The General (film)

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For works with similar titles, see The General.
The General (1926)
Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman
An American 1926 silent comedy film starring Buster Keaton, inspired by the Great Locomotive Chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the American Civil War. In 1989, this film was selected by the Library of Congress to be included in the first class of films for preservation in the National Film Registry.
Key (info)
Dialogue
In scene
Storyline
Cast and Crew
Cast
RoleActor
Buster Keaton
Marion Mack
Charles Henry Smith
Joe Keaton
Glen Cavender
Frederick Vroom
Frank Hagney
Edward Hearn
Al St. John
Boris Karloff
James Farley
Crew
DistributorUnited Artists Corporation, Netflix
DirectorBuster Keaton (d. 1966), Clyde Bruckman (d. 1955)
ProducerBuster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenck (d. 1961)
ScreenwriterAl Boasberg (d. 1937), Paul Girard Smith (d. 1968), Clyde Bruckman, Charles Henry Smith (d. 1942), William Pittenger (d. 1904), Buster Keaton
CinematographerDevereux Jennings (d. 1952), Bert Haines (d. 1991)
EditorBuster Keaton, Sherman Kell
ComposerCarl Davis (d. 2023)
Based on available information, the latest crew member that is relevant to international copyright laws died in 2023, meaning that this film may be in the public domain in countries and jurisdictions with 0 years p.m.a. or less, as well as in the United States.
The following is a transcription of a film. The contents below represent text or spoken dialogue that are transcribed directly from the video of the film provided above. On certain screen sizes, each line is represented by a timestamp next to it which shows when the text appears on the video. For more information, see Help:Film.
3911771The General1926Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman

Joseph M. Schenck
PRESENTS
Buster Keaton
IN
"THE GENERAL"
A UNITED ARTISTS PRODUCTION

Written and Directed
by
Buster Keaton
and
Clyde Bruckman

Adapted by
Al Boasberg and Charles Smith

Photographed by
Dev Jennings and Bert Haines

Technical Director
Fred Gabourie
Lighting effects
Denver Harmon

THE CAST

Annabelle Lee
Captain Anderson
General Thatcher
A Southern General
Her father
Her brother

Marion Mack
Glen Cavender
Jim Farley
Frederick Vroom
Charles Smith
Frank Barnes

Three Union Generals
Joe Keaton
Mike Donlin
Tom Nawn
Johnnie Gray Buster Keaton

Copyright by
Joseph M. Schenck

The Western and Atlantic Flyer speeding into Marietta, Ga., in the Spring of 1861.

W.&.A.R.R.

3

GENERAL

There were two loves in his life.
His engine,
And—

Sweet
HOME

"Fort Sumter has been fired upon."

"Then the war is here."

"Yes, dad, and I'm going to be one of the first to enlist."

"Aren't you going to enlist?"

RECRUITING
OFFICE
[STOVE] WOOD AND LAMP OIL
SOUTHERN
COTTON GROWERS
EXCHANGE

"Your name?"

"Johnnie Gray."

"Occupation?"

"Engineer on the Western and Atlantic Railroad."

"Don't enlist him. He is more valuable to the South as an engineer."

"We can't use you."

"William Brown."

"Occupation?"

"Bartender."

"If you lose this war don't blame me."

"Did Johnnie enlist?"

"He didn't even get in line."

"He's a disgrace to the South."

"Why didn't you enlist?"

"They wouldn't take me."

"Please don't lie—I don't want you to speak to me again until you are in uniform."

A year later.

In a Union encampment just North of Chattanooga.

General Thatcher, and his chief spy, Captain Anderson.

"I know every foot of this railroad from Marietta to Chattanooga—and with ten picked men I cannot fail."

"We enter the South as civilians coming from the neutral state of Kentucky to join the Southern cause."

◎ CHATTANOOGA
RIVER
◎ DALTON
RIVER
◎ CALHOUN
RIVER
◎ KINSTON

◎ BIG SHANTY

◎ MARIETTA

◎ ATLANTA

"At Big Shanty we will steal the train while the passengers and crew are at dinner, and proceeding North we will burn every bridge, cutting off the supplies of the army now facing you."

"Then the day you steal the train I will have General Parker advance to meet you."

MARIETTA

"As soon as I arrive I will let you know how seriously father is wounded."

"Big Shanty. Twenty minutes for dinner."

BIG SHANTY

KINGSTON

"Three men stole my General. I think they are deserters."

5

TEXAS

"Why not stop and fight them?"

"I'm afraid they have us greatly outnumbered."

The Southern army facing Chattanooga is ordered to retreat.

General Parker's victorious Northern army advancing.

"There is only one man on that engine."

In the enemy's country—hopelessly lost, helplessly cold and horribly hungry.

"At nine o'clock tomorrow morning our supply trains will meet and unite with General Parker's army at the Rock River bridge."

"Then the army, backed by our supply trains, will advance for a surprise attack on the rebels' left flank."

"Once our trains and troops cross that bridge, nothing on earth can stop us."

"This girl was in the baggage car when we stole the train, so I thought it best to hold her."

"We had better stay here until daybreak to see where we are."

"It was so brave of you to risk your life, coming into the enemy's country, just to save me."

After a nice, quiet, refreshing night's rest.

GENERAL

"We've got to get back to our lines somehow and warn them of this coming attack."

U.S.M.R.R.

"I will get that spy before he reaches the Southern lines. You follow with the supply trains as planned."

"We must pick up more firewood."

The Rock River bridge.

The Northern division nearing the bridge to meet the supply trains.

DIV. HEADQUARTERS

"That bridge is not burned enough to stop you, and my men will ford the river."

Heroes of the day.

"Is that your uniform?"

"I had to wear it to get through the lines."

"Take it off!"

"Enlist the Lieutenant."

"Occupation?"

"Soldier."

THE CAST

Annabelle Lee
Captain Anderson
General Thatcher
A Southern General
Her father
Her brother

Marion Mack
Glen Cavender
Jim Farley
Frederick Vroom
Charles Smith
Frank Barnes

Three Union Generals
Joe Keaton
Mike Donlin
Tom Nawn
Johnnie Gray Buster Keaton

The General

THE END

COPYRIGHT 1926 by JOSEPH M. SCHENCK


This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published before January 1, 1929.


The longest-living author of this work died in 1966, so this work is in the public domain in countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 57 years or less. This work may be in the public domain in countries and areas with longer native copyright terms that apply the rule of the shorter term to foreign works.

Public domainPublic domainfalsefalse