
The General
Buster drives "The General" to trainload of laughter.
ComedyWarRomancecannonarmygeneralsouthern usaspyfiancébridgeengineerattackblack and whitetrainsilent film
A virtuosic silent comedy built on physical ingenuity and romantic earnestness, where a man's devotion to his locomotive and his lady drives an escalating series of ingenious, death-defying stunts.
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Essence
Ensemble

Buster Keaton
Johnnie Gray

Marion Mack
Annabelle Lee

Glen Cavender
Captain Anderson

Jim Farley
General Thatcher

Frederick Vroom
A Southern General
Frank Barnes
Annabelle's Brother
Charles Henry Smith
Annabelle's Father

Joe Keaton
Union General

Mike Donlin
Union General
Tom Nawn
Union General
Henry Baird
Soldier (uncredited)
Joe Bricher
Soldier (uncredited)
Closest match
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same mood
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Go darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Hidden gem
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.


































