- Little more than an excuse for Buster Keaton to be chased by hundreds of police officers, Cops is nevertheless a remarkably entertaining short film from the master of silent comedy. It opens with Keaton behind bars, but they're the bars of a gate rather than a prison. On the other side of the gate is the mayor's daughter (Virginia Fox), who refuses to have anything to do with Keaton unless he becomes a successful businessman. Needless to say, Keaton's idea of business is to accidentally steal someone's wallet (twice), to buy furniture from a man who doesn't own it, and to purchase a horse for the price of a shirt. I'm sure the mayor's daughter will be impressed.
- Really, though, it isn't until Keaton rides the furniture-laden, horse-drawn carriage through the middle of a police parade that he really gets into trouble. And isn't it just his luck that an anarchist tosses a bomb right into his carriage, only to be re-tossed by Keaton? Now the police are chasing him down streets, over ladders, and even into police stations. Although this film contains fewer death-defying stunts than the usual Keaton fare, the innumerable foot chases and narrow escapes are quite clever and funny. The wittiest moment arrives at the film's end, however, when Keaton voluntarily turns himself in after being rebuffed yet again. Sometimes you really can't run away from your problems.
