We all went to see The General at The Cabot, back by a live musical performance.
The General is (very loosely) based on a real-life train theft during the Civil War, but it’s played to some drama and comedy by a prime Buster Keaton.
The true story is that a group of Union spies stole a Confederate train (which was, in fact, named The General) with a plan to damage the rails and generally cause mayhem on their way back to friendly territory. It didn’t quite work out as planned because they were pursued and (eventually) caught.
The cinematic version takes a few artistic liberties to entertain and “wow” the audience with stunts, as well as adding a love interest and a human side. It’s considered one of Mr. Keaton’s finest works, and “[he] always said that this was his favorite of his own movies.” (source) It’s an amazing film to watch, moreso when you realize that the stunts were real, frequently filmed in one take, and as hazardous in real life as they are in the story.
The film that we watched was from a restoration made in 2016, with a new musical arrangement that was played live. The quality of the film is very good, better than the gif above, while live music accompaniment is the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
The Cabot is a restored theater in downtown Beverly, MA. It contains many of the artistic features one would expect from a classic venues. We had center seats and a great view. This was our first visit, but won’t be our last.
