Jim Farley as General Thatcher. Buster Keaton's masterpiece and one of the greatest silent movies of all time was filmed in the Cottage Grove area in the summer of 1926. I love The General ever since I have watched it during a series of Chaplin/Keaton retrospective almost a decade ago. He made numerous short films as well as such feature films as Three Ages, Sherlock, Jr., The General, and The Cameraman. "The General", a thrilling comedy about the Civil War, lifted Buster Keaton from the ashes of oblivion decades after his name and legacy were forgotten. The greatest of the silent clowns is Buster Keaton, not only because of what he did, but because of how he did it. The General is Buster Keaton's most memorable work. 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. Buster Keaton - The General ( 322 ) 8.1 1h 45min NR When Union spies steal an engineer's beloved Locomotive; he pursues it single handedly and straight through enemy lines. Marion Mack as Annabelle Lee. I define courage as Hemingway did: "Grace under pressure." Glen Cavender as Union Captain Anderson. Frederick Vroom as a Confederate General. The General tells the story of Johnnie Gray (Keaton), a Tennessean railroad engineer who is pressured by his fiancé, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), to join the Confederate army. General [Import]: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom, Charles Henry Smith, Frank Barnes, Joe Keaton, Mike Donlin, Tom Nawn, Henry Baird, Joe Bricher, Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman, Al Boasberg, Buster Keaton, Charles Henry Smith, Clyde Bruckman, Paul Girard Smith, William Pittenger: Amazon.ca: Video . It is set during the American Civil War (1861–65) and highlights the theme of personal redemption. The story is simple: A railway engineer caught up in the civil war makes good, and saves his girl from the enemy. Great DVD. The General is a Civil War tale, the fictionalized account of an attempted hijacking of a Confederate train called the General by Union spies in 1862. The character is one of the pillars of the … would recommend to all Buster Keaton Fans. He fastidiously flicks dust from the ledge of the cab window, next to his assistant. 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). Harold Lloyd made us laugh as much, Charlie Chaplin moved us more deeply, but no one had more courage than Buster. Buster Keaton, American film comedian and director, the ‘Great Stone Face,’ known for his deadpan expression and his imaginative and often elaborate visual comedy. The General, American silent comedy film, released in 1927, starring and directed by comedian Buster Keaton, and cited by many film historians as one of the greatest American movies. Take the movie's most famous shot, of a train crashing through a burning bridge, for which Keaton built a real bridge and destroyed a real train. The General is one of the greatest films ever made. Buster Keaton, Actor: The General. The General (Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, 1926), which he considered his favourite, was Keaton’s last independently produced film and in many ways presents the apotheosis of his style. Charles Henry Smith as Annabelle's Father. Joe and Myra were Vaudevillian comedians with a popular, ever-changing variety act, giving Keaton an eclectic and interesting upbringing. Skip to main content. it features one of Buster Keaton's Greatest Films The General which is famous for the scene where a steam Train falls in a river, the most expensive stunt in silent movie history. Company's Southern locomotive, The General. The General (1926 film) Buster Keaton as Johnnie Gray. There's no use trying to avoid exaggeration on this point.