Event

Buster Keaton in THE GENERAL

The General is loosely based on a true incident that occurred during the Civil War in
1862. The story follows the trials and tribulations of Engineer Johnny Gray and the
two loves of his life: his girl, Annabelle, and his locomotive, The General. Ashamed
that he has been rejected at the enlistment office following the start of the Civil War, Johnny is spoiling for a fight. When his train is stolen by Union spies, he chases them down and recovers The General single-handed. That's the easy part: now he just has to rescue Annabelle, keep from blowing himself up with his own mortar, avoid oncoming Union troops and get his beloved train back to Rebel territory. Filled with brilliantly structured gags and a romantic subplot, The General is also a photographic
marvel, evoking the Civil War period in as much detail as Matthew Brady's photography. Legendary movie critic Roger Ebert considered The General to be "one of the ten best films of all time." Buster Keaton's comic masterpiece never fails to get an audience laughing from the beginning and applauding by the end. The General is generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies.
USA, 1926, 107 min., BW, 35mm | Directors: Buster Keaton & Clyde Bruckman | Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender,
Jim Farley