ComedyActionAdventureWar

The General

- Buster drives "The General" to trainload of laughter.

During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

Release Date : 1926-12-25

Language :No Language

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Joseph M. Schenck ProductionsBuster Keaton Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Johnnie Gray

Original Name : Buster Keaton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Annabelle Lee

Original Name : Marion Mack

Gender : Female

Character Name : Captain Anderson

Original Name : Glen Cavender

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Thatcher

Original Name : Jim Farley

Gender : Male

Character Name : A Southern General

Original Name : Frederick Vroom

Gender : Male

Character Name : Annabelle's Brother

Original Name : Frank Barnes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Annabelle's Father

Original Name : Charles Henry Smith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union General

Original Name : Joe Keaton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union General

Original Name : Mike Donlin

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union General

Original Name : Tom Nawn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Baird

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Bricher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Jimmy Bryant

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Sergeant Bukowski

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : C.C. Cruson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Dempster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Keith Fennell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Budd Fine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Railroad Fireman (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Foster

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Ronald Gilstrap

Gender : Male

Character Name : Confederate Recruiter (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Hagney

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Hanford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bit Part (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Hanlon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Hanson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Anthony Harvey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Edward Hearn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Hilliard Karr

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union General Who Gives Command to Cross Bridge (uncredited)

Original Name : Elgin Lessley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Louis Lewyn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy Who Follows Johnny (uncredited)

Original Name : Jackie Lowe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Billy Lynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Ross McCutcheon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Moran

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles Phillips

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Red Rial

Gender : Male

Character Name : Officer on Horseback (uncredited)

Original Name : Al St. John

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Harold Terry

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Ray Thomas

Gender : Male

Character Name : Raider (uncredited)

Original Name : Red Thompson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : James Walsh

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : Kenneth Hawley Ward

Gender : Male

Character Name : Union Soldier (uncredited)

Original Name : John Wilson

Gender : Male

Character Name : (uncredited)

Original Name : Jean Woodward

Gender : Male

Reviews

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

Just amazing. Really, really impressive scenes with the railway engines and a physically incredible Keaton.

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2022-06-06

There's quite a lot going on here - it is certainly comedic, but there is also plenty of action and even some romance in this American Civil War story. Keaton ("Johnnie") has been deemed more important as a railroad engineer so was rejected as a soldier - but this causes his girlfriend "Annabelle" and her family to think he is yella'! When the Yankees concoct a plan to steal his engine "The General" whilst she is travelling on it; he must use all his wits and guile to get them both back and is soon caught being enemy lines where he learns of their dastardly plan to attack. Can he get back with his gal and tell his confederates of the Unionist plans? There is something about the quality of the images - they are pretty much prefect; even when the train in rattling along a-pace. There are loads of skirmishes supporting a properly constructed, and exciting, story with plenty of drama and sometimes some quite scary bits too, all jammed into just over an hour. The version I saw had been re-scored by Carl Davis and that added immeasurably to the pace and tension - and the romance - and helped create a superb piece of cinema.

James

@JN2012

2023-10-28

This is Keaton’s masterpiece, a flawed one, yes. It’s not funny enough and the story could be developed more. But it is significant, flaws and all. The closest a film will ever get to flawed perfection.