The Devil's Brother (or Bogus Bandits as an Astor Pictures reissue title) or Fra Diavolo outside the U.S. is a 1933 American Pre-Code comedy film starring Laurel and Hardy.^[1][2] It is based on Daniel Auber's operetta Fra Diavolo about the Italian bandit Fra Diavolo.

In the early 18th century, the notorious bandit Fra Diavolo regales his compatriots at their encampment in Northern Italy with an account of his recent encounter with the aristocratic couple Lord Rocburg and Lady Pamela. Assuming the guise of the Marquis de San Marco, Diavolo ingratiates himself with the duo during a carriage ride, coaxing Lady Pamela to divulge the whereabouts of her coveted jewels. Subsequently, he dispatches his cohorts to pillage Rocburg's estate and abscond with Pamela's treasures. Concurrently, two hapless individuals, Stanlio and Ollio, after falling victim to a robbery themselves, entertain the notion of adopting a life of banditry.

Their ill-fated endeavor to emulate Diavolo's exploits leads them into a farcical confrontation with the formidable outlaw. Diavolo, suspecting Stanlio of impersonating him, orders his execution, only to be interrupted by news that his henchmen have secured Pamela's jewels but failed to locate Rocburg's concealed 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 imbibes a soporific intended for Rocburg, thwarting Diavolo's efforts to locate the hidden riches. Amidst the ensuing chaos, Stanlio inadvertently exposes Diavolo's machinations to Captain Lorenzo, who resolves to clear his name of a theft attributed to him by Diavolo. As Lorenzo confronts Diavolo, aided inadvertently by Stanlio, a confrontation ensues, culminating in Diavolo's defeat and the restoration of Pamela's jewels.

In a gesture of redemption, Diavolo relinquishes the ill-gotten gains to Lorenzo, facilitating the latter's benevolent intervention to preserve Matteo's inn from financial ruin. The narrative climaxes with Diavolo and his cohorts facing the prospect of execution, only to be spared by a fortuitous intervention involving a perturbed bull. Subsequently, amidst the ensuing chaos, Diavolo seizes the opportunity to evade capture, while Stanlio and Ollio, propelled by serendipity, effect their own improbable escape.

• Stan Laurel as Stanlio
• Oliver Hardy as Ollio
• Dennis King as Fra Diavolo/Marquis de San Marco
• Thelma Todd as Lady Pamela
• James Finlayson as Lord Rocburg
• Lucile Browne as Zerlina
• Arthur Pierson as Lorenzo
• Henry Armetta as Matteo The Innkeeper
• Matt McHugh as Francesco
• Lane Chandler as Lieutenant
• Nina Quartero as Rita
• Wilfred Lucas as Alessandro
• James C. Morton as The Old Woodchopper
• John Qualen as Man Who Owned Bull (uncredited)
• Arthur Stone as Brigand (uncredited)
• Leo White as Tavern Patron (uncredited)