EditThe General (1926)

The plot centres around the youthful Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton), a brave little Southern engineer on the Western & Atlantic Rail Road running through Georgia. The Civil War is declared and Johnny tries to enlist but is told that he is more valuable as an engineer. When his train, containing his girlfriend Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack), is stolen by Union spies, Johnny takes another locomotive and the most memorable chase in silent film history ensues. Of special interest is the amazing fact that Keaton performed the dangerous and hair-raising stunts himself, numerous times, on real moving trains. One of Keaton’s best silent features, it is a tremendous action comedy with a host of visual gags. Keaton edited, co-directed (with Clyde Bruckman) and co-wrote the screenplay (with Al Boasberg and Charles Smith) based on the story ‘The Great Locomotive Chase’ by William Pittenger.