Principal cast
Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley and Frederick Vroom
Film 178 of 498 on the Screen Path
The General
Buster drives "The General" to trainload of laughter.
About the film
The General at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1926 film at stop 178 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Key craft credits
Bert Haines (director of photography), Devereaux Jennings (director of photography), Buster Keaton (editor), Sherman Kell (editor) and Clyde Bruckman (screenplay)
- Director
- Clyde Bruckman and Buster Keaton
- Release
- 1926-12-25
- Runtime
- 79 minutes
- Genres
- Comedy, War and Romance
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 30 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 30 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
30 questions in this journeyCitizen Kane is the complete public example: both learning videos and a five-question sample quiz are available below.
Start the example →Full cast
Full cast
- Buster KeatonCharacter: Johnnie Gray
- Marion MackCharacter: Annabelle Lee
- Glen CavenderCharacter: Captain Anderson
- Jim FarleyCharacter: General Thatcher
- Frederick VroomCharacter: A Southern General
- Frank BarnesCharacter: Annabelle's Brother
- Charles Henry SmithCharacter: Annabelle's Father
- Joe KeatonCharacter: Union General
- Mike DonlinCharacter: Union General
- Tom NawnCharacter: Union General
- Henry BairdCharacter: Soldier (uncredited)
- Joe BricherCharacter: Soldier (uncredited)
Full crew
Full crew
- Clyde BruckmanCredits: Director, Screenplay
- Buster KeatonCredits: Screenplay, Editor, Director, Producer, Stunts
- Fred GabourieCredits: Art Direction, Production Manager
- Harry RoselotteCredits: Set Decoration
- Devereaux JenningsCredits: Director of Photography
- Sherman KellCredits: Editor
- Joseph M. SchenckCredits: Producer
- Bert HainesCredits: Director of Photography
- Fred Carlton RyleCredits: Makeup Artist
- Byron HouckCredits: Camera Operator
- Edward HearnCredits: Assistant Director
- Earl MohanCredits: Stunts
- Frank BarnesCredits: Grip, Construction Foreman
- Dal ClawsonCredits: Still Photographer
- Elmer EllsworthCredits: Camera Operator
- Harry J. WildCredits: First Assistant Camera
- Glen CavenderCredits: Second Unit
- Harry BrandCredits: Production Coordinator
- Charles Henry SmithCredits: Adaptation
- William PittengerCredits: Book
- Al BoasbergCredits: Adaptation
Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.