The Bangville Police (1913)

User Rating:

5.5/10   

Director:

Henry Lehrman

Release Date:

24 April 1913 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Short

Plot:

At a farm near Bangville, the young daughter see strangers in the barn. She quickly rushes to the house and calls the police. The police engage in a haphazard rush across the countryside to get there in time.

Plot Keywords:

Farm | Barn | Maid | Shovel | Pitchfork

Cast

Mabel Normand	...	Farm Girl
Nick Cogley	...	Father
Dot Farley	...	Mother
Fred Mace	...	Police Chief
Betty Schade
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raymond Hatton	...	Policeman
Edgar Kennedy	...	Policeman
Hank Mann	...	Policeman
Ford Sterling	...	Policeman
Al St. John	...	Policeman

Also Known As:

Farce Comedy (USA) (subtitle)

Runtime:

8 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Company:

Keystone Film Company

Trivia:

Was the very first film to feature the group later known as "The Keystone Cops". They got this name from the film company that produced this title, Keystone.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Touch of Evil (1958)

A well known Keystone comedy

This seems to be one of the most common Keystones out there, and is usually regarded as the first appearance of the "Keystone Kops" (their actual first appearance was in 1912's Hoffmeyer's Legacy). This is a pretty good half-reel comedy with a good plot line for a 7 minute film. Mabel, the daughter of a farmer (played by Nick Cogley), asks her father if she can have a baby calf. Later, she sees two mysterious men entering the farm and thinks they are burglars. She hides in a shed and phones the police, who are led by a portly, doddering old bumpkin. When Mabel's mother tries to enter the shed, Mabel blocks the door causing the mother to think a burglar is hiding inside! The police rush to the farm to catch the supposed burglars. Mabel's parents learn it was her hiding in the barn, and the strange men were actually delivering a baby calf.

These aren't the legendary Keystone Kops most people are familiar with. They're really just a militia here; a group of country folk who carry guns and shovels and defend their small town when needed. Ford Sterling is funny as a skinny little hick who rounds up all the "cops", and Fred Mace as the police chief is the highlight of the whole film.

Overall, this is a good film that you should have no problem locating a copy of.