# "The General" (1926) starring Buster Keaton

This gem is presented by Silent Hall of Fame. Please visit https://silent-hall-of-fame.org/ to support our non-profit mission and the legacy of silent movie stars by making a tax deductible contribution. FEEL FREE TO FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @SilentFilmGems "The General", a classic silent comedy, lifted Buster Keaton from the ashes of oblivion decades after his name and legacy were forgotten. Audiences and critics in the 1920ies did not appreciate this extraordinary masterpiece, but Buster Keaton always regarded "The General" as his best film. Today he is totally vindicated and the world agrees with him. The movie luminary Orson Welles has stated that Buster Keaton's "The General" is "the greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made." (From Wikipedia). The film contains the single most spectacular scene of the Silent Era when a real train falls from a burning bridge and crashes into the river below. "The General" has been voted in the list of the best films ever made, and is ranked number 1 in the list of The Top 100 Silent Era Films of the influential website Silent Era. "The General" was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" in 1989, the first year it was enacted. Directed by Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton Produced by Joseph Schenck, Buster Keaton Scenario by Al Boasberg, Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton Based on The Great Locomotive…

- Kind: Feature
- Year: 1926
- Genres: Comedy, Silent
- Archive: [Internet Archive](https://archive.org/details/TheGeneral_201312)
- Licence or status: none stated by the archive
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/ia/TheGeneral_201312?play=1)