Buster Keaton's "The General" (1926-7)

[Bob Pr.]

"The General" was our June "Great Films at the Cathedral" movie. We choose films from either IMDb's 250 greatest or Roger Ebert's "Great Films" list -- usually our selections are on both.

This film has been (except when it first came out) consistently rated as one of the best movies of all times.

The international "Sight & Sound," in their once per decade ratings of the best films ever by 200 world film critics, in 2002 rated it #15, in 1992 at #10, in 1972 at #8. 19k voter-raters on IMDb.com (Internet Movie Database) rank it #135 among the top 250 films ever. Roger Ebert includes it in his list of "Great Films". Playing time varies greatly with the edition, 75-105 min. B&W, silent. Genre: action/ romance/comedy. Buster Keaton stars, directs, and adapted the screen play from a book describing a real incident in the Civil War. There are several editions of this film with different musical accompaniments (please read my comments about this before picking a version to see).

Keaton, as "Johnny Gray," a southern railroad engineer, has two loves -- his locomotive, "The General" -- and the beautiful Annabelle Lee. War with the North breaks out and he tries to enlist but is declined because his civilian occupation is too valuable. Annabelle doesn't realize this and thinks he didn't want to and says she'll have nothing to do with him until she sees him in uniform.

On one of Johnny's runs to Virginia, a small detachment of Union spies seize "The General" when Johnny is momentarily off the train and hightail it to the Northern lines (unintentionally capturing Annabelle in the process). Johnny goes after them, trying to retrieve his beloved engine and, in the process, discovers he's also rescuing Annabelle.

There are 2 chases, Johnny after his engine and, once he gets it, a chase back to Southern lines with the Yankees in hot pursuit in another engine.

Keaton was an astonishingly athletic person (although he neither dresses, looks, or acts the part) and that has a great deal to do with his style of physical comedy. He performed all his own stunts, never using doubles, such as many times traversing on a running locomotive from cab to cowcatcher and back, and/or sitting on the cowcatcher holding a railroad tie while his engine is going down the tracks, using the tie to flip away obstacles the Yankees had dumped on the tracks trying to derail the locomotive he's using to chase them.

Keaton is finally successful in bringing "The General" home -- and winning Annabelle.

Ebert says of this film: "Today I look at Keaton's works more often than any other silent films. They have such a graceful perfection, such a meshing of story, character and episode, that they unfold like music. Although they're filled with gags, you can rarely catch Keaton writing a scene around a gag; instead, the laughs emerge from the situation.... And in an age when special effects were in their infancy, and a "stunt'' often meant actually doing on the screen what you appeared to be doing, Keaton was ambitious and fearless. He had a house collapse around him. He swung over a waterfall to rescue a woman he loved. He fell from trains. And always he did it in character, playing a solemn and thoughtful man who trusts in his own ingenuity."

I've gone to the annual Kansas Silent Film Festival the last 5-7 years and soon learned to love most silent films -- the lack of spoken dialogue is quickly overlooked. I suspect that's because of the high quality of musical accompaniment our KSFF's films have -- I lose all awareness I'm hearing music and just let it drive my emotional reaction to each scene's actions and moods. That's a high art and, in Topeka for our KSFF, we've been lucky to have the Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra provide music for some films and the great Dr. Marvin Faulwell, organist, for others.

The version of this film that I saw had a piano accompaniment that tinkled along with VERY little seeming relevance to the events on the screen -- that really lowered my enjoyment of this movie. I'm sure neither Ebert nor the majority of IMDb raters saw/heard the version I did. So I've ordered a DVD copy of this film with one of several orchestras available playing background -- hoping this one is much better. I'll update this post when I have a chance to experience it.

UPDATE (6-14-2010): I bought a KINO (78 min) version of "The General" from Amazon; it has 3 optional soundtracks. I replayed much of the movie with the Thames Silent Film orchestra and also with the theater organist's accompaniment -- and MUCH preferred the theater organist's version. I think that's because he so much more quickly adapts the tempo and mood of the music to whatever action is on the screen whereas the orchestra is telling it's own story. Since different people have different tastes, some will prefer another version. KINO's pictures were crystal clear.

Ebert's review: The General :: rogerebert.com :: Great Movies

The IMDb.com website for "The General": The General (1926)

KsSFF: Kansas Silent Film Festival, Welcome page

[Clanceycanuck]

The General is truly a great movie - It's over due for a reviewing by me

[Bob Pr.]

If you enjoy silent films and have not seen it yet, please rent or buy Murnau's "Sunrise -- a Song of Two Humans" (1927). One of the best, most powerful movies I've ever seen.

It won 3 Oscars the first year Oscars were given (best picture, actress, cinematography).

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)