The General

Many Critics consider The General to be the last great comedy of the silent era, and it consistently ranks as
one of the greatest comedies of all time on international critics’ polls. Set during the American Civil War and
based on a true incident, the film is also an authentic looking period piece. The title refers not to Keaton’s
character, but to his engine ‘The General’ which figures prominently in one of the most harrowing and
hilarious chase scenes ever filmed.
Keaton shot the film on the narrow railways of Oregon and used less than 50 titles to explain the whole story.

Dir: Buster Keaton/Clyde Bruckman: USA 1926 (79 mins)

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