Riley the Cop is a 1928 American synchronized sound comedy film directed by John Ford. While the film has no audible dialog, it was released with a synchronized musical score with sound effects using the sound-on-film movietone process.

Plot

James “Aloysius” Riley has been a beat cop in his New York neighborhood for 20 years without making a single arrest. Warm-hearted and playful, he’s beloved by the kids on his block and known for bending the rules. He plays baseball with the boys, flirts harmlessly with the kitchen maids, and even chases petty crooks over into the neighboring beat so that his rival, Hans “Eitel” Krausmeyer, has to deal with them instead. Krausmeyer is stiff, military in bearing, and very conscious of discipline, which only makes him a perfect foil for Riley’s mischievous style.