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Carl Davis
THE GENERAL
MUSIC COMPOSED AND CONDUCTED BY CARL DAVIS
Recorded introduction by KEVIN BROWNLOW, filmed especially for this series on October 20, 2025 at BFI Southbank, London.
U.S., 1926
Directed by Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
Screenplay by Al Boasberg, Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton, et al.
Starring Buster Keaton, Marion Mack
Recorded orchestral score by Carl Davis
Approx. 79 min. DCP.
Perhaps Keaton’s greatest work. His spectacular vision of the Civil War’s Great Locomotive Chase reveals his Griffith-level mastery of crowds and action (including the silent cinema’s most expensive single shot), along with perfectly-integrated comedy.
Presented with support from The Ada Katz Fund for Literature in Film
Reviews
“Its climax is the most stunning visual event ever arranged for a film comedy.”
– Walter Kerr
“Loaded with classic Keaton moments, but all within the context of an exciting story that never stops to take a breath… Comedies, silent or otherwise, do not come any better than this one.”
– Leonard Maltin, Family Film Guide
“The greatest comedy ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and perhaps the greatest film ever made.”
– Orson Welles