Keystone Cops

E596681

Keystone Cops were a group of bumbling, slapstick policemen featured in early 20th-century silent film comedies, known for their chaotic chases and physical humor.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Keystone Cop 1
Keystone Cops comedies 1

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional police group
silent film comedy characters
slapstick comedy troupe
activePeriodEnd 1920s
activePeriodStart 1912
alsoKnownAs Keystone Kops NERFINISHED
associatedWith Mack Sennett NERFINISHED
silent era Hollywood
countryOfOrigin United States of America
surface form: United States
createdBy Mack Sennett NERFINISHED
culturalImpact their name became a metaphor for inept, disorganized activity
era early 20th century
featuredIn numerous Keystone Studios short comedies
fictionalUniverse Keystone Studios comedy shorts NERFINISHED
filmFormat short subjects
filmTechnology black-and-white
firstAppearance Hoffmeyer’s Legacy NERFINISHED
firstAppearanceYear 1912
genre silent film comedy
slapstick comedy
historicalContext silent film era of American cinema
influenced later film comedy depictions of bumbling police
slapstick chase sequences in cinema
language silent
legacy iconic image of early Hollywood slapstick
term used in journalism to describe bungled operations
medium silent short films
movementCharacteristic frantic, uncoordinated running
narrativeRole comic antagonists and protagonists
notableFor chaotic chase scenes
ensemble slapstick routines
incompetent police behavior
physical humor
notableWork Hoffmeyer’s Legacy NERFINISHED
In the Clutches of the Gang NERFINISHED
The Bangville Police NERFINISHED
partOf Keystone Studios productions
portrayedAs bumbling policemen
incompetent law enforcement officers
primaryAudience mass popular entertainment
producedBy Keystone Studios NERFINISHED
productionCompany Keystone Film Company NERFINISHED
style exaggerated physical stunts
fast-paced ensemble choreography
typicalGag collisions and pileups
crowded car chases
misdirected arrests
typicalSetting urban American streets
visualCharacteristic uniformed policemen in ill-fitting outfits

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Keystone Studios hasPart Keystone Cops
Hank Mann notableRole Keystone Cops
this entity surface form: Keystone Cop
Mack Sennett notableFor Keystone Cops
this entity surface form: Keystone Cops comedies