"The General" is one of the great films and treasures of the silent era. It's among the best movies of the talented comedy actor, Buster Keaton. In this film, Keaton shows the athletic ability and courage that made him one of the best of the early comedians who performed their own stunts. His physical antics on and off his train, The General, support his title as king of comedy stunts.
All the silent era comedy actors seemed to have lots of energy. And, many had daring, courage, and even madness at times. Those were the actors who did all or most of their own stunts. While there were some stunt men around in the early 1900s, it wasn't until the last of the silent years and dawn of sound pictures that stuntmen were a regular part of the cast of films that required any amount of derring-do. And, while a small number of actors today will still do some of their own stunts, nothing can compare to the actors of old who performed their own high-risk and dangerous stunts – and sometimes those for other actors.
The five best early actors at doing stunts were Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Harold Lloyd, Tom Mix and Yakima Canutt. The latter two specialized in Westerns, and besides acting and doing stunt work, Mix and Canutt regularly rode and performed in the rodeo circuit. Lloyd was versatile in his venues, but excelled at high stunts on buildings, and sometimes with wild animals. Fairbanks excelled in swashbuckler stunts, sliding down the sails of ships, swinging from anything hanging aloft and jumping (with the help of trampolines) into windows. Keaton was even more versatile.
As a child actor in vaudeville, Keaton learned how to fall to avoid injury. He called his technique, soft falls or landings. But even with his training and practice, his film roles with derring-do often left him bruised at the least. At other times, he had suffered injuries from slight to serious. Still, he had become known for his physical resiliency
During the filming of "The General" in 1926, Keaton was knocked unconscious by canon fire. He suffered a broken ankle while filming the 1922 short, "The Electric House." And, he broke his neck during the 1924 shooting of "Sherlock Jr.," but didn't know it until years later.
This movie has an interesting plot, set during the U.S. Civil War. It opens with a scene and script that reads, "The Western and Atlantic Flyer speeding into Marietta Georgia, in the spring of 1861." The train seems to be traveling about 30 miles per hour. But the film is almost entirely about action and the comedy in the action, involving the train. There is an element of romance. The cast all are very good. The photography is superb. Much of the action with trains is filmed in West-central Oregon, from Eugene to Cottage Grove.
There's no information about sound at all, so I assume the music we hear with the film is soundtrack that was added for modern viewing. It probably is meant to replicate the piano accompaniment that was usual with silent films in theaters of the day. This is one instance when I think the piano playing would have been better. The music seems to go overboard at times.
This is one of the early great films from the silent era that showcase the talent and early mastery of movie-making skills. It's a fun movie with strong visuals that even a modern family of all ages should enjoy.
All the silent era comedy actors seemed to have lots of energy. And, many had daring, courage, and even madness at times. Those were the actors who did all or most of their own stunts. While there were some stunt men around in the early 1900s, it wasn't until the last of the silent years and dawn of sound pictures that stuntmen were a regular part of the cast of films that required any amount of derring-do. And, while a small number of actors today will still do some of their own stunts, nothing can compare to the actors of old who performed their own high-risk and dangerous stunts – and sometimes those for other actors.
The five best early actors at doing stunts were Buster Keaton, Douglas Fairbanks Sr., Harold Lloyd, Tom Mix and Yakima Canutt. The latter two specialized in Westerns, and besides acting and doing stunt work, Mix and Canutt regularly rode and performed in the rodeo circuit. Lloyd was versatile in his venues, but excelled at high stunts on buildings, and sometimes with wild animals. Fairbanks excelled in swashbuckler stunts, sliding down the sails of ships, swinging from anything hanging aloft and jumping (with the help of trampolines) into windows. Keaton was even more versatile.
As a child actor in vaudeville, Keaton learned how to fall to avoid injury. He called his technique, soft falls or landings. But even with his training and practice, his film roles with derring-do often left him bruised at the least. At other times, he had suffered injuries from slight to serious. Still, he had become known for his physical resiliency
During the filming of "The General" in 1926, Keaton was knocked unconscious by canon fire. He suffered a broken ankle while filming the 1922 short, "The Electric House." And, he broke his neck during the 1924 shooting of "Sherlock Jr.," but didn't know it until years later.
This movie has an interesting plot, set during the U.S. Civil War. It opens with a scene and script that reads, "The Western and Atlantic Flyer speeding into Marietta Georgia, in the spring of 1861." The train seems to be traveling about 30 miles per hour. But the film is almost entirely about action and the comedy in the action, involving the train. There is an element of romance. The cast all are very good. The photography is superb. Much of the action with trains is filmed in West-central Oregon, from Eugene to Cottage Grove.
There's no information about sound at all, so I assume the music we hear with the film is soundtrack that was added for modern viewing. It probably is meant to replicate the piano accompaniment that was usual with silent films in theaters of the day. This is one instance when I think the piano playing would have been better. The music seems to go overboard at times.
This is one of the early great films from the silent era that showcase the talent and early mastery of movie-making skills. It's a fun movie with strong visuals that even a modern family of all ages should enjoy.