The General
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Director(s)
Buster Keaton
Louis Lewyn
Clyde Bruckman
Where to watch
Plex
Free
JustWatch TV
Free
Plex Channel
Free
Artiflix
Free
Cast & crew
Buster Keaton
Johnnie Gray
Jim Farley
General Thatcher
Frank Hagney
Confederate Recruiter (uncredited)
Eddie Foster
Union Railroad Fireman (uncredited)
Marion Mack
Annabelle Lee
Glen Cavender
Captain Anderson
Frederick Vroom
A Southern General
Frank Barnes
Annabelle's Brother
Charles Henry Smith
Annabelle's Father
Joe Keaton
Union General
Mike Donlin
Union General
Tom Nawn
Union General
Henry Baird
Soldier (uncredited)
Joe Bricher
Soldier (uncredited)
Jimmy Bryant
Raider (uncredited)
Sergeant Bukowski
Officer (uncredited)
C.C. Cruson
Officer (uncredited)
Jack Dempster
Raider (uncredited)
Keith Fennell
Soldier (uncredited)
Budd Fine
Raider (uncredited)
Ronald Gilstrap
Union Soldier (uncredited)
Ray Hanford
Raider (uncredited)
Jack Hanlon
Bit Part (uncredited)
Al Hanson
Raider (uncredited)
Anthony Harvey
Raider (uncredited)
Edward Hearn
Union Officer (uncredited)
Hilliard Karr
Soldier (uncredited)
Elgin Lessley
Union General Who Gives Command to Cross Bridge (uncredited)
Louis Lewyn
Soldier (uncredited)
Jackie Lowe
Boy Who Follows Johnny (uncredited)
Billy Lynn
Soldier (uncredited)
Ross McCutcheon
Raider (uncredited)
Tom Moran
Raider (uncredited)
Charles Phillips
Raider (uncredited)
Red Rial
Raider (uncredited)
Al St. John
Officer on Horseback (uncredited)
Harold Terry
Union Soldier (uncredited)
Ray Thomas
Raider (uncredited)
Red Thompson
Raider (uncredited)
James Walsh
Soldier (uncredited)
Kenneth Hawley Ward
Soldier (uncredited)
John Wilson
Union Soldier (uncredited)
Jean Woodward
(uncredited)
Clyde Bruckman
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Details
Reviews
Andres Gomez
Just amazing. Really, really impressive scenes with the railway engines and a physically incredible Keaton.
CinemaSerf
There's quite a lot going on here - it is certainly comedic, but there is also plenty of action and even some romance in this American Civil War story. Keaton ("Johnnie") has been deemed more important as a railroad engineer so was rejected as a soldier - but this causes his girlfriend "Annabelle" and her family to think he is yella'! When the Yankees concoct a plan to steal his engine "The General" whilst she is travelling on it; he must use all his wits and guile to get them both back and is soon caught being enemy lines where he learns of their dastardly plan to attack. Can he get back with his gal and tell his confederates of the Unionist plans? There is something about the quality of the images - they are pretty much prefect; even when the train in rattling along a-pace. There are loads of skirmishes supporting a properly constructed, and exciting, story with plenty of drama and sometimes some quite scary bits too, all jammed into just over an hour. The version I saw had been re-scored by Carl Davis and that added immeasurably to the pace and tension - and the romance - and helped create a superb piece of cinema.
James
This is Keaton’s masterpiece, a flawed one, yes. It’s not funny enough and the story could be developed more. But it is significant, flaws and all. The closest a film will ever get to flawed perfection.
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