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Buster Keaton was arguably the greatest comedian of the silent era and certainly one of the funniest and most talented performers to ever work in the movie business. The General is his masterpiece: co-directed, co-written, co-produced and starring Keaton, it is a side-splitting document of a comedy genius at the peak of his powers and boasts some of the finest slapstick set pieces ever committed to film.
Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray (Keaton) loves two things: his sweetheart Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his prized locomotive, The General. When the Civil War breaks out, Johnnie intends to enlist in the Confederate Army, but is rejected – ending his budding relationship with Annabelle. As the war rages on, though, spies working for the Union steal Johnnie’s beloved engine and inadvertently kidnap Annabelle, leading him to doggedly pursue them both across enemy lines.
Featuring what is perhaps the most thrilling chase sequence ever committed to film, The General is a perennial classic and stands with the very finest examples of silent comedy, including Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights, Harold Lloyd’s Safety Last! and Keaton’s own Sherlock Jr. The Masters of CinemaSeries is honoured to present The General on 4K UHD for the first time in the UK.
