Sidewalks of New York

Director: Zion Myers, Jules White Zion Myers

Overview

Buster Keaton once described his 1931 vehicle Sidewalks of New York as "God-awful"; it's hardly that bad, though admittedly it pales in comparison with his silent classics. Keaton plays Harmon, a wealthy young Park Avenue socialite who falls in love with Lower East Side denizen Margie (Anita Page). For her sake, he tries to reform a tough gang of kids (including Margie's brother) by building a gym to keep them off the streets. A bunch of gangsters, mistakenly believing that Harmon intends to turn them over to the authorities, try to bump him off, but he's oblivious to their homicidal overtures, believing them to be his best pals. Ultimately, Margie's brother and his gang are obliged to come to Harmon's rescue. The film's highlight is a boxing match, pitting puny Harmon against the toughest lug in all New York. Though Buster Keaton was unable to get along with his director Jules White, it was ironically White who helped Keaton stage a comeback in the late 1930s by casting the comedian in a series of mediocre but profitable Columbia two-reelers.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/08/2011
UPC:	0883316399668
Original Release:	1931
Source:	Warner Archives
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Full Frame]
Sound:	[monaural]
Language:	English
Time:	1:14:00
Sales rank:	46,623

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Buster Keaton	Homer Van Dine Harmon
Anita Page	Margie
Norman Phillips Jr.	Clipper
Frank Rowan	Butch
Cliff Edwards	Poggie
Oscar Apfel	Judge
Syd Saylor	Mulvaney
Clark Marshall	Lefty
Norman Phillips	Clipper
Frank La Rue	A Policeman
Zion Myers	Actor

Technical Credits

George Landy

Paul Smith

Zion Myers	Director
Lawrence Weingarten	Producer
Jules White	Director
George Landy	Screenwriter
Paul Smith	Screenwriter

Editorial Reviews

Buster Keaton had reason to dislike this comedy -- his character, Homer Van Dine Harmon, was clearly a rip-off of the rich milksops he played in his excellent silent films The Navigator and Battling Butler. In fact, he gets in the ring and dukes it out, repeating some of the jokes from Battling Butler. But the truth is that Sidewalks of New York isn't anywhere near as bad as he later insisted. The story -- Homer attempts to reform a young tough (Norman Phillips) in order to win the boy's sister (Anita Page) -- isn't worth much, but Keaton's comic abilities are still in top form. His timing is as sharp as it was during his silent heyday and he's always amusing to watch, even if he does lay on the pratfalls a bit too much. Cliff Edwards, on the other hand, is pretty much wasted -- as Homer's sidekick, he has very little to do. It is Keaton, and Keaton alone, who carries this film, and, while it is disappointing compared to his silent films, it nevertheless has its moments. In spite of its less-than-stellar quality, Sidewalks of New York made a pile of money for MGM -- mainly because of a knowledgeable distribution staff, who shipped it off to markets where Keaton was strong. The studio was able to use the film's profits as proof that they knew how to handle the comedian. Keaton knew better, and his already rocky relationship with MGM continued its downslide.

All Movie Guide - Janiss Garza