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The General

Cinema Arts Centre
Huntington, NY

Live score performed and improvised by Ben Model

Only superlatives will do to describe Buster Keatons hilarious Civil War comedy. Made in 1927, at the culmination of the silent era, it sees the graceful, stone-faced genius at his inventive best. Annabelle Lee, fiance of railway engineer Johnnie Gray (Keaton), wrongly suspects him of cowardice. When Union spies abduct her along with her rival for Johnnies affections, the titular locomotive he hot-rails it in pursuit of them both. What follows is a thrilling adventure, based upon a pair of train chases, that is as superbly structured as it is executed.The extraordinary budget (some $400,000) allowed Keaton unprecedented freedom and resulted in a series of his most spectacular large-scale set pieces. But what makes the film so special is the way the timing, audacity, and elegant choreography of its sight gags, acrobatics, pratfalls and dramatic incidents is matched by Busters directorial artistry, his acute observational skills working alongside the physical lan and sweet subtlety of his own performance.

USA, 1927, 75 min.

For over two decades Ben Model has served as resident silent film accompanist for The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Ben composes and improvises all his own scores and performs in a style that both evokes the silent era and reflects a contemporary (and younger) audience's appreciation of music and film scoring.

Note: Tickets can also be purchased at the CAC box office during regular theater hours or by calling Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

Kid Friendly: No

Dog Friendly: No

Non-Smoking: No

Wheelchair Accessible: No

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