NekoHomey
Purely Joyful Movie!
Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
Tedfoldol
everything you have heard about this movie is true.
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
He_who_lurks
I had never heard of the Keystone Cops (sometimes spelled "Kops") or Mabel Normand, but then most of the films I've seen are usually below 1910, so I don't have as much experience with the modern cinema. However I've had a taste of D.W. Griffith's work, as well as having seen Harold Lloyd's "Safety Last!" and in my opinion this Keystone comedy was well done. It is considered the first Keystone Cops movie, but this rumor proves false: A year earlier, in 1912 there was actually a Keystone movie called "Hoffmeyer's Legacy" which I haven't seen.The film takes place on a farm. A little girl wants a calf, little realizing that she's about to get what she wants. However when she sees the men in the barn delivering the calf she thinks they're robbers and barricades the door. Confusion ensues. Overall this comedy was good and is mildly amusing to watch. I'd recommend it. An enjoyable 8 minutes.
boblipton
To appreciate why this comedy is so very funny, you need to stop and think about the story: a youngster, home alone. Gangsters come and break in. Desperately the child calls on the phone for help. Parents race to save the child. No, it's not HOME ALONE, it's several of D.W. Griffith's better known shorts. In THE LONELY VILLA, it is the phone that provides the call for help, and daddy races home in an auto. In THE GIRL AND HER TRUST, she is a telegrapher, and help comes on railroads.Yes, indeedy. THE BANGVILLE POLICE is a lampoon of a contemporary genre, just like the SCARY MOVIE franchise. And while the police force took on a life of its own, it had its origins in the works of Griffith, for whom Sennett had worked for years, and whom he called 'the Master'. Even if Griffith rarely put cows in his pictures.... at least, not as major supporting actors.
Snow Leopard
As a comedy, this isn't too bad, and the cast also provides some other good reasons to watch. There isn't much of a story, with what plot there is serving merely as a device for Mabel Normand to demonstrate her charm and for the Keystone Kops to demonstrate their own brand of humor. Mabel is as winsome as ever, and won't disappoint any of her fans. This early, rural rendition of the Kops is rather different from the more familiar form they would take later, but their style is recognizable, and the comedy is all right, some of it routine but with some good moments.
HAL-57
Not to worry, pretty Mabel, the Bangville Police are on the job! Actually, they resemble the peasant militia in appearances and armaments. However, they always get their man!In this film we see part of the early stage of evolution of the Keystone Cops, which proceeded from rural bungling to big city ineptitude.Although Mabel stands out in acting, the rest of the cast is just fine. The story, however, is bare bones, but that doesn't detract from the film. It is a lot of fun to watch.As an afterthought here, I should say that Mabel Normand is beautifully photographed. I can understand why she was so popular with artists and photographers of her day.
