The General (1927)

Directors:

Clyde Bruckman
Buster Keaton

Writers:

Al Boasberg (adaptation)
Clyde Bruckman (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

5 February 1927 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | War | Action

Tagline:

Love, Locomotives and Laughs

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Admired By Child | Enlistment | Velocipede | Telegraph | Visual Comedy

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Marion Mack	...	Annabelle Lee
Glen Cavender	...	Union Capt. Anderson (chief spy)
Jim Farley	...	Gen. Thatcher (US Army)
Frederick Vroom	...	Confederate general
Charles Henry Smith	...	Mr. Lee (Annabelle's father) (as Charles Smith)
Frank Barnes	...	Annabelle's brother
Joe Keaton	...	Union general
Mike Donlin	...	Union general
Tom Nawn	...	Union general
Buster Keaton	...	Johnny Gray
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Henry Baird	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Joe Bricher	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Jimmy Bryant	...	Raider (uncredited)
Sergeant Bukowski	...	Officer (uncredited)
Capt. C.C. Cruson	...	Officer (uncredited)
Jack Dempster	...	Raider (uncredited)
Keith Fennell	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Budd Fine	...	Raider (uncredited)
Eddie Foster	...	Union railroad fireman (uncredited)
Ronald Gilstrap	...	Union soldier (uncredited)
Frank Hagney	...	Confederate Recruiter (uncredited)
Ray Hanford	...	Raider (uncredited)
Jackie Hanlon	...	Boy who follows Johnny (uncredited)
Al Hanson	...	Raider (uncredited)
Anthony Harvey	...	Raider (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Union officer (uncredited)
Hilliard Karr	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Elgin Lessley	...	Union general who gives command to cross bridge (uncredited)
Louis Lewyn	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Jackie Lowe	...	Boy who follows Johnny (uncredited)
Billy Lynn	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Ross McCutcheon	...	Raider (uncredited)
Tom Moran	...	Raider (uncredited)
Charles Phillips	...	Raider (uncredited)
Red Rial	...	Raider (uncredited)
Harold Terry	...	Union soldier (uncredited)
Ray Thomas	...	Raider (uncredited)
Red Thompson	...	Raider (uncredited)
James Walsh	...	Soldier (uncredited)
John Wilson	...	Union soldier (uncredited)
Jean Woodward	...	Bit part (uncredited)

Directed by
Clyde Bruckman
Buster Keaton

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Al Boasberg		adaptation
Clyde Bruckman		writer
Buster Keaton		writer
William Pittenger		memoir The Great Locomotive Chase (uncredited)
Charles Henry Smith		adaptation (as Charles Smith)
Paul Girard Smith		writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Buster Keaton	....	producer
Joseph M. Schenck	....	executive producer
Joseph M. Schenck	....	producer

Original Music by
Carl Davis		(1987)
Joe Hisaishi		(2004)
Robert Israel		(1995)

Cinematography by
Bert Haines
Devereaux Jennings		(as Dev Jennings)

Film Editing by
Buster Keaton		(uncredited)
Sherman Kell		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Fred Gabourie

Set Decoration by
Harry Roselotte		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Bennie Hubbel	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)
J.K. Pitcarin	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Fred C. Ryle	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Lou Anger	....	production supervisor (uncredited)
Fred Gabourie	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry Barnes	....	first assistant director (uncredited)
Glen Cavender	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	....	assistant director: Oregon (uncredited)

Art Department
Frank Barnes	....	construction foreman (uncredited)
Jack Coyle	....	carpenter (uncredited)
William Ernshaw	....	bridge timber crew (uncredited)
Al Gilmour	....	production buyer (uncredited)
Mike Graves	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Bert Jackson	....	property master (uncredited)
H.L. Jennings	....	bridge and dam construction (uncredited)
George E. Potter	....	bridge timber contractor (uncredited)
Billy Wood	....	chief draughtsman (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Jack Little	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Buster Keaton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Earl Mohan	....	stunt double: Tom Moran (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denver Harmon	....	lighting effects
Frank Barnes	....	grip (uncredited)
Dal Clawson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Elmer Ellsworth	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Denver Harmon	....	chief lighting technician (uncredited)
Byron Houck	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Byron Houck	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Ed Levy	....	assistant chief lighting technician (uncredited)
William Piltz	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Melbourne Spurr	....	publicity photographer (uncredited)
Harry J. Wild	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Bennie Hubbel	....	assistant wardrobe (uncredited)
J.K. Pitcarin	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Fred C. Ryle	....	assistant wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Harry Barnes	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Sherman Kell	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
William P. Perry	....	composer: new piano score
Nic Raine	....	orchestrator: Carl Davis (uncredited)

Other crew
Lou Anger	....	production accountant: Los Angeles (uncredited)
Dr. Axley	....	first aid (uncredited)
James C. Bradford	....	cue sheet compiler (uncredited)
Harry Brand	....	production coordinator (uncredited)
Harry Brand	....	unit publicist (uncredited)
Betty Cavender	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Glen Cavender	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
John W. Considine Jr.	....	assistant production coordinator (uncredited)
Jack Dempster	....	engineer (uncredited)
Christine Francis	....	script supervisor (uncredited)
Dr. Frost	....	first aid (uncredited)
Fred Gabourie	....	technical director (uncredited)
Wesley G. Gilmour	....	production accountant: Oregon (uncredited)
L.L. Graham	....	production assistant: Oregon (uncredited)
Bob Holmes	....	production assistant: Oregon (uncredited)
Bert Jackson	....	location manager (uncredited)
Ralph Land	....	chef (uncredited)
Fred A. Lowry	....	brakeman (uncredited)
George E. Potter	....	caterer (uncredited)
Viola Riddle	....	cook: Mr. Keaton (uncredited)
Willie Riddle	....	assistant: Mr. Keaton (uncredited)
Dee Wright	....	wrangler (uncredited)
Fred Wright	....	chief mechanic (uncredited)
Fred Wright	....	fire fighter (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Buster Keaton Productions
• Joseph M. Schenck Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1927) (USA) (theatrical)
• Radio Films S.A.E. S.A. (1962) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Cineteca S.A. (1972) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Andrés Vicente Gómez Montero (1982) (Spain) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (1995) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Marathon Music & Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• 1More Film (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (worldwide) (VHS)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2005) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Aikman Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Catcom Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Eureka Entertainment (1999) (UK) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• LS Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Madacy Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2006) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Passport International Entertainment (????) (USA) (DVD)
• Raymond Rohauer (1955) (worldwide) (theatrical)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (1991) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Rohauer Collection (1987) (USA) (VHS)
• Thames Video Collection (1987) (USA) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Anderson & Middleton  catering
• Arcade Theater  screening facilities
• Cameo Music Service Corp.  music publishing
• Film Preservation Associates  special contents
• Western Costume Company  costumes
• Western Costume Company  wardrobe

Also Known As:

General, Der (Austria) (Germany) [de]
A Glória de Pamplinas (Portugal) [pt]
Come vinsi la guerra (Italy) [it]
General (Poland) [pl]
Generale, Il (Italy) [it]
Generalen (Denmark) [da]
Kenraali (Finland) [fi]
Mécano de la 'Général', Le (France) [fr]
Maquinista de la general, El (Spain) [es]
Pamplinas Maquinista (Portugal) [pt]
Så går det till i krig (Sweden) [sv]
Stratigos, O (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

75 min | Australia:107 min | Spain:80 min (1982 version) | Spain:83 min (1962 version)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | UK:U | South Korea:All (2002) | Australia:G | Norway:7 (original rating) | Norway:A (re-rating) (2004) | Portugal:17 (director's cut) | Sweden:Btl | USA:Unrated | West Germany:6 | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Cottage Grove, Oregon, USA

Company:

Buster Keaton Productions

Trivia:

The scene in which The Texas crashes through the bridge was the single most expensive shot of the entire silent movie era. The Texas itself remained in the river until WWII, when it was salvaged for scrap iron.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The movie takes place during the Civil War in the 1860s. However the General is equipped with air brakes which weren't invented until 1872 by George Westinghouse.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Annabelle's brother: Fort Sumter has been fired upon.
Mr. Lee: Then the war is here.
Annabelle's brother: Yes, dad, and I'm going to be one of the first to enlist.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

The Genius of Buster Keaton

Probably Buster Keaton's best film, and oddly enough, it's not even a straightforward comedy – it's actually an action film, with clever doses of romance and comedy tossed in for good measure. `The General', which is set during the Civil War, is about a train engineer named Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton, of course) who tries to enlist in the Confederate Army . . . and is turned down because the army feels he'd be much more valuable for the war effort as an engineer instead of a soldier. However, through a series of misunderstandings, both Johnny's family and his girl think he's a coward, and they refuse to speak to him until he becomes a soldier. Months pass, and Johnny, sad and alone, is piloting his train – the General – when it is stolen from him by the North. Johnny's efforts to recover the General – and to win back his girl's love – become an unbelievably funny and action-packed series of events, as Johnny tries to go from being a sad-sack buffoon to being a hero.

If you haven't watched many silent films, they demand a greater amount of attention than `normal' film – there are no audio cues; and volumes can be spoken with a simple facial expression. Buster Keaton is amazingly expressive, as he's fully capable of going from wildly happy to downtrodden and sad in the blink of an eye. While funny, Keaton is much more than just a clownish figure – he manages to evoke a lot of sympathy as well, and he genuinely becomes what can only be described as an action hero as well. His timing, whether for a joke or for a tender moment, is absolutely impeccable.

What's also great about `The General' is the sheer amount of stunts and physical humor – a movie like this couldn't be made today. No amount of insurance would cover it. Keaton does all his own stunts, and manages to perform a number of feats that are simultaneously hilarious and dangerous – he chases down `The General' with a bike, he sits on a moving cattlecatcher, knocking away railroad ties with a tie of his own. All these stunts are fantastic, but it's scary to think that any one of these probably could've killed Keaton if something even went slightly wrong.

`The General' is a lot more than slapstick. Personally, I think it's one of the first films to push the envelope of movies – it goes for action, romance, and humor, and it pulls all of those elements together into a terrific movie. If you've never seen Buster Keaton – or, for that matter, a silent film – go find this one and watch it. It's a classic. A+