The General - A1927 Silent Movie - Directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman- 1 Hour 15 Minutes

 Available on YouTube In a beautifully restored version 

Director: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton

Producer: Buster Keaton, Joseph M. Schenck

Writer: Clyde Bruckman, Al Boasberg, Buster Keaton, William Pittenger, Charles Smith, Paul Smith

Release Date (Theaters): Feb 5, 1927

"The General” was voted one of the 10 greatest films of all time in the authoritative Sight & Sound poll. Who knows if it is even Keaton's greatest? Others might choose “Steamboat Bill, Jr.” (1928). His other classics include “Our Hospitality” (1923), “The Navigator” (1924), “Go West” (1925) and “The Cameraman” (1928), in which he played a would-be newsreel photographer who lucks into his career.......

Today I look at Keaton's works more often than any other silent films. They have such a graceful perfection, such a meshing of story, character and episode, that they unfold like music. Although they're filled with gags, you can rarely catch Keaton writing a scene around a gag; instead, the laughs emerge from the situation; he was “the still, small, suffering center of the hysteria of slapstick,” wrote the critic Karen Jaehne. And in an age when special effects were in their infancy, and a “stunt” often meant actually doing on the screen what you appeared to be doing, Keaton was ambitious and fearless. He had a house collapse around him. He swung over a waterfall to rescue a woman he loved. He fell from trains. And always he did it in character, playing a solemn and thoughtful man who trusts in his own ability" Roger Ebert 

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-general-1927

Set during the American Civil War, "The General" follows Johnny Gray, a Southern railroad engineer who loves two things: his sweetheart Annabelle Lee and his locomotive, "The General."

When Union spies steal "The General" with Annabelle aboard, Johnny embarks on a daring solo mission to rescue both his love and his engine.

The film is a mix of slapstick comedy, action sequences, and even some pathos, as Johnny faces danger and heartbreak in his quest.

The film is known for its innovative stunts and gags, many of which Keaton performed himself without the use of special e

While "The General" was not a commercial success upon its release, it has since gained widespread acclaim and is now considered one of the greatest silent films ever made.

The film is often praised for its humor, action, and technical mastery, as well as its surprisingly nuanced portrayal of the Civil War