Day 2 of the 12th Annual Busterthon is in full swing, be sure to check out any new posts! This is my new post for the event; hope you enjoy!
It was the single the most expensive shot in a 1920s film–the mighty train crash in Buster Keaton’s Civil War comedy The General (1926). The climax of a lengthy chase that takes up the majority of the film, it was not only a stunning shot but was a real nail-biter to capture on film.
Anyone acquainted with Buster Keaton’s career is aware of the supposed backstory: a huge crowd of onlookers gathered to watch the filming, not sure exactly what they were going to witness. When the train crashed through the bridge, it was a genuine shock–some women even fainted when the head of a dummy (a stand-in for the engineer) floated by.
This isn’t quite what happened. In reality, onlookers absolutely knew a train stunt was going to happen, hence why the location drew such big crowds. But it was indeed an exciting event that took a ton of planning, a lot of set up on the fateful day itself and more than a little bit of good luck.
This is post 1 of 2 that I’m contributing to the Twelfth Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon. I hope you get as much of a kick out of these exciting finds as I did!
One of the best-loved films from the 1920s is certainly Buster Keaton’s masterwork The General (1926). Fans are very familiar with the stories behind it–how it was filmed up in sleepy little Cottage Grove, Oregon, how the risky train stunts were pulled off, how the famous train crash into the river was orchestrated, and so on.
While researching an upcoming column on The General for Classic Movie Hub (a slight plug, but it is relevant), I had the happy opportunity to look through some behind-the-scenes photos. I knew a bunch were in circulation, but the more I searched the more kept popping up. There were even a few I swear I hadn’t seen before, chilling on Pinterest as if they were just any other photos or something. Many were on my friend Sara Zittel’s board–credit where credit is due!
A sneak preview (isn’t this cool?).
So I thought we’d look at a few of them today, to get a fuller picture of what it was like to film The General back in that summer of 1926. It was a much more public event than we might realize!
Happy weekend, everyone! The 12th Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon is less than a week away, and fellow bloggers are still welcome to sign up. In the meantime, please enjoy this piece on a film that we’re all waiting to be available on a fine Blu-ray/DVD set with a beautiful restoration…we can dream!
“I found a book by Dorothy Scarborough called The Wind, which excited my imagination,” Lillian Gish wrote in her 1969 autobiography. “Its main character is a wind which constantly blows sand, indoors and out, and finally drives the heroine to madness.” It was an unique choice of story, even considering the “man vs. nature” motif baked into our collective consciousness. The Wind would include this motif on a deeply intimate scale, and so skillfully that it’s difficult to discern where the psychology ends and the harshness of nature begins.
It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these posts! Being that blustery time of the year when spring is just starting to seem like a possibility (at least where I live), in the spirit of the shifting seasons it it feels like a good time to share what Silent-ology’s been up to and what’s coming up next.
By “blustery” I mean it’s basically been this.
Recently I returned from attending the 29th Kansas Silent Film Festival with special guest Melissa Talmadge Cox–Buster Keaton’s granddaughter! It was a lovely event as usual with impeccable accompaniment by the likes of Ben Model and Jeff Rapsis, and the weather was excellent too (70 degrees in Kansas in February–my Minnesota self had a bit of mental whiplash!). The showing of The Wind (1928)–on film!–was a major highlight for me. Plus, if I might add another plug for the event, the whole thing was free–as always.
I’m in this picture!! (Towards the back…you’ll have to take my word for it.)
If you’re a regular reader you might recall that last year I mentioned wanting to do a book compilation of some of my Silent-ology posts. The real-but-maybe-not-100%-permanent-who-knows-really nature of the World Wide Web does make me wary. I’ve since put together a draft of what this book could be, choosing the articles/essays that would work best for various sections and revising them (some Internet-style writing simply doesn’t work in the context of a book). For a section on silent era personalities, for instance, my Clara Bow, Rudolph Valentino and Wallace Reid pieces would be included. I’d like to add a few brand-new essays too.
Other regular readers will recall my interest in the life and career of comedienne Louise Fazenda, a popular and reliable slapstick performer in her day who’s wildly overlooked nowadays. My latest work on Louise is the article “Louise Fazenda: The Forgotten Queen of Slapstick” for the latest issue ofComique: The Classic Comedy Magazine, Issue 3–available to read for free right here. Feel free to check it out!
And now for any new readers–hello and welcome! Silent-ology is my personal “dig” through silent film history, a dig that’s lasted over twelve years now. I cover a bit of everything from silent comedy to Soviet avant-garde to the history of stop-motion animation–whatever piques my interest, which is basically everything to do with this fascinating era of film. My “About” page is a nice little intro to the site, as well as the My Articles page. (Rumor has it that the page, err, really needs to be updated–but never underestimate the power of the Search box.) I host a Buster Keaton Blogathon every year and do the occasional theme month where I deep-dive into a film topic or personality (Mary Pickford Month, for instance).
My writing shows up elsewhere, too–I’ve written for organizations like the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Library of Congress, and have a monthly column at Classic Movie Hub. I also contributed to the book CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops. It’s a growing portfolio, I’m proud to say!
Basically me.
Not sure where to start on Silent-ology? If you’re looking to read about some specific films, here’s an eclectic collection for you:
So yes, there’s a little something for everyone on Silent-ology! So settle in, do some browsing, and feel free to share your thoughts–the comment sections are always open!
2026 is a special year for Buster Keaton fans, because we finally get to celebrate the 100th anniversary of one of the all-time greatest comedy films–The General (1926)! Filmed in Cottage Grove, Oregon in the summer of 1926, and released during the winter of 1926-1927, it did respectable business (better than you may have heard) and grew in stature in the subsequent decades. (Trivia: it was released in Tokyo on December 31, 1926 but not put into wide release until February and March of 1927.) Today, it’s widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.
So this year, let’s help celebrate that long-ago summer of The General as we kick off the 12th annual Busterthon! Please read the below details carefully, important info incoming.
When: Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14 2026.
Where: Right here on Silent-ology!
What to write about: Feel free to cover whichever Buster films and Buster-related topics you like (his filmography might give you some ideas). This year, I especially welcome anything concerning The General. You could cover the film’s production in Cottage Grove, do a profile on one of the actors he worked with, review the film itself, share fan artwork…anything and everything that interests you about this great classic!
The Details:
If you want to join this blogathon, simply leave a comment on this post to let me know which Buster film or topic you’re going to cover. (You can also send me a message.) It doesn’t have to be about The General, but the topic is encouraged.
Please help spread the word about the event by adding one of my banners to your blog!
During the blogathon itself, when you publish your post please leave me a comment with the link to it. You can also send me a message. Publish whenever you have time during April 13th and 14th, no pressure!
Please don’t forget to mention Silent-ology and the name of the blogathon in your post–it really helps publicize the event!
If you publish your post before the 13th, just give me a head’s up and your link will be one of the first ones up during the blogathon!
Duplicate topics are 100% allowed! Since everyone has a different perspective, 2-3 posts on the same film–especially The General–are welcome.
And lastly, and very importantly, although it’s sure bizarre that it’s gotten to this point:
Absolutely no AI writing or AI photos are allowed.This is your writing, your thoughts, your efforts. And The General is already a beautiful film with excellent stills to choose from. The siren call of AI is something we’re resisting here on Silent-ology.Be like Buster, who took pride in doing things “for real”!
If you’re ever attempted to “write” using AI, just picture Buster’s face looking at you in this still. Burn it into your brain!
I will be hosting a drawing for all blogathon participants after the event as my personal “thank you” to everyone who joined. The prize will be announced closer to the event dates.
And as always:Make Buster Proud! There’s a lot of dubious information out there about his life and career, so let’s try and steer clear of those myths and rumors as best we can. So far blogathon participants have fantastic about this–let’s keep it up!
Happy New Year from me and from these mid-1920s partygoers! What, you’ve never forced a small, rather stunned-looking child to dress like an infant representation of the impending calendar date? …Okay, neither have I.
Anyways it’s time for Silent-ology’s annual New Year’s tradition! We’re looking back on the silent film-related news from the past 12 months, from interesting new books to the latest film rediscoveries (they just keep turning up!). I have to say, I’m sad to see 2025 go…partly because 5 is my favorite number and thus 5 times 5 is one of the finest and most perfect of all numbers, and partly because this was my Pordenone film festival year and I’ve appreciated it very much.
As I try to mention every year, this list isn’t quite exhaustive since there’s always a news item or release that sneaks by me somehow, but at the very least I try to make it a well-rounded look back at the past year. If there’s anything big I should’ve mentioned, please let me know in the comments!
Like practically everyone with eyeballs, I grew up with the beloved classic It’s a Wonderful Life (1946). A staple in our house every Christmas season, it’s probably one of the films I’ve watched most overall, along with The Ten Commandments (1956), The Wizard of Oz (1939) and Singin’ in the Rain (1952). It’s the kind of film where you know every line, every bit of music, every little sound in the background.
You’d think that having every second of a film committed to memory would mean that rewatches are merely cozy nostalgia. But It’s a Wonderful Life is no ordinary comfort film, and not just because the travails of George Bailey hold different meanings for people at different stages in their lives. Much to my surprise today, years of watching silent films have made the kinds of buildings, decor and furnishings surrounding the citizens of little Bedford Falls more familiar, and I’ve become more and more impressed by how carefully the set decorators chose these details and how well they help flesh out these beloved characters–as well as the world of early 20th century America.
So for this post, let’s peer at some of the film sets themselves. The styles that we see aren’t just “old” because this is a film from 1946. They’re full of details from specific eras of late 19th and early 20th century American that countless moviegoers would’ve recognized at the time. Indeed, there’s much more here than meets the eye!
As it’s Christmas shopping time, I wanted to recommend two excellent new books for my fellow film history buffs. I know for a fact that you and the other film fans in your life will enjoy them!
The Silent Film Universe by Ben Model
Silent-ology is a big fan of silent film accompanist and historian Ben Model and all the work he’s done with his home video company, Undercrank Productions, to help bring rare silent films to DVD/Blu-ray. This year he released a new book with the help of a crowdfunding campaign on Indigogo–a campaign which was fully funded in less than 24 hours! (I was happy to be one of those many enthusiastic backers.)
The Silent Film Universe presents something new: not just brief recaps of the history of silent films and their forgotten contexts, but breezily-written analysis of why these films are so immersive. Their unique form of art doesn’t just make audiences watch passively, but has them actively participate with their imaginations in a way that no other art form has since. You could even argue that they weren’t merely “compensating” for the lack of sound, but were capitalizing on its absence.
Happy Thanksgiving, American readers–and to my readers in general! I thought I’d type up a little reflection for you all in honor of this fine holiday. In the past I’ve referred to silent film as “the gift that keeps on giving.” But this isn’t just a figure of speech, it really is true!
I’m feeling as thankful as Billie Dove holding a Thanksgiving turkey!
When I first got into silent films in the early 2010s, they were quite literally a Godsend. My family was going through one of those tragic times where life was turned upside and huge changes were taking place. Buster Keaton films in particular were an extraordinary–and amazingly effective–distraction for me. I sincerely believe it was no accident that I was introduced to his work at that very particular time. Without a doubt, it saved my sanity. It also lit up my brain: how were these films made back then? They were more sophisticated than I thought 1920 films would be, so how exactly did cinema evolve? I needed to know!
Hello everyone, have you been enjoying your summer? I know I have! I decided to go lighter on the posts lately just to enjoy a little break–Silent-ology has a big library of content for you to enjoy so I hope you’ll pardon me spending extra time in the great outdoors (for Midwesterners, this season is fleeting and indescribably precious).
I have an upcoming post about a gal who pops up quite a bit in old movie magazines–no, not an actress–and I think next month needs to be a theme month, we shall see. In the meantime, I noticed a flurry of interest in this post recently and decided it was time to share it again. Whether you’re Team Buster or Team Charlie it’s worth a look!
Here’s an interesting piece I’ve been wanting to share! It’s from a book called The Legend of Charlie Chaplin, compiled by Peter Haines. This is a collection of essays and interviews by Chaplin’s friends, fellow actors, and other contemporaries recalling their experiences with him. They’re essentially reprints from hard-to-find publications, the dates ranging from the 1910s-1970s. And we’re talking pieces by greats like Mary Pickford, Mack Sennett, Stan Laurel, etc. I can’t recall hearing anyone discuss this book–I suppose it was printed back in the early ’80s–and I got it off Amazon a few years ago on a whim (it’s still available at surprisingly reasonable prices, by the way).
Keep an eye out for it!
One of the pieces is an interview given by our Buster Keaton to the French magazine Arts in October 1952, during which time Limelight (1952) was being publicized. Err, it’s clearly translated from French, which was already translated from English, resulting in an oddly formal tone for the salt-of-the-earth Buster. But here and there you can decipher a very Buster-ish phrase or two.
Silent-ology