Cops (film)

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Cops
Cops 1922 poster.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Edward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Written byEdward F. Cline
Buster Keaton
Produced by Joseph M. Schenck
StarringBuster Keaton
Virginia Fox
Joe Roberts
Edward F. Cline
Steve Murphy
Cinematography Elgin Lessley
Distributed by First National Pictures Inc.
Release date
  • March 11, 1922 (1922-03-11)
Running time
18 minutes
CountryUnited States
Languages Silent film
English (original intertitles)

Cops is a 1922 American two-reel silent comedy film about a young man (Buster Keaton) who accidentally gets on the bad side of the entire Los Angeles Police Department during a parade and is chased all over town. It was written and directed by Edward F. Cline and Keaton. This very Kafka-esque film was filmed during the rape-and-murder trial of Fatty Arbuckle, a circumstance that may have influenced the short's tone of hopeless ensnarement. [1] [2]

Contents

It was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States Library of Congress and selected for preservation in their National Film Registry in 1997. [3] [4]

Plot

Cops

Even though the central character's intentions are good, he cannot win, no matter how inventively he tries. He gets into various scraps with police officers throughout the film. Eventually, he unwittingly throws a bomb into a police parade and ends up being chased by a horde of cops.

At the end of the film, Keaton's character locks up the cops in the police station. However, the girl he is trying to woo disapproves of his behavior and gives him the cold shoulder. Therefore, he unlocks the police station and is immediately pulled in by the cops. The film ends with the title "The End" written on a tombstone with Keaton's pork pie hat propped on it.

Cast

Legacy

Cops is one of Keaton's most iconic and brilliantly constructed short films.

See also

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References

  1. Neibaur, James L., and Terri Niemi (2013). Buster Keaton's silent shorts, 1920-1923. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 148. ISBN   081088741X.
  2. Oldham, Gabriella (1996). Keaton's silent shorts: Beyond the laughter. Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press. p. 203. ISBN   0585108064.
  3. "New to the National Film Registry (December 1997) - Library of Congress Information Bulletin". www.loc.gov. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Retrieved June 3, 2020.