Editing Keystone Cops (section)

==History==
[[File:KeystoneKops.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|The Keystone Cops in a typical pose from ''[[In the Clutches of the Gang]]'' (1914). The chief (using the telephone) is [[Ford Sterling]]. The policeman directly behind Sterling (extreme background, left) is [[Edgar Kennedy]]. The young cop to Kennedy's left is a then-unknown [[William Frawley]]. The hefty policeman at extreme right is [[Roscoe Arbuckle|Fatty Arbuckle]]. The young constable with bulging eyes (fourth from right) is Arbuckle's nephew [[Al St. John]]. The casting of the Keystone police force changed from one film to the next; many of the members were [[per diem]] actors who remain unidentifiable.]]

[[Hank Mann]] created the Keystone Cops, and they were named for the Keystone studio, the film production company founded in 1912 by Sennett.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/culture-magazines/keystone-kops|title=''Keystone Kops''|website=www.encyclopedia.com|access-date=2020-12-15}}</ref> Their first film was ''[[Hoffmeyer's Legacy]]'' (1912), with Mann playing the part of police chief Tehiezel, but their popularity stemmed from the 1913 short ''[[The Bangville Police]]'' starring [[Mabel Normand]].

[[File:A Thief Catcher.jpg|thumb|''The Thief Catcher'' (1914) with Charlie Chaplin (left) as a Keystone Cop]]

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| image1    = Heinie Conklin - Jun 1921 EH.jpg
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As early as 1914, Sennett shifted the Keystone Cops from starring roles to background ensemble in support of comedians such as [[Charlie Chaplin]] and [[Roscoe Arbuckle|Fatty Arbuckle]]. 

The Keystone Cops served as supporting players for Chaplin, [[Marie Dressler]] and [[Mabel Normand]] in the first full-length Sennett comedy feature ''[[Tillie's Punctured Romance (1914 film)|Tillie's Punctured Romance]]'' (1914); ''[[Mabel's New Hero]]'' (1913) with Normand and Arbuckle; ''[[Making a Living]]'' (1914) with Chaplin in his first pre-[[The Tramp|Tramp]] screen appearance; ''[[In the Clutches of the Gang]]'' (1914) with Normand, Arbuckle, and [[Al St. John]]; and ''[[Wished on Mabel]]'' (1915) with Arbuckle and Normand, among others. 

Comic actors [[Chester Conklin]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldensilents.com/comedy/chesterconklin.html|title=© Chester Conklin - Silent and Sound Movie Star - goldensilents.com|last=goldensilents.com|website=www.goldensilents.com|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref> [[Jimmy Finlayson]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wayoutwest.org/finlayson/bio.html|title=James Finlayson - Here's to Fin!|last=Wiley|first=Jim|website=www.wayoutwest.org|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref> and [[Ford Sterling]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goldensilents.com/comedy/fordsterling.html|title=Ford Sterling - Silent Film Star - goldensilents.com|last=goldensilents.com|website=www.goldensilents.com|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref> were also Keystone Cops, as was director [[Del Lord]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://the-legion-of-decency.blogspot.com/2011/08/canadian-who-created-comedy-legends.html|title=The Legion of Decency: The Canadian Who Created Comedy Legends|last=Jimhenshaw|date=2011-08-26|website=The Legion of Decency|access-date=2018-08-08}}</ref>

The original Keystone Cops were [[George Jeske]], [[Bobby Dunn]], Mack Riley, [[Charles Avery (actor)|Charles Avery]], [[Slim Summerville]], [[Edgar Kennedy]], and [[Hank Mann]].<ref name=lahue>Lahue, Kalton (1971); ''Mack Sennett's Keystone: The man, the myth and the comedies''; New York: Barnes; {{ISBN|978-0-498-07461-5}}; p. 194</ref> In 2010, the lost short ''[[A Thief Catcher]]'' was discovered at an antique sale in Michigan. It was filmed in 1914 and stars [[Ford Sterling]], [[Mack Swain]], [[Edgar Kennedy]], and [[Al St. John]] and includes a previously unknown appearance of [[Charlie Chaplin]] as a Keystone Cop.<ref name="ChaplinWP">{{cite news|title=The 'Thief' in festival's lineup is famous face, indeed: Chaplin's |last=Trescott |first=Jaqueline |date=June 13, 2010 |newspaper=Washington Post |page=E7 }}</ref>