared by a fortuitous intervention involving a perturbed bull. Fra Diavolo makes his escape on horseback, while Stanlio and Ollio, propelled by serendipity, fashion their own improbable exit by clinging to the back of the enraged bull as it charges off into the countryside. In the final twist, it is revealed that the hidden money-purse had been sewn into Lady Pamela’s petticoats, making it obvious that the riches could have been stolen at any prior meeting if the bandit had known it was there.