What is The General in a Buster Keaton film?
The story was adapted from the 1889 memoir The Great Locomotive Chase by William Pittenger. The film stars Buster Keaton who co-directed it with Clyde Bruckman….The General (1926 film)
| The General | |
|---|---|
| Based on | The Great Locomotive Chase by William Pittenger |
| Produced by | Joseph Schenck Buster Keaton |
| Starring | Buster Keaton Marion Mack |
What is The General 1926 about?
One of the most revered comedies of the silent era, this film finds hapless Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) facing off against Union soldiers during the American Civil War. When Johnny’s fiancée, Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is accidentally taken away while on a train stolen by Northern forces, Gray pursues the soldiers, using various modes of transportation in comic action scenes that highlight Keaton’s boundless wit and dexterity.
The General/Film synopsis
Are Buster Keaton stunts real?
Undeterred, Keaton claimed that he never refused a stunt, however dangerous; in fact, he frequently doubled for other actors when they needed to take a fall. …
What was the climax of The General?
The visual majesty of the film reaches its climax, appropriately enough, with the climax of the film, the final battle between the Confederate and Union troops across a gorge.
What happened to the train from The General?
The bridge collapses in the middle and the train – a full, working steam locomotive and cars, not a model – plunges into the “Rock River.” In reality, it was the Row River, just south of Cottage Grove. It was shot on July 23, 1926 – the most expensive single shot in silent-film history.
Did Douglas Fairbanks do his own stunts?
Fairbanks’ films are still shown on the big screen at film festivals and revivals, with The Thief of Bagdad and The Taming of the Shrew included in the 2013 Wisconsin Film Festival. Even in 2013, his stunts are jaw-dropping, even more impressive knowing he completed most stunts himself.
When did Buster Keaton make the movie the general?
A great Buster Keaton silent movie. In 1862, after spies steal his locomotive, “The General”, he wages a one-man battle to recover it. The copies previously uploaded here were either incomplete or too blurry. I hope that this copy will be more satisfactory.
Who was the general in the movie the general?
Keaton was a huge fan of train history and had read the book. Although it was written from the Union Army perspective, Keaton did not believe that the audience would accept Confederates as villains and changed the story’s point of view. Keaton attempted to rent the real-life General for the film.
Why was Michael Keaton forced to make the general?
Because of its then-huge budget ($750,000 supplied by Metro chief Joseph Schenck) and failure to turn a significant profit, Keaton lost his independence as a filmmaker and was forced into a restrictive deal with MGM .
When did Buster Keaton read the Great Locomotive Chase?
In early 1926, Keaton’s collaborator Clyde Bruckman told him about William Pittenger ‘s 1863 memoir The Great Locomotive Chase, about the 1862 Great Locomotive Chase. Keaton was a huge fan of train history and had read the book.