Cops (1922)

Directors:

Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton

Writers:

Edward F. Cline (writer)
Buster Keaton (writer)

Release Date:

March 1922 (USA)

Genre:

Short | Comedy | Family

Plot:

A series of mishaps manages to make a young man get chased by a big city's entire police force.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Bomb | Anarchist | Furniture | Chase

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Buster Keaton	...	The Young Man
Joe Roberts	...	Police Chief
Virginia Fox	...	Mayor's Daughter
Edward F. Cline	...	Hobo

Runtime:

18 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:S (1972) | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Arbor Mansion, Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Trivia:

This film was selected to the National Film Registry, Library of Congress, in 1997.

Quotes:

Opening title: [first line] Love laughs at locksmiths - Houdini

Movie Connections:

Edited into Keaton's Cops (1991)

A early silent film with great effects.

Cops a short film by the director Buster Keaton was made in 1922. It addresses social norms and what is expected out of a properly functioning man of society in a comical form. The film follows the narrative form of most films of that era where the plot is laid out for the viewer. The idea of using one's imagination is removed from the film. Instead the viewer is focusing more on the use of special affects and the score to tell the story. Keaton's film defines the quest for everyman, not only of that time but of every era. He addresses the issue of a man being able to support the woman he loves so that he would be able to marry her and have a family; but, in Cops this turns into an adventure and miss opportunity for the main character. There are many visual tricks where camera angles and lighting affect the viewer's interpretation as well as the main character's understanding of the plot and the action that is unfolding upon the screen. The film is one where the score is light and cheery due to the comic nature Keaton uses but the main narrative of the story is in a snowball fashion. One mistake or misunderstanding of a sign or in a conversation with another person of the cast leads to another and another. Yet, the comedic feature of the film is the blind eye that the main character turns towards the mistakes and misunderstandings, he does not grasp that anything wrong has occurred in his day. The snowball affect continues through out the film until the very end where he does not accomplish his goal and does not get the girl.

Keaton tells his story of lost love and constant misunderstandings in a short amount of time. He compresses the action and follows the strict form of introducing the characters, leading to a climax, and then concluding the action all within a half hour. The time element is not a main descriptive tool of the films of this time period as it is today. Instead there is more of a focus on the editing and the ability to entertain an audience with a story that all persons can relate to. Keaton's film is a prime example of a simple story that relates to all persons of a society but a complex film in the sense of editing and special affects. He implements many old and new tricks that film makers have used and developed in the short time that the industry has been growing. He attempts to expand the visual aspect of the film due to the lack of dialog. Keaton's film Cops pushed forward the film industry in a way that no one else could.