Sidewalks of New York (1931)

(On Cable TV, January 2020) History tells us that Sidewalks of New York was Buster Keaton’s most financially successful film, which sounds weird considering that it’s certainly not one that has stood the test of time. At the time, Keaton thought that joining a studio was worth trading off his creative freedom for financial backing and, perhaps more importantly, MGM’s distribution muscle at a time when the industry was quickly transitioning to sound. The film did well, but it would weaken Keaton’s reputation as a comedian along the way. In Sidewalks of New York, we can already see a few strange decisions show up. Playing a rich businessman doesn’t suit the Keaton persona very well, for instance, and the insistence in creating a criminal subplot leads to difficult tonal issues that keep bringing the film farther away from comedy. Still, there are a few interesting things along the way: Keaton’s always a gifted physical comedian, and there are good bits of business with a flower pot, furiously attacking an overcooked turkey, and so on. Plus, there’s the attraction of hearing Keaton speak, which is not the case for many of his best-known films. Sidewalks of New York may not rank as one of Keaton’s finest (even in 1931 alone, I rather prefer Parlor, Bedroom and Bath), but it’s worth a look, especially considering that it’s barely 75 minutes long.