Buster Keaton Double Feature — The General (1926) & Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928) — DVD — Used
TWO COMPLETE CLASSIC SILENT FILMS ON ONE DVD. Enjoy two of Buster Keaton's most celebrated comedies in this double-feature release.
Film 1: The General (1926)
During the American Civil War, locomotive engineer Johnny Gray (Buster Keaton) sets out to recover his beloved steam engine, the General, after it is stolen by Union spies. His pursuit becomes an extraordinary series of chases, stunts and narrow escapes as he tries to save both his train and the woman he loves. This landmark silent comedy is renowned for its elaborate railway action and ingenious visual storytelling.
Film 2: Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
Keaton plays the mild-mannered son of a rough-and-ready Mississippi riverboat captain. As he struggles to win his father's approval and pursue a romance, a spectacular cyclone brings chaos to the river town—and sets the stage for one of silent cinema's most famous physical-comedy sequences.
Principal Cast & Crew
- Buster Keaton — Johnny Gray (The General); William Canfield Jr. (Steamboat Bill, Jr.)
- Marion Mack — Annabelle Lee (The General)
- Charles Henry Smith — Annabelle's father (The General)
- Ernest Torrence — William “Steamboat Bill” Canfield Sr. (Steamboat Bill, Jr.)
- Marion Byron — Kitty King (Steamboat Bill, Jr.)
- Directors: Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman (The General); Charles Reisner (Steamboat Bill, Jr.)
Hollywood Connections & Trivia
- The General was inspired by the real Civil War locomotive raid known as the Great Locomotive Chase.
- Keaton performed many of his own daring physical stunts, helping establish his enduring reputation as a silent-film innovator.
- Steamboat Bill, Jr. features the celebrated falling-house-front stunt, in which a facade collapses around Keaton as he stands in the precise position of an open window.
- The General was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
- The character name Steamboat Bill inspired the title of Disney's early Mickey Mouse sound cartoon Steamboat Willie (1928).
DVD Edition Details
- Films: The General (1926) and Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
- Format: DVD, black-and-white silent-film double feature
- Distributor: Direct Source / Quality Special Products
- DVD edition release: circa 2004
- Approximate combined runtime: 153 minutes
- UPC: 779836132192
- Condition: Used / Pre-owned
Used DVD condition: Disc and packaging may show normal handling or shelf wear. Original inserts are not guaranteed.
Digital codes: A digital redemption code may be included with a used DVD, but its presence and validity are not guaranteed. Any included code may have been redeemed or expired.