The General
1926 · Movie · NR · 79 min · ★ 7.9 · 87% critics
In a Civil War–era mix of action, comedy, and romance, a determined railroad worker finds his prized locomotive stolen by enemy spies, with someone he cares about caught up in the chaos. He sets off alone on a fast-moving pursuit, improvising through danger and confusion to set things right.
Also known as The Engine Driver
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Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Kino Film Collection, MGM+ +1 more.
1 hour to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1926
- Release date
- 1926-12-25
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 79 min
- Critic score
- 87/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.9/10 (1,408 votes)
- Budget
- $415,232
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a silent-era crowd-pleaser built around big train set pieces, physical comedy, and constant momentum; Not for you if Civil War themes or lighter character depth put you off, even if you liked Sherlock Jr.
Pros: jaw-dropping train stunts; nonstop chase energy; charming deadpan humor | Cons: uneven story beats; romance feels thin; can feel long
Themes
- cannon
- army
- general
- southern usa
- spy
- fiancé
- bridge
- engineer
- attack
- black and white
- train
- silent film
- +2 more
Cast & crew
Buster Keaton
as Johnnie Gray
Marion Mack
as Annabelle Lee
Glen Cavender
as Captain Anderson
Jim Farley
as General Thatcher
Frederick Vroom
as A Southern General
- FB
Frank Barnes
as Annabelle's Brother
- CS
Charles Henry Smith
as Annabelle's Father
Joe Keaton
as Union General
Mike Donlin
as Union General
- TN
Tom Nawn
as Union General
Directed by Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman