Sidewalks of New York (DVD)

Immortal film clown Buster Keaton (The General, Our Hospitality, etc.) ignites a big city free-for-all in this riotous "talkie" costarring Anita Page (The Broadway Melody) and Cliff Edwards (Girl of the Golden West). In a hilariously hapless attempt to collect the rent on one of his inner city tenements, wealthy uptown landlord Harmon (Keaton) is mobbed by unruly street urchins. But when he sets his eyes on Margie (Page), the beautiful older sister of a young tough named Clipper, Harmon forgets all about his rent money. Smitten by Margie, and suddenly imbued with the spirit of philanthropy, Harmon commences a sidesplitting campaign to "reform" Clipper and the rest of the street kids. Harmon and his faithful valet Poggle (Edwards) pull out all the stops to lure the kids off the streets -- and simultaneously foil the scheme of a local crook who also has designs on Margie. One of Keaton's earliest ventures into sound film, Sidewalks of New York brims with the comedian's trademark acrobatic antics and nonstop slapstick pandemonium.

• classic
• comedy