General

Theatrical Release Date: 1927 02 05 (USA)

UPC: 738329066925

Studio: Kino

Summary: Buster Keaton plays Johnny Gray, a Southern railroad engineer who loves his train engine, The General, almost as much as he loves Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack). When the opening shots of the Civil War are fired at Fort Sumter, Johnny tries to enlist -- and he is deemed too useful as an engineer to be a soldier. All Johnny knows is that he's been rejected, and Annabelle, thinking him a coward, turns her back on him. When Northern spies steal the General (and, unwittingly, Annabelle), the story switches from drama and romance to adventure mixed with Keaton's trademark deadpan humor as he uses every means possible to catch up to the General, thwart the Yankees, and rescue his darling Annabelle -- for starters. As always, Keaton performs his own stunts, combining his prodigious dexterity, impeccable comic timing, and expressive body language to convey more emotion than the stars of any of the talkies that were soon to dominate cinema. ~ Emru Townsend, Rovi

Category: Comedy

Awards: U.S. National Film Registry – Library of Congress Film Presented – Toronto International Film Festival Film Presented – Telluride Film Festival

Features: A video tour of the authentic General, presented in association with the southern museum
A tour of the filming locations, presented by John Bengtson, author of Silent Echoes
Behind-the-scenes home movie footage
Filmed introduction by Gloria Swanson
Filmed introduction by Orson Welles
"The Buster Express," a brisk montage of train gags from throughout Keaton's career

General

Format: Blu-ray

Release Date: 11/10/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 Pre-1954 Standard

Audio: DHMA null, DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1, DD2 Dolby Digital Stereo

Runtime: 78 Minutes

Sides: 2

Number of Discs: 2

Language(s) English

Lucia Bozzola

Buster Keaton perfectly balanced romance, action and comedy in his most admired film and personal favorite, a Civil War story about an engineer and his eponymous locomotive. Based on a true incident involving a hijacked Confederate train, Keaton strove to make the film as authentic as possible, shooting on location in Oregon to get the proper track gauge and sinking an actual locomotive engine at the film's climax (in reportedly the most expensive single take for a silent film). The lighting and composition recall Matthew Brady's Civil War photographs, while tracking shots following Keaton's locomotive adventures further displayed his technical expertise. The train became Keaton's supreme comic prop in the two intricately devised, and narratively mirrored, chase sequences involving his efforts to elude Union pursuers; the humorous business accompanying Keaton's retrieval of the General, and girlfriend, sent up romantic fantasies and war heroics. The effort seemed to be for naught when The General received negative reviews in 1927 and failed to make a profit. The General's reputation, along with Keaton's, however, was resuscitated in the 1950s; The General became Keaton's masterpiece, joining Charles Chaplin's The Gold Rush (1925) as one of the greatest silent comedies ever made. ~ Lucia Bozzola, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Anthony Harvey  Actor 
Charles Phillips  Actor 
Budd Fine  Actor 
Edward Hearn  Actor 
Jimmy Bryant  Actor 
Ross McCutcheon  Actor 
Ray Thomas  Actor 
Frank S. Hagney  Actor 
Charles H. Smith  Actor 
Clyde Bruckman  Director 
Clyde Bruckman  Screenwriter 
Lee Erwin  Composer (Music Score) 
Buster Keaton  Director 
Buster Keaton  Screenwriter 
Joseph M. Schenck  Producer 
Al Boasberg  Screenwriter 
Charles H. Smith  Screenwriter 
Buster Keaton  Actor 
Marion Mack  Actor 
Glen Cavender  Actor 
Jim Farley  Actor 
Fred Vroom  Actor 
Richard Allen  Actor 
Joe Keaton  Actor 
Mike Donlin  Actor 
Tom Nawn  Actor 

Country: USA