The General
“Buster drives "The General" to trainload of laughter.”
Buster KeatonCast
Buster Keaton Marion Mack Glen Cavender
Plot
During the American Civil War, the Southern train engineer Johnnie Gray is rejected by the army but loved by Annabelle Lee. When Union spies steal his locomotive, The General, with Annabelle aboard, he chases them north in another engine. After many mishaps he rescues her, and the two race back with plans of a Union attack. Buster Keaton's 1926 comedy combines his deadpan face with stunts performed for real on moving trains, including a bridge collapse that remains among the most expensive single shots of the silent era.
Sinekatalog’s take
Buster Keaton's Civil War train chase is built from precise stunts and a perfectly deadpan face. Its set pieces are real and dangerous, and it may be the greatest silent comedy.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.
Ratings
IMDb: 8.1 / 10 (106,458 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset; Rotten Tomatoes snapshot from October 2026. Scores change over time.
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