Its important to remember that this used no miniature models or cgi. Slapstick harry langdon, harold lloyd, charlie chaplin, and buster keaton are considered the greats of early film comedy. Frank gallop narrates the great chase, a 1962 documentary that highlights action footage from such silent movie favorites as buster keaton s the general 1927, pearl white in the perils of pauline 1914, douglas fairbanks in a swashbuckling the mark of zorro 1920, edisons pioneering the great train robbery 1903, william s. It was inspired by the great locomotive chase, a true story of an event that. When this part of the film was first shown, viewers used to run from the screen in fear, because the actor aiming a gun at the audience appeared so real to viewers unaccustomed to motion pictures. And the idea of criminals going against society made them the least repressed. Definitive account of the famous 1963 great train robbery and its aftermath. Buster keaton silent comedy filmmaker and performer known for his outrageous stunt movies. Kino lorber sells videos and dvds directly to customers. In september of 1925, one of buster keaton s head gag writers, clyde bruckman, was doing some research on the civil war when he found a reprint of pittengers book which was retitled the great locomotive chase in 1893. He gave interviews to writer piers paul read, persuading him to write in his 1978 book the train robbers that the robbery was led by german commando otto skorzeny, and that edwards was the person responsible for hitting jack mills.
The great locomotive chase or andrews raid was a military raid that occurred april 12, 1862, in northern georgia during the american civil war. Made the life of an american fireman and the great train robbery cross cutting is when it cuts out and says meanwhile. The great train robbery is a 1903 american silent short western film written, produced, and. The general buster keaton film analysis senses of cinema.
Especially with the very welcome presence of arbuckle, a comedy great. It was inspired by the great locomotive chase, a true story of an event that occurred during the american civil war. Porter, the great train robbery was the first narrative movie, one that told a story. Approximately twelve minutes in length, the film depicts a train robbery and a gunfight in which several of the robbers are killed. The great train robbery by del harvey barely 10 minutes long, it was the first of its kind and it helped create a multibillion dollar industry. I woke up one night when the great train robbery was almost completed, and thought that what the book s really about is repression, and thats what the whole victorian period means.
Details about 1988 press photo great train robbery scene in buster dfpg22981. Train robber edwards is found hanged the independent. During the civil war union spy andrews and his men volunteer to steal a confederate train and drive it to union territory while destroying the confederate railway system along the way. When a train wrecks in a particular spectacular gag its the real thing, and buster keaton s crew had only one chance to get it right. Filled with stories about his childhood in vaudeville where, billed as the human mop, he was slammed on the floor, hurled into wings, banged on the bass drumby his father. Any book about thelma must mention her death and the mystery that surrounds it. Volunteers from the union army, led by civilian scout james j. A buster keaton creation that combines the classic form of his earlier manonaquest comedies with the visual heft of a civil war epic, the general isnt likely to be the favorite opus of the stars purist fans, but its the one with the trappings of ambition and historical poesy. Audiences and critics in the 1920ies did not appreciate this extraordinary masterpiece, but buster keaton always regarded the general as. The story was adapted from the memoir the great locomotive chase by william pittenger. He made numerous short films as well as such feature films as three ages, sherlock, jr.
I decided that i would write about it for this blogathon. The general is a 1926 american silent comedy film released by united artists. Thats what the book is about, and this came totally after the fact. Keaton was a huge fan of train history and had read the book. For director and narrator bogdanovich, its a crime that too few people realize how astounding and innovative the great stuntman, comedian, and filmmaker buster keaton truly was. The great train robbery 1978 original trailer hd 1080p. The general 1926 starring buster keaton internet archive. Buster keaton, american film comedian and director, the great stone face, known for his deadpan expression and his imaginative and often elaborate visual comedy. Of the three great american clowns of the silent era, charlie chaplin, buster keaton and harold lloyd, keaton has emerged, by and large, as the cinephiles favourite over chaplin, who was the greater star of his day and held the preeminent position in critics eyes for the first half of the last century.
They may be accessed by the bibliography tab at the top of most pages, or via the related topics box in the sidebar. The melancholy behind keaton s comedy, visible in his lionized great stone face, is a natural match with. With phil collins, julie walters, larry lamb, stephanie lawrence. The wonderful inventiveness of buster keaton duration. In 1903 edison studios, established by inventor and entrepreneur thomas edison, produced the great train robbery, a short film that set a new standard for cinematography. Achetez buster keatonintegral des courtmetrages a petit prix. When he was three years old he got his right index finger caught in a clothes wringer and it was crushed and had to be amputated at the first knuckle. The general, a thrilling comedy about the civil war, lifted buster keaton from the ashes of oblivion decades after his name and legacy were forgotten. Cut to the chase by marion meade highlighted the comedians background in an attempt to shed light on the performers demons. The general based on a real incident during the american civil war when a posse of northern soldiers hijacked a confederate train and a lone southern engineer found himself fighting the lot of them alone.
Buster keaton plays the confederate engineer of the beloved train of the title that will be eventually stolen by union spies along with his beau, who is gagged, bound and thrown into a. At one time or another, all four were popular, and at various times wealthy, but chaplin was in a league of his own in regards to international celebrity. Beautifully reproduced, of satisfying size and resolution, the pictures in the look of buster keaton constitute the best collection in one volume of rare studio shots like hurrells glamour photo of buster, stills from various films, and family photos not often seen. Keaton s autobiography, my wonderful world of slapstick, is our only record of the quirky mind behind the stoic face. Thats one reason his best movies have aged better than those of his rival, charlie chaplin. The chapter provides a great deal of factual information about the production of both movies and some nice onset photographs. The original trailer in high definition of the great train robbery directed by michael crichton and starring sean connery, donald sutherland. Porter, pioneer american film director whose innovative use of dramatic editing piecing together scenes shot at different times and places in such films as the life of an american fireman 1903 and the great train robbery 1903 revolutionized filmmaking.
Based on the story of ronald christopher buster edwards phil collins, one of the thieves involved in the great train robbery of 1963. Porters tenminute movie cuts between simultaneous actions in different locations, more economically than in his previous work life of an american fireman 1902, and the drama gains urgency from its use of location shooting, camera. He seems like a modern visitor to the world of the silent clowns. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The great train robbery i love lucy season 5, originally aired october 31, 1955. Pearson is also credited with being a writer on four buster keaton video documentaries for kino video. Keaton s trademark splitsecond timing and grace under pressure are in standout form as the beleaguered, underdog hero. This gives room for the typical cheap jokes at freds expense and the food jokes at ethels. The best in world cinema including european, asian, silent, documentary, and american independent titles.
The great train robbery is one of cinemas earliest westerns, and something of a breakthrough in the development of narrative film editing. Produced by thomas edison, but directed and filmed by edison company employee edwin s. Overview of the great chase, 1962, with frank gallop, buster keaton, douglas fairbanks sr. Buster keaton, original name joseph frank keaton iv, born october 4, 1895, piqua, kansas, u. The great buster celebrates the life and career of one of americas most influential and celebrated filmmakers and comedians, buster keaton, whose singular style and fertile output during the. In the great train robbery, ricky, lucy, fred, and ethel are simply riding the train back to new york city. The film stars buster keaton who codirected it with clyde bruckman.
We were discussing the breaking bad episode dead freight and he asked if id ever read the great train robbery. The film used a number of thenunconventional techniques, including composite editing, on. A contemporary poster advertising the great train robbery. The great buster, a conventional but thoroughly entertaining film, takes us through keaton s history a life that spanned the formative years of the film industry. The great locomotive chase 1956 approved 1h 25min action, adventure, family 5 october 1956 denmark during the civil war union spy andrews and his men volunteer to steal a confederate train and drive it to union territory while destroying the confederate railway system along the way.
However, theres supposed to be a jewel thief on board. The great train robbery is a like quite a few of my reads over the years, this book appeared on my radar courtesy of kemper. It is a classic western with four bandits who rob a train and. The look of buster keaton english and french edition. But now its up to gray and his love, annabelle lee, to reclaim the general, recross enemy lines, and warn the confederates. To talk about violence is to talk about the history of the world xan brooks meets bruce reynolds, the mastermind behind the great train robbery. He instantly thought the story would be perfect for keaton. Buster keaton was not the great stone face so much as a man who kept his composure in the center of chaos.
The selfdestruction of buster keaton factors which led. Edwards, 63, was found by his brother, terence, hanging from a steel girder inside the garage near waterloo station, south london, just after noon. To talk about violence is to talk about the history of. If someone makes a pun or a joke on the great train robbery say, the great rain bloggery is it going to make americans laugh. Le titre international est the great train robbery. Buster keatons the general railway preservation news. The last chapter of the book is dedicated to the the general by buster keaton and the great locomotive chase by walt disney. At twelve minutes long, the great train robbery is considered a milestone in film making. With fess parker, jeffrey hunter, jeff york, john lupton. Is the great train robbery a generallyrecognised cultural reference in the usa. The great train robbery is a 1903 western film written, produced, and directed by edwin s.
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