Cops

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Nick M Buster must become a successful businessman to woo the heart of his lady love, but darn it if he can't stop accidentally stealing things and causing mayhem and destruction in front of police officers. Police chases are so tired by 1922, but there are some real chuckles to be had here. Apart from the situational humor some of my favorite sight gags were a horse losing its dentures, the see sawing ladder, the extendable turn signal, and the earliest vehicular intercom system I've ever seen. One joke that would have gone over my head if I hadn't looked it up is when Buster tries to get his horse to visit the "Goat Gland Specialist", which he might be forgiven for thinking that sounds close enough to a veterinarian as makes no difference. For the curious - look up John R. Brinkley for one of the most unbelievable cases of medical quackery I've ever heard of. Once we understand the implications, the bigger laugh is to be had when Buster starts to go back in without the horse. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/02/25 Full Review Thom N I have watched several dozen of Mr Keaton's films, as well as films in which he appears, and so far this is the film I find among the most representative of his general style. It is the film that I show to people who have never seen any of his work. While not as famous as "Steamboat Bill Jr." or "The General", this wonderful and zany send-up of employment and the police really resonated with me, a cop-hating bum. I would put this in my silent film Hall of Fame, right up there with "Safety Last" and all of the other great legendary pieces of cinema from the last century. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/19/24 Full Review Christopher B While Buster Keaton never thought much of "Cops" it has become one of the greatest comedy two-reelers of all time! The film is another chase film but this time there are literally dozens and dozens of cops giving chase to Buster after another series of unfortunate events. The idea of Buster evading literally a town of cops in athletic superiority is almost like watching a culmination of Buster's entity as the confident and always one step ahead being that he had become. The ending, which I won't spoil, isn't the traditional "happy ending" and is hilarious for being so! The film consists of a setup first reel that is still gag filled but slower in it's build up that leads and adds to the second reel in which the full chase takes place. While not consistently frantic the whole film the buildup is definitely the reason the second half is so brilliant! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/19/22 Full Review Audience Member I've wanted to go back to look at classic movies and had been curious for a while about the work of vaudeville comics starting with one of the greats. With his 1922 picture Cops, a very sprawling picture of a young man trying to figure somethings out. Clever comedy with a courageous storyteller with a story unlike any I've ever seen but will leave you wanting more in the best possible way. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review sean l Stream of consciousness hilarity from Buster Keaton and a few of his favorite collaborators. Despite the title, Cops only briefly involves the police. Most of its eighteen-minute runtime is spent tailgating an enterprising young man on his quest for a quick buck, observing from a distance as he stumbles over a number of too-good-to-be-true business opportunities and repeatedly, naïvely, compounds his troubles. By the end of the picture, he carries a long tail of inevitable repercussions, a year's worth of fallout for one short afternoon's flighty misadventure, and that's where the grand, climactic police chase comes in. Young Keaton's not a total dunce - in fact, his impulsive shrewdness provides one of the film's first big laughs (not to mention a serious bankroll) - he's just self-centered and oblivious to the max. This sense of ignorant innocence rears its head constantly, usually to the detriment of the innocent parties who happen to cross his path, and it always hits its comedic mark. Keaton's effortless in the act, averting his eyes to fluff a pillow or light a cigarette while he KOs a poor traffic cop and ruins a large-scale parade. Buying into this act is essential, as his seemingly well-intentioned character would probably come off as a real jerk if we believed he'd done any of it on purpose. Instead, he's more like a cursed dreamer who can't outrun his own fate. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review william d Eighteen of the funniest minutes ever put on film. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Cops

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