50 years ago: The General, arguably the greatest screen comedy ever made, released

The General

The General Released: December 31, 1926 Studio: United Artists Genre: action/adventure, comedy Box Office (numbers in millions): Domestic: ? Worldwide: 1.00 Adjusted for Inflation: Domestic: ? Worldwide: ?

Directing: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton Screenwriting: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman Starring: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender Review: Not only is The General “considered Buster Keaton’s greatest film, it is also widely recognized as one of the true masterpieces of American cinema.” FS It may be “the finest silent comedy of them all” T98 “and arguably the greatest screen comedy ever made.” T95 “The visually-stunning silent film” FS has “ everything one could wish for: witty, dramatic, visually stunning, full of subtle, delightful human insights, and constantly hilarious.” T95 It features “non-stop physical comedy and sight gags, shot almost entirely aboard moving trains.” FS It “flopped, critically and financially, when it was released. This resulted in Buster Keaton losing his independence as a filmmaker and the signing of a restrictive deal with MGM.” MSN “The two things devoted Confederate engineer Johnny Gray (Keaton) loves most in the world are his Southern belle sweetheart (Mack) and his beloved locomotive named The General.” FS The humor begins when Keaton tries to get his train back after it is stolen by Union soldiers during the Civil War. “Keaton created this great comedy out of an authentic episode of American history…though in real-life the locomotive was stolen by the Confederates.” FS What Keaton “doesn’t know is that his girlfriend Annabelle is aboard.” A07 “He hijacks another locomotive, pursues them, and single-handedly takes on the entire Union army in order to rescue both of his loves.” FS “Filmed against a backdrop of magnificently photographed Civil War battle scenes” FS “Keaton saves the day” A07 in “one of the great chases in movie history.” FS It features “one of the silent era’s most iconic images, Keaton seated on the moving wheels of The General.” A07 “Keaton amazingly did his own stunts.” VD Sources: A07 American Film Institute (2007). “AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies – 10th Anniversary Edition” FS Filmsite.org “100 Greatest Films” MSN MSN Entertainment (7/19/2018). “100 Best Movies” by Shahnaz Mahmud T95 Time Out (1995). “Centenary Top One Hundred Films” T98 Time Out (1998). “Readers’ Top 100 Films” VD Video Detective (1997). “Top 100 Films of All Time”

Awards/Honors/Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Lists: Dave’s Movie Database Genre Lists: Awards: Oscars: Wins: 0 Nominations: 0 Other Lists/Honors: Critics’ Picks: Roger Ebert Leonard Maltin First posted 6/4/2023.