The General (1926)

When Union spies steal an engineer's beloved locomotive, he pursues it single-handedly and straight through enemy lines.

Directors:

Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Writers:

Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman

Stars:

Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender

Top Rated Movies #198 | 2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marion Mack	...	Annabelle Lee
Glen Cavender	...	Captain Anderson
Jim Farley	...	General Thatcher
Frederick Vroom	...	A Southern General
Charles Henry Smith	...	Her Father (as Charles Smith)
Frank Barnes	...	Her Brother
Joe Keaton	...	Union General
Mike Donlin	...	Union General
Tom Nawn	...	Union General
Buster Keaton	...	Johnnie Gray

Storyline

Johnnie loves his train ("The General") and Annabelle Lee. When the Civil War begins he is turned down for service because he's more valuable as an engineer. Annabelle thinks it's because he's a coward. Union spies capture The General with Annabelle on board. Johnnie must rescue both his loves.

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Plot Keywords:

train | national film registry | army | spy | confederate army | 

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Taglines:

The tale of a lad, a lass and a locomotive. (Trade paper ad).

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | War

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Florida State University commissioned composer Jeff Beal to write a brand-new soundtrack for this film. It was premiered by the University Philharmonia along with the original film playing just above the orchestra.

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Goofs

The pistol Johnnie uses near the end of the film to arrest the Yankee officer in the cab of the General is a Colt revolver from the 1870s.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Her Brother: Fort Sumter has been fired upon.
Her Father: Then the war is here.
Her Brother: Yes, Dad, and I'm going to be one of the first to enlist.

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Crazy Credits

Although Buster Keaton is the star of this film, he is listed last in the on-screen credits.

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Alternate Versions

Released on DVD with a 2004 score by Joe Hisaishi & the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra.

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Connections

Edited into Jekyll & Canada (2009)

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Soundtracks

The General
Written by William P. Perry

User Reviews

Loco and Motive

No one will top Keaton for physical risk, and risk is what deep film experiences are all about. This might be classed as a comedy, but for me it touches deeply enough. Its about a man who needs to prove himself by taking risks and being true. And its by a man who takes even greater risks and is more true. True to the spirit of the social compact, here displayed as the chummy south.

He's always done stunts that amaze. Many of his other films have things in them that if the timing were only a little off, he'd be seriously injured, or die. But this takes the cake. Its almost as if he started with the idea that he'd have three locos to play with and had a year to think up stunts.

And the stunts are so physical! And so dangerous. And so, so very effective.

His trademark is the deadpan face placed as a sort of innocent cluelessness. Its particularly funny when you see the physical movements and you know that 1) they take incredible preparation and timing to pull off and 2) the fellow you see that looks so puzzled by the reality you see is the guy that devised and directed those stunts.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 January 1927 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Engine Driver

Filming Locations:

34560 Row River Rd., Cottage Grove, Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$750,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Buster Keaton Productions, Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

67 min 80 min (1982) 83 min (1962) 75 min (2003 alternate) 78 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1