List Price: $24.99You Pay Only: $22.49 You Save: $2.50 (10%)Prices subject to change.
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9786305609629
Format: Black & White, DVD-Video, Silent, NTSC
ISBN: 6305609624
Label: Image Entertainment
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Image Entertainment
Release Date: October 26, 1999
Running Time: 116 minutes
Sales Rank: 48727
Studio: Image Entertainment
Theatrical Release Date: February 05, 1927
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Editorial Review:
Description:
Consistently ranked among the best films ever made, Keaton's 'The General' (1926, 75 min., stereo) is so brilliantly conceived and executed that it continues to inspire awe and laughter with every viewing. Rejected by the Confederate Army as unfit and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle Lee (Marian Mack), young Johnnie Gray (Keaton) sets out to single-handedly win the war with his cherished locomotive. Also includes 'The Playhouse' (1921, 23 min., mono), a technical tour-de-force in which Keaton plays every member of a stage company, the entire audience and an undisciplined chimp to boot! 'Cops' (1922, 18 min., mono) is the quintessential chase film, with Buster tumbling into a series of marvelous mishaps while fleeing hundreds of uniformed policemen. Digitally mastered from archival prints, with original musical scores.
Amazon.com essential video:
Buster Keaton's career reached its creative apex with this rousing comic adventure. Not merely one of the finest silent films, this remains one of the great film comedies of all time. The Great Stone Face stars as Southern railroad engineer Johnny Gray, a man with only two loves: the sweet Annabelle Lee (Marion Mack) and his trustworthy engine, the eponymous General. When Fort Sumner is fired upon he's one of the first to enlist, but when the war office rejects him (he's too valuable as a trained engineer) his sweetie rejects him as a coward. Johnny has the opportunity to prove his bravery when Yankee spies steal his engine and inadvertently kidnap Annabelle, and Johnny pursues with all the resources at his disposal: handcar, bicycle, and finally railroad engine. Keaton's love/hate relationship with technology and machinery shines as he becomes one with his beloved locomotive and wrestles with a finicky cannon that threatens to blow his engine off the tracks; with tremendous dexterity, he nails the humor with inimitably deadpan takes. Spunky Marion Mack makes a perfect partner for Keaton, not merely a foil but a gifted comedienne in her own right. Other Keaton films contain more laughs and inspired comic stunts, but none combines romance, adventure, and comedy into a solid story as seamlessly as this silent masterpiece. --Sean Axmaker
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Brilliant
"The General" and "The Twilight Zone" are, in my opinion, the two most brilliantly conceived films ever made. "The General" keeps you glued to the screen, with sight gag after sight gag. Keaton was a genius and this was never more evident than this movie. Kino did a super job of offering three different music scores, each giving new life to the film. I personally recommend Robert Isreal's score as it's more comical than the "adventuresome" score Carl Davis did. Don't buy the cheap release with generic music score and non-restored film print. It is this Kino print that you want to view.
"The Twilight Zone" is another of my favorites with brilliant camera angles and cinematography. I have yet to read a Buster Keaton book that reveals a "making-of" of The General but there is one superb book for "The Twilight Zone: Unlocking the Door to a Television Classic" by Martin Grams. Also available on Amazon.com. Looking for two Christmas gifts that are top-notch, 100% polished and certain to please any film buff? Get this DVD and that book. It certainly made my birthday last month.
Rating: - Great Film Great Presentation from Kino Video
Kino Video's new two disc version is highly recommendable for the flim itself. The second disc is okay but nothing overly special and most Buster Keaton fans already have the feaures on it. Robert Israel's wonderful score is available as it was on the previous Kino release. Israel's work as so often really makes the movie as he is always able to match the moods and events in silent films he has scored. The real prize here is the Carl Davis score which is very different but equally good and also able to bring the movie alive. What is interesting is to watch the movie back to back with the two scores as you will soon realize they cause you to absorb the film differntly. In one certain scenes strike you differntly from the other just with the change of music. There is also an organ score. While organ scores are probably a more authentic way to watch a film of the 1920's you simply cannot beat an orchestral score such as Davis's or Israel's.
Rating: - The version to buy
It was with some trepidation and annoyance that I found myself plunking down more hard-earned money for my fourth copy of Buster Keaton's immortal silent comedy,"The General." I am pleased to report that the investment was a worthy one.
The public domain versions of this film are undeserving of comment and should be avoided at all costs. I made the misfortune of buying one of these hack jobs first and was rewarded with a poor transfer with completely inappropriate music. I then purchased the double feature of "The General" and "Steamboat Bill, Jr." offered by Image. The picture quality was greatly improved in regards to clarity and contrast. My personal complaint regarding the Image version is the musical accompaniment provided by the Alloy Orchestra. Clanky and mechanical, their score is more a cacophany than a symphony and works against, rather than complements, much of the action in the film. Next, I procured Kino's original version of "The General", which, to my disappointment, was softer and less sharp than the one offered by Image. It does feature a more pleasing score by Robert Israel. This brings me to Kino's updated and restored version, and I can affirm that my quest for the best version of this film has come to an end.
Why go into such nauseating detail regarding the purchasing process? For one, it demonstrates how much I appreciate this film and how important it is to obtain it in its preeminent form. I also hope it will convince those mulling over the different ... Read More
Rating: - Buster Keaton Masterpiece
The problem with great films of the silent era is decomposition. Often, original negatives are incomplete or unavailable and prints must be made from the best positives available. Quality degrades at each step. Kino On Video has pioneered the remastering of silent classics by ferreting out negatives, often from several countries, subjecting them to methodical restoration, and releasing them in crisp editions, looking better than ever.
"The General: The Ultimate Edition" is a two-disc set that showcases one of the funniest American films ever. Made in 1926, when the silent film industry was at the peak of its artistry, "The General" is based on an actual Civil War incident, embellished to highlight the comic talents of its star, Buster Keaton. At the time, Keaton was second only to Charlie Chaplin as America's favorite funny man.
Playing Southern Confederate train engineer Johnny Gray, Keaton engages in some of the most amazing sight gags of his career. Johnny is rejected by the Confederate army and taken for a coward by his beloved Annabelle (Marion Mack). When his treasured locomotive and his lady-love are taken hostage by a band of Yankee spies, he has a chance to redeem himself and prove his bravery to the world. Johnny wages a one-man war against the hijackers, a cannon with a mind of its own, and the unpredictable hand of fate as he rolls along the iron rails.
Though the movie is filled with laughs, it is also Matthew Brady-like in the way it captures the look ... Read More
Rating: - Excellent 2008 Production, a Few Minor Flaws to Note
First off, this review, which is only a partial review in some respects, is for THIS November 2008 version of "The General" from Kino. Several other reviews matched to this item are actually for one of numerous other older versions both from Kino and other companies (some inferior public domain productions), and you should carefully check the dates on each review. Their descriptions of content for this DVD production are potentially incorrect. For example, this one does not have any other complete Keaton films on it, although it does have some clips and some other very good extras related to film and RR history.
Second, this is my favorite film of all time, and I cannot help but give it five stars in almost any form - this is for Keaton's original magnificent vision and filmmaking prowess. Having said that, this version has some specific issues that people should know about when making a choice of what to buy. If I were grading on DVD production alone, I'd give it 4 stars, and my reasoning is described below.
The basic elements of this DVD production are given in the description, so I will not repeat that information. Instead, my specific thoughts are given below. I have viewed it only with the Carl Davis orchestral score so far. I am familar with the included Robert Israel score, which I also like, to a lesser degree than the Davis score, but this is subjective. I am unfamiliar with the included Lee Erwin organ score.
My own impression from watching several ... Read More
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