The Brothers O'Toole

Another one buck movie off a cheap 10 Westerns DVD release, 'The Brothers O'Toole' surprised me with it's excellent script. Perhaps John Astin's finest hour, he kind of overwhelms the rest of the very good cast of amusing characters.

Released a year before 'Blazing Saddles', this gives rise to the thought that the makers of that better known comedy western had seen 'The Brothers O'Toole' and took notes. For my money, 'The Brothers O'Toole' has the better script and the better cast.

But - the direction is often second rate and the photography uninspiring. However, given the choice of watching the above two movies as reruns, I'd vote for 'The Brothers O'Toole' every time.

International con-man John Astin (as Michael James O'Toole) and his younger brother Steve Carlson (as Timothy O'Toole) go to a small western mining town in Colorado. The town name is probably misspelled "Molybdenym" and most folks pronounce it "Molly B. Damn." Mr. Astin is mistaken for a notorious bank and stage robber, gets thrown in jail. Meanwhile, Mr. Carlson moves in with spinster mistress Pat Carroll (as Callie Burdyne) and bonds with her brother, young Ted Claassen (as Gurnie)...

Austin plays a dual role (as "Desperate" Ambrose J. Littleberry) and joins the story in his other guise. His wife is lusty Lee Meriwether (as Paloma). She throws a lot of dishes. Carlson enters the town's annual "spitting, belching and cussing contest." It's held by jolly Jessie White, who serves as the mayor and prosecutor. Allyn Joslyn is the nervous sheriff and director Richard Erdman is the boozing judge. Richard Jury (as Harmon P. Lovejoy) multi-tasks. Hans Conried (as Polonius Vandergelt) arrives late.

**** The Brothers O'Toole (5/16/73) Richard Erdman ~ John Astin, Steve Carlson, Pat Carroll, Jessie White

I have to say, this is one of the oddest movies I have ever seen. It starts out looking like a good comedy... but then something happens... or rather nothing happens. The movie begins to drag. And pretty soon it makes you think "when will it end?" There are still funny parts, but they become hard to find. Only near the end does it pick up and start to exhibit comedy again... and by then I find myself wondering why I am still watching. Yet it is memorable. So memorable, in fact, that I've been trying to remember the title for about 4 years.

No, it's not Blazing Saddles, but The Brothers O'Toole is nevertheless a rollicking good time. See it if only to revel in Astin's fabulous lambasting of his addle-patted brother and the denizens of Molly-Be-Damn, "a festering pustule on the face of the western slope!"

About the only movie I consider funnier than "The Brothers O'Toole" (1973) is "The Big Lebowski" (1998). Both have the same combination of huge exaggeration coupled with subtle parody, exploding film conventions of their respective genres with completely out-of-place dialog. My appreciation of this no doubt speaks to a twisted sense of humor and an appreciation of the absurd; of which there is so little in more mainstream comedy features. So if you happen to be "Duckman" off-kilter, then "The Brothers O'Toole" is a film that you should seek out.

John Astin's success the year before in another western parody, "Evil Roy Slade" (1972), inspired a sequel of sorts. Or at least a reprise of his title role, this time playing a very similar extreme outlaw character named "Desperate" Ambrose J. Littleberry. When not busy terrorizing citizens, poor Desperate is a henpecked husband. An almost unrecognizable Lee Meriwether wonderfully overplays his shrewish wife Poloma. It is definitely her signature performance and I laugh every time I think about what the Miss America pageant people must have thought about this hysterical portrayal.

The humor in both films is nicely twisted but the "The Brothers O'Toole" is several notches above "Evil Roy Slade" on the IQ scale, which may account for it being a bit more obscure. Think "Support Your Local Sheriff" vs "Support Your Local Gunfighter" for an example of the same type of comparative difference.

For Astin this is a duel role, as he and Steve Carlson play the title characters; a pair of too sophisticated drifter brothers Michael and Timothy O'Toole. Michael is an unambitious cardsharp and Timothy is a small-time rogue and roué. They come to the tiny town of Molybdenum, Colorado (Molly B'Damn to the locals) from separate disasters. Michael has just been ridden out of another town and Timothy is fleeing the shotgun wedding bells and angry father of his latest conquest, Bonnie Lou MacClanahan (Miranda Berry who is flat out irresistible).

The town is a collection of characters played by a collection of character actors like Richard Erdman, Pat Carroll, Allyn Joslyn (the reluctant sheriff), Jessie White (the slimy mayor). Joslyn and White are especially good, as is Hans Conried who plays a financier obviously modeled on Cornelius Vanderbilt.

The main plot device is mistaken identity as Michael O'Toole is mistaken for A. J. Littleberry and thrown in jail. Michael's summation at his trial and a later diatribe about the town are simply comedy classics, as is pretty much everything done and said by Richard Jury who plays the town's greedy undertaker, Harmon P. Lovejoy.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.