Sidewalks of New York (1931)

Sidewalks of New York (1931)Immortal film clown Buster Keaton ignites a big city free for all in this riotous "talkie" costarring Anita Page and Cliff Edwards. 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

loyalty and treachery" (St

an 1870s Montana gold camp

experiencing action

she's a widow and a dowdy dresser who strides through crime scenes in sensible shoes

sidesteps a growing number of corpses and shows tough guys what tough is all about

It's a perfect plan

But of course

One breathless escape after another invariably seems to land our hero in another jam

Featuring a largely unknown cast and infused with spirituals

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

combining the European classics and popular songs

A climactic duel that's one of the greatest sequences ever to lay steel to foe caps this bravura adaptation of the Rafael Sabatini (Captain Blood