Thomas Herbert Reynoldson (1807-83) may or may not have the right to an entry on this website.
Reynoldson was a British actor and singer of the late Regency period who began, probably in late 1939, to translate and adapt European light operas. One of the works he adapted was Daniel Auber’s Fra Diavolo, written in 1830 with a libretto by Eugène Scribe.
Fra Diavolo was loosely adapted by Hal Roach and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer as The Devil’s Brother, with a number of the original songs retained. Most sources cite Scribe as the author of the lyrics, but this is to ignore the necessary artistry required for the translation of song lyrics. The aria ‘On yonder rock reclining’ may have the same sense as Scribe’s ‘Voyez sur cette roche’, but the former is not a literal translation of the latter.
It is not certain that Reynoldson’s translations are the ones used by the filmmakers, but it is likely.
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