The General (1926 film)

This is a famous old movie.

It is a funny story about a fast train.

A man named Johnnie loves his train. He calls it The General. Spies steal the train from him.

Johnnie must chase them to get it back. He does many brave stunts. He even jumps on the moving train.

Making the movie was very hard work. The crew moved many heavy things to Oregon. They even built real bridges for the film.

At first, not many people liked the movie. Now, many people think it is great.

It is a very special film.

The General is a famous silent movie from 1926.

It is a comedy about a train engineer named Johnnie Gray. Johnnie loves his locomotive, which he calls The General. During the American Civil War, spies steal his train. Johnnie must chase them to get it back. He performs many brave stunts on the moving train. He even sits on the moving parts of the engine.

Making the film was a huge job. The crew moved 18 freight cars of props to Oregon.

They built real bridges and dams for the movie. Making the film cost a lot of money. It even caused some fires in the forest. At first, many people did not like the movie. It did not make much money at the theater. But today, many people think it is a great film. In 1989, the Library of Congress chose it for a special list. This list is for films that are very important to history.

The General is a famous silent comedy film from 1926.

It is an action story set during the American Civil War. The movie follows a train engineer named Johnnie Gray. Johnnie has two great loves in his life. One is a woman named Annabelle Lee. The other is his locomotive, which he calls The General. When spies steal his train, Johnnie must chase them to save his engine and Annabelle. This film is now seen as one of the greatest movies ever made. In 1989, the Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry. This means the film is culturally and historically important to the United States.

Making the film was a massive and difficult task. Buster Keaton co-directed the movie with Clyde Bruckman. The story was based on a book called The Great Locomotive Chase. This book was a memoir written by William Pittenger in 1889. Keaton was a huge fan of trains and wanted to make a real adventure. He even grew his hair long for the role. He performed many dangerous stunts on moving trains. He once sat on the coupling rods of a locomotive while it was moving.

To make the movie look real, the crew went to Oregon. They needed old-fashioned railroads for the setting. A manager named Burt Jackson found the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway. This railway had vintage locomotives that looked perfect for the film. The crew brought 18 freight cars of props to Cottage Grove. These cars held cannons, stagecoaches, and even rebuilt houses.

They also used three 35 mm cameras. The production was so big that local train service in Cottage Grove had to stop. One third of the movie's budget was spent in that town alone.

Working on the set was often very hard and expensive. The budget grew from $400,000 to as much as $1 million. Some rumors said Keaton was building real dams to change river depths. There were also many accidents during filming. One assistant director was shot with a blank cartridge. A train wheel even ran over a worker's foot. The wood-burning engines caused many fires in the forest. These fires even burned farmers' haystacks.

Despite these problems, the crew stayed busy. They even played baseball with local residents on Sundays.

When the movie first came out, it was not a big success. It premiered in Tokyo, Japan, before it reached the United States. In New York, it played at the Capitol Theatre in early 1927. However, many critics and audiences did not like it at first. The film did not make much profit for the studio. Because of this, Keaton lost his independence as a filmmaker. He was forced into a new deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Today, however, people look back at his hard work with great respect.

The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film.

It is an action-packed story set during the American Civil War. The film follows a locomotive engineer named Johnnie Gray. Johnnie has two great loves: a woman named Annabelle Lee and his train, which is named The General. The plot involves a high-speed chase after Union spies steal the train. Johnnie must chase the spies to save his engine and Annabelle. Today, the film is considered one of the greatest movies ever made. In 1989, the Library of Congress selected it for the National Film Registry. This means it is culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant to the United States.

The story was inspired by a real event called the Great Locomotive Chase.

Keaton used an 1889 memoir by William Pittenger as his source. That book was written from the Union Army's perspective. However, Keaton changed the point of view for his film. He did not want the audience to see the Confederates as villains. To prepare for the role, Keaton grew his hair long. He also performed many dangerous physical stunts. He jumped between moving cars and ran along train roofs. In one stunt, he sat on the coupling rods of a moving locomotive. This was very risky because a wheelspin could have injured or killed him.

Making the film was a massive undertaking that required specific locations. Keaton wanted to film near the actual sites of the historical events. He tried to lease the real locomotive, The General, in Chattanooga. However, the railway company denied his request because it was a comedy. Instead, a location manager named Burt Jackson found vintage railroads in Oregon. He purchased two locomotives from the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railway. He also bought a third locomotive to play the engine named the Texas. This third engine was used for a famous bridge collapse stunt.

The production was huge and required many resources. The crew arrived in Cottage Grove, Oregon, with 18 freight cars of props.

These cars carried cannons, stagecoaches, wagons, and even rebuilt houses. The crew used three 35 mm cameras to film the action. One third of the total budget was spent in Cottage Grove alone. The production even hired 1,500 local residents to help. Because of the filming, regular train service in the town had to stop. The scale of the project was so large that it cost about $400 per hour to make.

However, the filming process was often difficult and expensive. The budget grew from an initial $400,000 to as much as $1 million. Some reports claimed Keaton built real dams to change river depths. There were also many accidents on the set. An assistant director was shot in the face with a blank cartridge. A train wheel ran over a worker's foot, leading to a $2,900 lawsuit. Additionally, the wood-burning engines caused many fires. These fires sometimes spread to forests or farmers' haystacks, costing $25 per stack.

Even with these troubles, the crew maintained a lighthearted atmosphere. They often played baseball with local residents on Sundays.

The climax of the film involved a massive train wreck in a forest.

To film this, Keaton used six different cameras. The scene was so popular that the town of Cottage Grove declared a local holiday. Between 3,000 and 4,000 people showed up to watch the spectacle. This crowd included 500 extras from the Oregon National Guard. The wreckage from the stunt was left in the riverbed for many years. It became a minor tourist attraction until it was salvaged for scrap during World War II.

Despite its current fame, the film was not an immediate success. It premiered in Tokyo, Japan, before its United States release. When it finally arrived in New York in 1927, critics and audiences were not impressed. The film failed to make a significant profit for United Artists. This financial failure had serious consequences for Buster Keaton. He lost his independence as a filmmaker and had to sign a restrictive deal with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. While the film's start was difficult, it eventually earned its place as a masterpiece of cinema.