两位雇农（基顿与罗伯茨饰演）同时爱上了农场主的女儿，为此展开争夺战。两个人住在同一间屋子里，里面有许多神奇的机械装置，譬如将床翻个面掉个个放置就变成了钢琴。基顿在逃跑的过程中伪装成一个稻草人，由此也成为这部短片片名的来由。 ThisveryKafka-esquefilmisKeaton’sresponsetotheFattyArbucklescandal.[citationneeded]Eventhoughthecentralcharacter’sintentionsaregood,hecannotwin,nomatterhowinventivelyhetries.Hegetsintovariousscrapswithpoliceofficersthroughoutthefilm.Eventually,heunwittinglythrowsabombintoapoliceparadeandendsupbeingchasedbyahordeofcops.Attheendofthefilm,Keaton’scharacterlocksupthecopsinthepolicestation.However,thegirlheistryingtowoodisapprovesofhisbehaviorandgiveshimthecoldshoulder.Therefore,heunlocksthepolicestationandisimmediatelypulledinbythecops.Thefilmendswiththetitle"TheEnd"writtenonatombstonewithKeaton’sporkpiehatproppedonit.OneofKeaton’smosticonicandbrilliantly-constructedshortfilms,Copswasdeemed"culturally,historically,oraestheticallysignificant"bytheUnitedStatesLibraryofCongressandselectedforpreservationintheirNationalFilmRegistryin1997. 
