The Keystone Cops
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Description
The Keystone Cops Produced by Mack Sennett and the Keystone Film Company in the Early 19th century was composed of 7 silent film actors. After gaining recognition in 1913 for their short film “The Bangville Police” the Keystone Cops became a comical supporting element for many famous comedians of the time. Acting in a supporting role to the great actor Charlie Chapman in the film Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914) the Keystone Cops secured themselves a place in history.
The 1913 short film "The Bangville Police is an exciting film to analyze. The story begins with the young women seen to my right. She looks almost directly at the audience and exaggerates not only her facial expressions but also her hand movements to convey emotion. The film is black and white yet Sennett is able to create depth in his film through texture gradiance and reference objects placed one in front of the other as demonstrated by the chairs seen in the same image.
As our damsel in distress calls out over the telephone for help her prays are answered as the chief of the Bangville police answers her call. Firing his pistol into the ceiling of his flat to call his deputies to action the amusement begins. The squad moves out with shovels and pistols in hand as the film uses simple cuts from one group to another as they go two separate routes to the place of the burglary. The film does not make use of the more artistic cuts made famous by George Melies but instead resembles more of a Lumiere brother documentary.
I will not spoil the ending but be assured the Keystone Cops of Bangville saved the day. The film with a run time of only 8:34 seconds is a wonder glimpse into the history of film making and can bring the viewer into a world free of product placement and void of distracting noise.
Watch "The Bangville Police" here:
Today the term Keystone Cop is found in the Urban Dictionary and is “used to criticize a group for its mistakes, particularly if the mistakes happened after a great deal of energy and activity, or if there was a lack of coordination among the members of the group.” This modern meaning of the term sheds light onto the historical view of the Keystones Cops and their form of comedy.
The Keystone Cops have also found their way into modern day politics and our criticisms of government organizations. Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut likened the response of the Department of Homeland Security to hurricane Katrina to the Keystone Cops “uncertain about what to do and how to do it.”
On college Campuses today the term Keystone Cops is used in reference to police officers who patrol college campuses in an attempt to catch underage students drinking at tailgates and in dorm rooms. The connection is made by the similar name the cheap beer “Keystone” that man students partake in and the ignorance of the police who attempt to smother their fun.
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