Every sunday, film school rejects presents a movie that was made before you were born and tells you why you should like it. When the opening shots of the civil war are fired at fort sumter, johnny tries to enlist and he is deemed too useful as an engineer to be a soldier. It is set during the american civil war 186165 and highlights the theme of. Featuring text drawn directly from the bible, a cast of thousands, and the great showmans singular cinematic bag of tricks, the king of kings is at once.
The king of kings is the greatest story ever told as only cecil b. The general, american silent comedy film, released in 1927, starring and directed by comedian buster keaton, and cited by many film historians as one of the greatest american movies. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Indeed, many critics and academics insist the general is one of the greatest movies ever made in any period. Early in the film, keaton, dressed in his sunday best, walks to his girls house.
The general is an epic of silent comedy, one of the most expensive films of its time, including an accurate historical recreation of a civil war episode, hundreds of extras, dangerous stunt sequences, and an actual locomotive falling from a burning bridge into a gorge far below. Consider an opening sequence in the general 1927, his masterpiece about a southern railway engineer who has only two loves in his life his locomotive and the beautiful annabelle lee. Print ad evening news, buffalo, ny 4 february 1927 see more. When union spies steal an engineers beloved locomotive, he pursues it singlehandedly and straight through enemy lines.
The jazz singer, american musical film, released in 1927, that was the first featurelength movie with synchronized dialogue. Read the full synopsis of the general, 1927, directed by buster keaton, with marion mack, glen cavender, jim farley, at turner classic movies. Consider an opening sequence in the general 1927, his masterpiece about a. Why you really do need to see buster keatons the general. It was inspired by the great locomotive chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the american civil war. Many critics consider the general to be the last great comedy of the silent.
A movie, like this copy of the ingenious the general, may be oversaturared. In this classic american comedy, buster keaton stars as a young man who is given a chance for redemption when yankee spies steal his locomotive. The picture was considered lost for many years, but a nitrate copy was found in prague in the 1960s. The general 1926 original piano score by william p. It was released to the general public on february 19, 1927. The general is by far the most famous of the comedy features in which buster keaton starred, and in several cases directed or codirected, between 1923 and 1928. The image book 2019 archive footage the general 1927 johnnie gray, directed by.
Illustrated with scenes from the photoplay publication. The general was based upon a true story of a daring union raid on a confederate train led by a civilian, james andrews. Remade as the great locomotive chase in 1956 with fess parker. If a minus mark was available then presentation of this film deserves it. There are some truly wonderful scenes in this film, which is full of adventure, comedy, and some pretty impressive stuntwork on moving trains by buster keaton and. Set preferences and get ageappropriate recommendations with common sense media plus. In 1927, the average cost of a movie ticket was 25 cents. The film stars buster keaton who codirected it with clyde bruckman at the time of its initial release, the general. The general 1927 stream and watch online moviefone. Released february 5th, 1927, the general stars buster keaton, marion mack, glen cavender, jim farley the movie has a runtime of about 1 hr 23 min, and received a score of out of 100 on. 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. The conspirators were caught and later hanged by the southern army. In full view of johnnie, she touches and admires the war medal pinned on the.
The general, american silent comedy film, released in 1927, starring. Keaton shot the film on the narrow railways of oregon and used less than 50 titles to explain the whole story. The general 1927 hd full movies online linkedin slideshare. In 1927, working with one of the biggest budgets in hollywood history, demille spun the life and passion of christ into a silentera blockbuster.
Young martin carhill grew up in a milieu where crime was the main occupation. On yom kippur, cantor rabinowitz played by warner oland looks forward to when his yearold. The army needs trains to transport troops to the front. It is set during the american civil war 186165 and highlights the theme of personal redemption. The general is one love in the life of johnnie gray buster keaton. Joseph warren general illustrated with scenes from the. The general is a civil war tale, the fictionalized account of an attempted hijacking of a confederate train called the general by union spies in 1862. The general belongs to at least three movie genres. Preceding the show, these informational slides below prepared by the festivals artistic director anita monga, ran on a loop as people took their seats. Hollyfield was a dublin slum where the rejected, the derelict and the antisocial were housed. Buster keaton in the general 1926 the general buster keaton 1926 mgm.
Buster keaton plays johnny gray, a southern railroad engineer who loves his train engine, the general, almost as much as he loves annabelle lee marion mack. With buster keaton, marion mack, glen cavender, jim farley. When union spies capture johnnie with annabelle on board, johnnie the general must rescue both his loves. Concerns a plucky confederate soldier who singlehandedly retrieves a pivotal train from northern territory. Most of it is constructed around a pursuit as relentless as any bourne blowout, involving a confederate. The general 1927 hd full movies online the general 1927 hd full movies online. He seems like a modern visitor to the world of the silent clowns. Military bean mr bean full episodes mr bean official duration. Full of eloquent manvsmachinery images and outrageous sight gags. Keaton, who played johnnie gray and co directed the film, thought it was one of his. How buster keaton filmed the general chaplinkeaton. In 2001, it was selected for preservation in the united. Furthermore, a silent movie may have a soundtrack that does not appeal to all tastes. Union spies pursue an engineer who chased them to recover his stolen train.
The general is a 1927 romantic comedy directed by and starring buster keaton. The story was adapted from the memoir the great locomotive chase by william pittenger. Its principal comedy scene is built on that elementary bit, the chase, and you cant continue a fight for almost an hour and expect results. This film has been enhanced using a video enhancement program that reduces noise and enhances video quality. Find low everyday prices and buy online for delivery or instore pickup. It is also one of the finest, and has appeared on many 10bestfilms lists. Pittenger had written a popular account of the story in 1863 called the great locomotive chase. Watch the general online stream full movie directv.
A recent movie called the general also exists but its a brutal uk mob drama, utterly unrelated to this one, and rated r. I had the honor of introducing buster keatons 1926 masterpiece the general at the san francisco silent film festivals inaugural a day of silents festival held in 2014. Keatons masterpiece and arguably the most formally perfect and funniest of silent comedies. Gray cloth printed in dark blue on the spine and upper board. During the civil war, young engineer johnnie gray buster keaton works on a train in the south that he has lovingly. The general 1927 is an imaginative masterpiece of deadpan stoneface buster keaton comedy, generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies and keatons own favorite and undoubtedly the best train film ever made. When the civil war breaks out he enlists as a soldier, but it is decided that he is too valuable as an engineer. National catholic register arguably the greatest of buster keatons silent comedies, the general begins with a single, brilliantly sustained premise and works it into an engaging story that combines edgeofyourseat excitement, stunningly conceived stunts and sight gags, spectacular set pieces, touching sentiment, and a rousing finale. The general 1927 is an imaginative masterpiece of deadpan stoneface. Johnnie director and star buster keaton gets his train stolen by yankee spies, his exgirl annabelle marion mack aboard, and gives chase, in keatons 1927 masterpiece the general view the tcmdb entry for the. Watch the general 1926 full movie free online streaming. No library should set out to include incomplete copies of the items they offer.
Buster keatons masterpiece and one of the greatest silent movies of all time was filmed in the cottage grove area in the summer of 1926. Back in the 1920s, however, it was such a resounding flop that keatons career. The general is a 1926 american silent comedy film released by united artists. In 1862, after spies steal his locomotive, the general, he wages a oneman battle to recover it. It marked the ascendancy of talkies and the end of the silentfilm era. Today, keatons dauntingly ambitious and remarkably accomplished 1927 comedy is universally recognized as one of the enduring classics of the silent era. He is unaware that two small boys are following him, marching in. The general is a classic film and deserves much better than this dvd can offer.