Description

Consistently ranked among the best films ever made, Keaton's "The General" (1926, 75 min., stereo) is so brilliantly conceived and executed that it continues to inspire awe and laughter with every viewing. Rejected by the Confederate Army as unfit and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marian Mack), young Johnnie Gray (Keaton) sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive. Also includes "The Playhouse" (1921, 23 min., mono), a technical tour-de-force in which Keaton plays every member of a stage company, the entire audience and an undisciplined chimp to boot! "Cops" (1922, 18 min., mono) is the quintessential chase film, with Buster tumbling into a series of marvelous mishaps while fleeing hundreds of uniformed policemen. Digitally mastered from archival prints, with original musical scores. ... Read more

Reviews (46)

Johnnie get your gun!
"The General" is a film that is so well-paced and well-crafted, you don't even realize you've been watching a film that is an hour and a half in length. This is easily one of the best comedies ever made (silent or otherwise) and among my favorite films of all time. Buster Keaton plays Johnnie Gray, a train engineer in the south during the Civil War. Johnnie's two loves in his life are his train, The General, and his girl, Annabelle. Imagine the horror when, after a daring plot by Union army spies, Johnnie's train is hijacked and his girl is kidnapped in the process. It's Johnnie to the rescue as he gives chase by another train to save his beloved General, get the girl, and maybe even become a hero. With an ever-present blank expression on his mug, Keaton treats the viewer to feats of daring, physical comedy. The movie itself zooms from gag to gag as if riding a train from station to station. And what a delightful ride it is.

ONE OF THE MOST COMPLETE SILENT MOVIES OF ALL TIME.
"The General" is a silent movie, starred by the fantastic Buster Keaton, widely considered as one of the greatest, if not the best silent movie of all time.

The film is set during the U.S.A. Civil War. Johnnie Gray (Buster Keaton) is a Southern engineer of a train engine named "The General". When the war starts, Johnnie's love interest, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) invites him to enlist in the Confederate Army, but he is rejected by the war office because he is too valuable as an engineer. When Annabelle knows this, she thinks that Johnnie is a yellow and immediately stops talking to him. Months later, the Northern decides to steal "The General", taking Annabelle in the process.

The next segments are two of the most impressing sequences ever filmed, Johnnie chases his own train engine to rescue his beloved Annabelle, and after he reaches her, they now must escape in "The General". The acrobatic chases in the rails are without a doubt the heart of the movie, and proof of the athletic ability of Buster Keaton. "The General" is the testimony of the greatness of one of the most legendary movie heroes, the fantastic Buster Keaton.

Quest and Love
This movie is ranked in top twenty best films ever made. It is a tribute to Keaton that words matter so little in what must have been a technological marvel for its day. The incredible danger that Keaton and Marian Mack endured while skipping and lurching on top of very real trains and locomotives would not be duplicated by preening stars today. Part of the charm of a story of quest and love, is the danger endured by the hero and heroine against all odds. As in most films of this era, there is a naive quality to romance. The action however, especially on a big screen is fascinating. How did Keaton think up all the possibilities of locomotive spills and chills? This film is totally original and has influenced 100's of films that followed.

"This fellow Keaton seems to be the whole show!"
The first time I watched Buster Keaton's Civil War movie, THE GENERAL, I was a bit disappointed. I didn't hate the film, but it didn't exactly grab me as one of the "greatest films of all time" as the front of the DVD cover states. When gearing up to review this disc, I decided to pop the film back into the player to refresh my memory and to take a few notes. No notes were taken; I ended up glued to the screen, and didn't write down a single thing.

I'm not sure what was different that second time. Maybe I knew not to expect an out-and-out comedy. THE GENERAL isn't a series of constant knee-slappers; rather it's more of a comic action-adventure. And once I got myself into that frame of mind, I was able to enjoy the film for what it is: a great romance-comedy-action-adventure.

On top of the fun story and the zany sight gags, the film just looks great. The cinematography is superb. Just look at that scene of Buster Keaton obliviously chopping wood on the back of his train while passing by two separate groups of Civil War battalions. The soldiers are moving in one direction. The train is moving in the other. The camera slowly tracks along beside Buster's train, not quite matching the speed, allowing us to concentrate both on the foreground and on the march in the background. I can't imagine it was easy to get this shot, but Keaton's perfectionism was to the film's great benefit.

Speaking of the train (the title refers to one of two loves in the life of Keaton's character, his girlfriend, and the train he's an engineer on, "The General"), it's clear to see Buster Keaton's love for our locomotive friends. You'd never believe that the train chase sequences could possibly be as exciting as they are, but Keaton uses all of his skill as a director to ensure that they are. Put together, the two train chases make up a significant amount of screen time, but they're far and away the most entertaining part. Obstacles and traps are set. Ground is gained and then lost. Cars are diverted, but then reappear. I just can't get over how clever some of this stuff is. And I also can't get over how difficult it must have been to stage.

On the other hand, it is somewhat odd to see silent comic Buster Keaton clowning around while there's a massive Civil War battle reconstruction going on around him, complete with canon-fire, swords and pistol fights. Hundreds of extras are being mowed down while he messes about with a sword that will not stay attached to the handle. And it's downright surreal to see him grabbing a Confederate flag banner and racing towards the front lines waving it.

This disc also features two short features from Buster Keaton. In THE PLAYHOUSE, the action opens with a long dream sequence, where Keaton plays everyone in a vaudeville show, as well as the entire audience. I had thought that this sort of split screen was supposed to be revolutionary in Disney's THE PARENT TRAP (1961). But forty years before Hollywood expected us to be impressed by two Hayley Millses, this short feature gives us nine Buster Keatons on screen at once!

The other short feature is COPS, described as Keaton's finest short film. I wouldn't argue with that position (although I think I might put THE SCARECROW up there), as this is absolutely hilarious. Beginning with a few quick sight gags and misunderstandings, the film has Keaton eventually earning the wrath of every policeman in the city. The film continues on, getting increasingly outrageous as every attempt at escaping from one set of policemen ends up annoying a further group. It's very reminiscent of his feature length film, SEVEN CHANCES, only instead of enraged brides chasing Keaton through city streets, it's -- you guessed it -- cops. Packed with energy and wonderfully inventive, COPS could stand multiple viewings without boring an audience.

This disc might be the best place to begin appreciating Buster Keaton. He's certainly at the top of his game in all three movies. I would only suggest to newcomers not to expect THE GENERAL to be a laugh-a-minute slapstick fest. Certainly, it's an amusing film, but there's a lot more here to appreciate than just some simple physical comedy jokes. The attention to detail is surprising and welcome. Even today, it is still rare to see a "comedy" done in such a large cinematic scale, with such epic production values. Thanks to Keaton's care and attention, he created one of the best-looking films ever made in any genre.

One of the all time classic silent film comedies
If anyone could have made a comedy about the American Civil War and pulled it off, it was BUSTER KEATON. This is one of the all time classic silent comedies. Buster plays a steadfast trainman whose loyalty is with his girl and the South, but fate manages to throw their plans assunder. Rejected from the service because he was too valuable to the Confederacy as an engineer. Branded a coward, Buster manages to become the hero in a roundabout way. Look for classic routines like Keaton frantically trying to find his shoes in a hopelessly tangled pile of footwear, trying to load a cannon with limited success and finally, being promoted to an officer and having brigades of soldiers salute him, all the while he trying to kiss his true love. Granted, Civil War purists will fault some of the technical points, such as uniforms and weapons, but for once, OVERLOOK IT and enjoy the film! Even if it was 100% authentic, it is still a treasure worth seeing. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Buster Keaton's career reached its creative apex with the rousing comic adventure The General. Not merely one of the finest silent films, this remains one of the great film comedies of all time. The Great Stone Face stars as Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray, a man with only two loves: the sweet Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his trustworthy engine, the eponymous General. When Fort Sumner is fired upon he's one of the first to enlist, but when the war office rejects him (he's too valuable as a trained engineer) his sweetie rejects him as a coward. Johnny has the opportunity to prove his bravery when Yankee spies steal his engine and inadvertently kidnap Annabelle, and Johnny pursues with all the resources at his disposal: handcar, bicycle, and finally railroad engine. Keaton's love/hate relationship with technology and machinery shines as he becomes one with his beloved locomotive and wrestles with a finicky cannon that threatens to blow his engine off the tracks; with tremendous dexterity, he nails the humor with inimitably deadpan takes. Spunky Marion Mack makes a perfect partner for Keaton, not merely a foil but a gifted comedienne in her own right. Other Keaton films contain more laughs and inspired comic stunts, but none combines romance, adventure, and comedy into a solid story as seamlessly as this silent masterpiece. --Sean Axmaker

In Steamboat Bill Jr., Keaton stars in the story of a college-educated young man who comes home to help his father work on his Mississippi River steamboat and immediately demonstrates just what a landlubber he is. What's worse, the woman he falls for is the daughter of his father's worst rival, a bullying rich guy who wants to drive Buster's boat out of business. Keaton's slapstick is inspired and precise, particularly during an amazing sequence in which he tries to walk across town during a tornado. Watch in amazement as the front of a building falls on Keaton and he walks away without a scratch. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Great Films, Great Quality DVD.
I had seen The General twice before purchasing this DVD, and acquiring it was my main goal for this purchase. I had not seen Steamboat Bill, so this 2 in 1 DVD seemed like the best buy.

Overall, I was not disappointed. The images are extremely sharp and clean for movies of this vintage. They almost look brand new, save for some inevitable, but minor artifacts of age. The General is tinted monochrome. Mostly sepia, with some blue tinted night scenes, a common effect in silent films. Steamboat Bill is straight black and white.

Many people are not aware that The General is based on a true story about a locomotive stolen during the Civil War (see: http://ngeorgia.com/people/thegeneral.html), and that the real locomotive now resides in a museum in Kennesaw, GA. The Keaton film is one long exciting chase scene. The first time I saw it, I was actually a little disappointed. It really isn't a comedy, like most of Keaton's films. Rather it is an action movie with sight gags. Once I understood that, I really appreciated the genius of the film, and it is now one of my all-time favorites. It was filmed on location near Cottage Grove, Oregon.

Steamboat Bill Jr. is pure fun. It ranks among the best of Keaton's works, I think. Its the story of the son of a steamboat captain, who falls in love with the daughter of a rival boat operator. The climactic storm scene boasts a number of special effects that rival, or even surpass, today's computer generated effects for believeability. There is also one really hokey, but funny effect involving a flying tree.

My favorite scene in Steamboat Bill was in a hat shop, where there is an inside joke that will be understood only by those who have seen more of Keaton's work.

I would give this DVD five stars instead of four, except that I have mixed feelings about the Alloy Orchestra soundtrack. Their percussive style was very effective in The General with its rapid-fire chase scenes and mechanical locomotive movements. On this film I give them an A. However, they were far less impressive on Steamboat Bill. Here, the music often felt intrusive and distracting, drawing attention away from the action to the orchestra itself. Moreover, a couple of times the style of the music failed to match the mood of the scene. On this movie I give the orchestra a C-. I would really like to see some DVD's with a "Mighty Wurlitzer" theater organ soundtrack to mimic the performance one might have experienced in most theaters of the 1920s. Orchestral accompaniment was quite rare in the silent era, except in the largest big city theaters.

You don't even feel like watching a silent movie
Great cinematography and action for one of the most impressive early comedies. Roger Ebert calls the Alloy Orchestra "the best in the world at accompanying silent film". The orchestra provides the perfect background for this film so that I didn't even miss the dialogue. After all, 90%+ of the movie is action.

Deserves its reputation: a masterwork.
The General

Buster Keaton's love of history, engineering and operatic displays of action are put to their finest use in his masterwork, The General. However unwelcoming the concept of an incredibly accurate historical movie about the civil war may seem, or a title which refers to an army rank, rest assured that The General is imbued throughout with a wonderful sense of fun, as with all Keaton. The pervasive irony running through The General is the fact that little Buster is helping fight the civil war just by happenstance - all he really wants to do is save his girlfriend. The appeal of The General may lie in its ability to take you back to what it would have been like in frontier America, its remarkable visual beauty (incredible cinematography), or possibly Keaton's trademark operatic stunts, the climax of this movie which is one of his most impressive (the famous bridge scene was the most expensive shot in all of silent cinema).

But the thing which makes this and all Keaton films a joy to watch is the irrepressible charm and appeal of his onscreen persona. You just can't help liking little Buster, and rooting for him in all the troubles he happens to fall into. 5 stars from me - one of the all time greats.

This DVD is a great buy, b.c you get Steamboat Bill Jr also - one of Buster's best features, which sees his little character at his most charming, trying to woo the daughter of his father's rival steamboat captain. The effectiveness of the storm scene at the end are alone worth the price of entry - you'll be surprised.

Awesome visual quality and music!
While the Kino releases of these and other Buster Keaton films are entertaining, this release has the advantage of (1) being taken from excellent prints of the movies, and (2) the music (non-intrusively) complementing the story. In The General the music has a simple chugging quality, and changes tempo with the speed of the trains, while in Steamboat Bill it imitates the windstorm. It's a great effect - the music, while not a "soundtrack," onomatopoeietically (?) does what the musicians in the original theaters likely did - it helps bring out the excitement in the story.

Keaton's Best
Favorite movies, like books, plays, and music, are purely subjective. "The General" happens to be my favorite film comedy - I have seen no other to match it. I have heard the movie did not do well at the box office when first released, but, of course, neither did "Citizen Kane".

Although fine, I am not as happy as others are concerning the Alloy Orchestra and their background score. I find it a little too dramatic at times when something more whimsical is in order. Years ago, the cable channel, Showtime, ran a version of "The General" with an orchestral score and occasional sound effects. I guess I just got spoiled for something similar.

The film print is very good, but wouldn't it be nice to give this masterpiece the frame by frame restoration it obviously deserves? If Chaplin rates perfect prints, how about Buster Keaton? ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Avoid this General
There are other versions of "The General" available on DVD and any would be preferable to this one. It's picture quality is muddy and the score is simply a washover of everything from "Pomp and Circumstance" to Borodin to Bizet, none of it selected with the slightest appropriateness to what is going on on the screen. True, you can watch it without the sound, but why? Even at this low price, to be avoided. ... Read more

Description

A cavalcade of the most hair-raising pursuits in silent films. From the earliest days of motion pictures, the chase has been an integral ingredient for thrills and comic delight. "The Great Chase" traces the development of turbulent action through the great silent film stars Buster Keaton, Lillian Gish and Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

All of the great chases from the era of silent movies
"The Great Chase" is a documentary look at the era of silent films and some of the wildest chases and stunts of the early years of the movies. Included are clips from Buster Keaton's "The General," D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation," Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.'s first great swash-buckling role in "The Mask of Zorro," William S. Hart's classic western "Tumbleweed," Lillian Gish on the ice flows from "Way Down East," and Pearl White in "The Perils of Pauline." The documentary begins with the first movie chase from the first movie feature, Edwin S. Porter's "The Great Train Robbery" and also includes some interesting segments from films you have never heard of before let alone seen. Each sequences covers the cinematic importance of the film. Larry Adler provides music on the harmonica and the silent scenes have been augmented with sound effects, which may or may not offend your sensibilities. However, the cinematic sequences are pretty much provided intact, so you are getting a lot more than film clips in the course of this 81-minute documentary. I appreciate the fact that "The Great Chase" presents analysis along with the clips, because this documentary is very much in the tradition of film appreciation and not just a clip show. My only complaint is that there should be more Keaton clips, but that is just me. If you have any sort of interest in the historical antecedents of the great chases sequences from modern films, then check out this documentary. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Okay if the price is right
This dvd is okay if you can get it for under $5 like I did. If I'd have paid any more for it I would have felt cheated. Turn the sound down, though- the music they stuck on these has NOTHING to do with the movies.
For the most part the picture quality is quite good, although I noticed in The Blacksmith some seriously deteriorated frames.

Loved the Movie - So sad they've changed the music
We rented "The General" and LOVED IT! I bought this version and when I watched it I discovered they've changed the musical score. Can you imagine changing the musical score on a silent movie?!!! The music was changed to a classical instrumental score. My 10 year old son, for whom this movie was purchased, was very upset and we haven't watched the nasty thing since. Hello, in a silent movie the music is one of the characters and is just as important as anything you see on the screen!

It was disappointing!

A General disappointment
We have seen this movie as released by other distributors and found it to be one of the greatest comedies we'd ever seen. This version is completely ruined by its soundtrack. Whoever produced this version simply put generic classical music in the background (part of which even includes "pomp and circumstance." May be appropriate for my high school graduation, But not for one of the film greats.) I want my money back. And I want to find the version with the "original" single-piano musical score.

Buster Keaton Triple Feature
This is very cheap and when you see it you'll know why.
The picture quality is o.k. but the main film Keaton's classic The General has been transfered at the wrong speed.
Everything seems to be happening in slow motion.
The other two films (The Blacksmith and The Paleface)seem to be at the right speed but The General is the main feature on this disc so I would advise looking for another copy of this classic film. ... Read more