Bassist Mikey Welsh Passes On

Mikey Welsh, a former bassist for the power pop band Weezer and an artist, passed on 8 October 2011 at the age of 40. The cause was suspected to be a drug overdose.

Mikey Welsh was born in 20 April 1971 in Syracuse, New York. He started his musical career in the Boston, Massachusetts area, playing for bands ranging from Heretix to slower. He toured with Juliana Hatfield as a bassist. In 1997 he joined a side project of Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo, The Rivers Cuomo Band. After bassist Matat Sharp left Weezer in 1998, he joined the band as its bassist. He played on the band's album Weezer (also known as The Green Album) and toured with them into 2000. While Weezer was on hiatus he played with Verbena and The Special Goodness. He also contributed to Juliana Hatfield's album Juliana's Pony: Total System Failure.

In 2001 Mikey Welsh left Weezer due to what was later revealed to be a nervous breakdown. Bassist Scott Shriner was hired to take his place. In late 2001 and early 2002 he tried to return to music, joining the band The Kickovers for a brief period. It was not much later that he retired from music and moved to Vermont to be an artist. Over the years he had 13 exhibitions of his art. His work would be featured on a snowboard and he designed the cover to Twin Berlin's debut album.

Mr. Welsh would reunite with Weezer twice. The first time he played bass on the song "Hash Pipe" at a show in Essex Junction, Vermont in 2010. This year he played bass on "Undone" at a show in New York.

As a bassist Mikey Welsh fit Weezer perfectly. He provided their songs with a powerful bass line necessary to  the genre of power pop. Indeed, it is arguable that the song "Hash Pipe" from The Green Album would take a bassist of Mr. Welsh's calibre. He was also a very talented artist, working in abstracts. He was particularly gifted when it came to the use of very vivid colours. Both as a bassist and as an artist, the world lost a very talented individual with Mikey Welsh's passing.

Actors Charles Napier, Diane Cilento, and Doris Belack Pass On

Charles Napier

Charles Napier, a prolific character who appeared in films from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970) to Annapolis (2007), passed on 5 October 2011 at the age of 75.

Charles Napier was born on 12 April 1936 near Scottsville, Kentucky. After graduating high school he enlisted in the United States Army and served in the 11th Airborne Division. After his years in the service, Mr. Napier enrolled at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. He developed an interest in acting while at college.

Mr. Napier made his debut on television in an episode of Mannix in 1968. In 1969 he appeared in the television shows Hogan's Heroes and Star Trek (in the notoriously bad episode "The Way to Eden," playing a "space hippie"). He appeared in the films The House Near Prado (1969), The Hanging of Jake Ellis (1969), Cherry, Harry, and Raquel (1970), and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. In the Seventies he appeared in such films as The Seven Minutes (1971), Love and Kisses (1971), Moonfire (1973), Supervixens (1975), Thunder and Lightning (1977), The Blues Brothers (1980), and Melvin and Howard (1980). He was a regular on the TV shows The Oregon Trail and B.J. and the Bear. He appeared on such shows as Mission: Impossible, Kojak, The Streets of San Francisco, Baretta, Kojak, Black Sheep Squadron, and The Rockford Files.

In the Eighties Mr. Napier appeared in such movies as China Lake (1983), Swing Shift (1984), Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985), Kidnapped (1987), Married to the Mob (1988), and Dragonflight (1990). He was a regular on the TV series Outlaws and appeared in the mini-series The Blue and the Grey. He appeared on such shows as The Incredible Hulk, Private Benjamin, Tales of the Gold Monkey, Dallas, Night Court, and The A-Team. In the Nineties he appeared in such movies as The Silence of the Lambs (1991), Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Philadelphia (1993), Jury Duty (1995), Original Gangstas (1996), The Cable Guy (1996), Steel (1997), and Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. He was one of the regular voices on the animated TV series The Critic and also provided voices for Superman: The Animated Series. He appeared on such TV shows as L.A. Law, Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

In the Naughts Charles Napier provided the voice of Zed on Men in Black: The Series and Reverend Nat Potterson on God, The Devil, and Bob. He appeared on such shows as The Practice, The Legend of Tarzan, Monk, and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. He appeared as a guest voice on The Simpsons, Justice League, and Archer. He appeared in such films as Lords of Dogtown (2005) and Annapolis (2006).

Charles Napier generally played square jawed, military officers, tough as nails detectives, and other rough and tumble types. In fact, his best known roles may be that of the villain, Murdock, in Rambo: First Blood Part Two and Tucker McElroy, the hot tempered leader of a country band, in The Blues Brothers. While he was best known for playing rather rugged types, however, Mr. Napier was a versatile actor who could play many other sorts of characters. In Philadelphia he played the thoughtful Judge Garnett, while Married to the Mob he played Angela's hairdresser. Both roles were a far cry from the usual square jawed types he played. Even when the material was not particularly good, Mr. Napier could give a solid performance. He was convincing as the space hippie Adam in the otherwise wretched Star Trek episode "The Way to Eden." Mr. Napier was also a gifted voice actor, lending his voice everything from action adventure cartoons (Superman) to comedies (The Critic). Charles Napier was one of the great character actors of the last few decades of the 20th Century, one who will be missed.

Diane Cilento

Diane Cilento, an actress who appeared in films from Tom Jones (1963) to The Wicker Man (1973), passed on 6 October 2011, a day after her 78th birthday.

Diane Cilento was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia on 5 October 1933. Her parents, both doctors, moved to New York City while she was still young. Miss Cilento later moved to London, where she attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.  In 1951 she made her film debut providing the voice for Mrs. Hornblower in the movie Captain Horatio Hornblower R. N. She made her debut on screen in the film All Hallowe'en in 1952. Throughout the Fifties she appeared in such films as Moulin Rouge (1952), Meet Mr. Lucifer (1953), The Truth About Women (1957), and Stop Me Before I Kill (1960). She appeared on such shows as Hallmark Hall of Fame, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, and The Alcoa Hour.

In the Sixties she appeared in such films as The Naked Edge (1961), Tom Jones (1963, for which she received an Oscar nomination), The Agony and The Ecstasy (1965), and  Hombre (1967). She appeared on such TV shows as ITV Television Playhouse, Espionage, and Blackmail. She was a regular on the show Rogue's Gallery. In the Seventies she appeared in the films Z.P.G. (1972) and The Wicker Man. She appeared on such shows as The Persuaders, Thriller (the British series), and Tycoon. In the Eighties she appeared in the films Duet for Four (1982) and The Boy Who Had Everything (1985). In the Nineties she was a regular on Halfway Across the Galaxy and Turn Left.

Doris Belack

Doris Belack, a character actress who appeared on stage, in films, and on television, passed on 4 October 2011 at the age of 85.

Doris Belack was born on 26 February 1926 in New York City. She made her television debut in 1951 in an episode of Treasury Men in Action. In 1960 she made her debut on Broadway in Semi-Detatched. She would appear regularly on the Broadway stage, in such plays as The Heroine, Bad Habits, Cheaters, and The Cemetery Club. From the Sixties into the Seventies she would appear on such shows as East Side/West Side, The Patty Duke Show, and Barney Miller. She appeared in the films Looking Up (1971) and The Black Marble (1980).

In the Eighties Miss Belack was a regular on the show Baker's Dozen. She appeared on such shows as The Cosby Show, Remington Steele, The Golden Girls, and The Equaliser. She appeared in such films as Hanky Panky (1982), Tootsie (1982), The Luckiest Man in the World (1989), and Opportunity Knocks (1990).  In the Nineties she was a regular on the TV show Laurie Hill. She appeared on such shows as Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, Sisters, and Law & Order. She appeared in such films as What About Bob (1991), Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), What's Your Sign (1997), Krippendorf's Tribe (1998). and The Odd Couple II (1998). In the Naughts she appeared in the shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Everwood. She appeared in the films Prime (2005) , Delirious (2006), and Arranged (2007).

Songwiriter & Actor David Hess In Memoriam

David Hess, who wrote songs for Elvis Presley and later became a well known actor in grindhouse cinema, passed yesterday, 8 October 2011, at the age of 69.

David Hess was born in New York City on 19 September 1942.  In 1957 he went to work as a songwriter for Shalimar Music, where he wrote under the pen name David Hill. He wrote "Start Movin'" for Sal Mineo and "Rockin' Shoes" for The Ames Brother. He wrote several songs for Elvis Presley, including "I Got Stung (later covered by The Beatles, but never released and later covered by Sir Paul McCartney)," "Come Along," and "Sand Castles, "  In 1963 he wrote the novelty song "Speedy Gonzalez" for Pat Boone. He also wrote "Your Hand, Your Heart, Your Love" for Andy Williams. Mr. Hess also recorded two solo albums on Kapp Records in the Sixties and had a minor hit with the song "Two Brothers."

It was in 1969 that David Hess became the head of A&R at Mercury Records. There he joined forces with classical composer John Corigliano to create the electronic rock opera. The Naked Carmen. With Irish actor Malachy McCourt he wrote the album And the Children Toll the Passing of the Day.

It was in 1972 that Mr. Hess began his acting career, appearing as the head villain, Krug Stillo, in Wes Craven's cult horror classic Last House on the Left. He also composed the soundtrack for the movie. In the Seventies he would go onto appear in the films Montana Trap (1976), The Swiss Conspiracy (1976), The Naked Prey (1977), Avalanche Express (1979), and House on the Edge of the Park (1980). In 1980 he directed his first film, To All a Goodnight. From 1972 to 1976 he lived in Munich where he dubbed films into English. He adapted the scripts of directors ranging from Werner Fassbinder to Reinhard Hauff into English. He guest starred on the TV series Baretta. As a musician he scored the children's film Buck at the Edge of Heaven and worked for Polygram Records.

In the Eighties Mr. Hess appeared in such films as Swamp Thing (1982), White Star (1983), Body Count (1985), Armed and Dangerous (1986), and Let's Get Harry (1986). He appeared on such TV shows as Knight Rider, The Fall Guy, The A-Team, and Manimal, as well as the mini-series Ocean. From the Nineties into the Naughts he appeared in such films as Jonathan degli orsi (1995), Nutcraker (2001), Zombie Nation (2004), Zodiac Killer (2005), The Absence of Light (2006), Fallen Angels (2006), and Smash Cut (2009). He guest starred on the TV show Royal Pains.  He directed the film Steel Drums, Not Guns (2010).  He provided songs for the soundtrack to the film Cabin Fever (2002) and released two albums, Caught Up in the Moment and Live & Unplugged in Hollywood.


As an actor David Hess was best known for playing villains, if not outright monsters. In fact, after almost forty years his most famous role is still probably Krug from Last House on the Left. While Mr. Hess may not have played a large variety of roles, however, I have no doubt that he was quite talented as an actor. I never had the opportunity to meet David Hess or even correspond with him, but I have known many who have and yet others were actually friends with him. Each of them have the same thing to say about David Hess--he was one of the sweetest men one could ever know. He was a man who always had a kind word when one was needed and who always supported his friends in whatever they did. Quite simply, in all of those films in which Mr. Hess very convincingly played monstrous character and did so very convincingly, he was playing the polar opposite of what he was really like in real life. Any actor can play a character who is like himself in real life. It takes an actor of great talent to play a character who is his exact opposite.

For much of his later life emphasis has been placed on David Hess's career in film. This is perhaps unfortunate has it tends to overlook the fact that he was a great songwriter and even a singer in his own right. David Hess wrote one of the best Elvis Presley songs of all time, "I Got Stung," as well as "Come Along," "Speedy Gonzalez,""Sand Castles," and "Your Hand, Your Heart, Your Love." The soundtrack he wrote for Last House on the Left remains one of the best soundtracks ever written for a horror movie. David Hess was then not only a talented actor, but a talented songwriter as well. A talented actor and a talented songwriter, David Hess was proof that nice guys do not always finish last.

Photographer Robert Whitaker & Screenwrier David Zelag Goodman R.I.P.

Robert Whitaker

Robert Whitaker, who photographed The Beatles, Mick Jagger, Salvador Dali, and many others, passed on 20 September 2011 at the age of 71 after a long illness.

Robert Whitaker was born in Harpenden, Hertfordshire on 13 November 1939. He started in photography in England in the late Fifties. In 1961 he moved to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia where studied at the University of Melbourne and he opened a studio. It was when Mr. Whitaker accompanied a journalist friend to an interview with The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein during their Australian tour in June 1964 that he met the band. Brian Epstein was so impressed with Robert Whitaker's work that he offered him a position with NEMS as a photographer. Mr. Whitaker turned him down, but relented after seeing The Beatles perform at Festival Hall.

Robert Whitaker went to work for NEMS in August 1964. He would photograph most of the NEMS  stable, including album covers for Gerry and The Pacemakers and Cilla Black, as well as Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas. He also photographed Australian folk rock group The Seekers, including one album cover. Of course, he worked a good deal with The Beatles, with whom he became close friends (especially John Lennon). For two years he travelled with The Beatles, photographing them on their second American tour, as well as photographing them in the recording studio and even at home. Some of his photographs were used in Klaus Voorman's collage-illustration for the cover of the album Revolver. He also accompanied The Beatles on their Japanese tour in 1966.

It would be in 1966 that Robert Whitaker would take his most notorious photograph. That year would see the release of the album Yesterday and Today, a compilation of Beatles songs not released in the United States. The cover Robert Whitaker and The Beatles conceived for the album featured The Beatles in butcher's coats and draped with slabs of meat and dismembered dolls. As might be expected, Capitol Records received several protests from American distributors that the cover was in poor tastes. On 14 June 1966, the day before the album's release, Capitol Records issued a recall. The offensive cover was replaced by another Robert Whitaker photograph, one of The Beatles with a steamer trunk. Despite the recall, approximately 25,000 copies of what became known as "the Butcher Sleeve" were sold. 

It was in 1966 that The Beatles retired from touring. As a result Robert Whitaker was no longer needed as their full time photographer. He would go on to create the cover of the Cream album Disraeli Gears, to photograph Mick Jagger, and contribute to the magazine Oz. In the Seventies he photographed wars in Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Middle East. He also photographed Salvador Dali. It was after his wife was almost killed by a rocket attack in 1972 that he retired from professional photography. Afterwards he grew crops and raised cattle on a farm in England.

There can be no doubt of Robert Whitaker's talent as a photographer. His photographs of The Beatles have stood the test of time not simply because they are photographs of The Beatles, but because Mr. Whitaker had an eye for composition when it came to pictures. Indeed, if the Butcher Sleeve caused such a stir in 1966 it was perhaps because it was so well executed. Quite simply, Mr. Whitaker composed the picture so that it would have maximum effect. Given such talent, even if Robert Whitaker had not photographed The Beatles, chances are that he would have become famous as a photographer.

David Zelag Goodman

David Zelag Goodman, who wrote screenplays for movies ranging from The Stranglers of Bombay (1960) to Straw Dogs (1971), passed on 26 September 2011 at the age of 81. 

David Zelag Goodman was born on 15 January 1930 in New York City. He earned a degree in English at Queens College and he studied drama at Yale. 

He was 24 when he wrote the play High Named Today. It was set to debut in January 1954 with Jane Wyatt in the lead part. Unfortunately, its financial backers pulled out, so that in the end it only had a short run Off Broadway.  His debut as a screenwriter was with Hammer Films' The Stranglers of Bombay in 1959. He went on to write episodes of The Untouchables, Combat, and Mr. Broadway. Nineteen seventy saw his return to feature films, with screenplays for Lovers and Other Strangers and Monte Walsh. He would go on to collaborate with Sam Peckinpah and the controversial film Straw Dogs (1971) and work on screenplays for Man on a Swing (1974), Farewell, My Lovely (1975), Logan's Run (1977), Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), Fighting Back (1982), and Man, Woman, and Child (1983).

David Zelag Goodman was a very talented writer who was also very versatile. He wrote Straw Dogs. Sam Peckinpah's controversial psychological thriller, but he also wrote the comedy Lovers and Other Strangers. The movies on which he worked ranged from hard boiled detective (an adaptation of Raymond Chandler's Farewell, My Lovely) to science fiction (Logan's Run) to horror (The Eyes of Laura Mars).  David Zelag Goodman had a versatility few screenwriters could boast.

A. C. Nielsen Jr. & Marv Tarplin R.I.P.

A. C. Nielsen Jr.

A. C. Nielsen Jr., the son of A. C. Nielsen Company founder of the A. C. Nielsen Company and its long time head, passed on 2 October 2011 at the age of 92. 

Arthur Charles Nielsen Jr. was born on 8 April 1919 in Winnetka, Illinois. It was in 1923 that his father, A. C. Nielsen Sr. founded the A. C.Nielsen Company to provide companies with objective information on the effects of sales programmes and marketing. During World War II, A. C. Nielsen Jr. served in the Army Corps of Engineers. Among his missions during the war was to erect a building to house a computer that would generate tables to calculate the measurements necessary to accurately fire artillery. It would be Mr. Nielsen's first exposure to computers, which would play a large role in his future career.

After being demobilised in 1945, Mr. Nielsen joined A. C. Nielsen Company. In 1948 that A. C. Nielsen Company invested in the construction of Univac, the first general purpose computer. It would be A. C. Nielsen Jr. who would expand the company into news areas such as a clearinghouse for coupons, tracking subscriptions for magazines, and even tracking oil and gas wells.

While A. C. Nielsen Jr. led the company into new arenas, it would remain best known for its ratings for radio and later television. A. C. Nielsen Company started measuring the size of radio station audiences in 1936 and went nationwide in 1942. In 1950 A. C. Nielsen Sr. led the company in the creation of the first television ratings. In A. C. Nielsen Jr. became the president of the company and in 1975 its chairman. During his tenure the company went from making $4 million a year to more than $680 million a year. And while the Nielsen ratings are the best known means of measuring audience size, over the years the A. C. Nielsen Company would have to fight off some very viable competitors. With the growth of cable television, the A. C. Nielsen Company would expand to provide ratings for cable channels as well.

A. C. Nielsen also supported the Chicago Food Bank, the Museum of Broadcast Communications, and many other charities.

While the Nielsen ratings have been often been criticised over the years for their accuracy and the possible response bias of Nielsen viewers, the company would seem to have developed the best television ratings system. Indeed, A. C. Neilsen Company's primary rival throughout the years, Arbitron, was never as well respected nor their ratings regarded as accurate (here I must not Arbitron left the arena of television ratings many years ago).  And while there are those who would question the need for television ratings, it must be pointed out that television is a business based on income from advertising, that income being based on the the size of any given show's audience. 

Like his father before him, A. C. Nielsen Jr. always strove to insure that the ratings his company provided for the various television outlets were as accurate as possible. Indeed, it must be pointed out that the A. C. Nielsen was using computers and other technology in determining the ratings of TV shows at a time when only the government, universities, and the largest corporations were using the machines. If the networks have used the Nielsen ratings as an excuse to cancel many fine programmes, then the fault does not necessarily lie with A. C. Nielsen Company, but instead with the networks themselves and the audience for not tuning into the shows. A. C. Nielsen is only the bearer of bad news at times, not its creator. And A. C. Nielsen Jr. always strove to insure the company measured television ratings and other marketing accurately.

Marv Tarplin

Marv Tarplin, guitarist for Smokey Robinson and The Miracles and a songwriter in his own right, died on 30 September 2011 at the age of 70.

Marvin Tarplin was born on 13 June 1941 in Atlanta, Georgia. His family moved to Detroit, Michigan, where his mother enrolled him in piano classes. Eventually Mr. Tarplin would take up the guitar, which became his instrument of choice. He began his professional career after walking into the Flame Show Bar in Detroit and he was recruited as the guitarist for the girl group The Primetttes (two of who went to school with Mr. Tarplin). He played at their early gigs, and it would be when he played at their audition for Motown that his life would be changed forever.  The audition was seen by Smokey Robinson, who recruited him as one of The Miracles. The Miracles released their first single, "It," in 1959. They released three more singles in 1959 and 1960, none of them doing very well on the charts. It was with "Shop Around," released in 1960, that The Miracles would have their first hit. The single went to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard R&B chart. 


The Miracles would go onto become one of the most successful R&B groups of all time. Much of their success would be due to Marv Tarplin's unique playing style, which was a bit reminiscent of Curtis Mayfield. In addition to playing guitar, Mr. Tarplin would also have success as a songwriter. He co-wrote several of The Miracles' hits, including "I Like It Like That," "Tracks of My Tears," "Come On Do the Jerk," and "Going to a Go-Go." He also wrote hits for Marvin Gaye, including "Ain't That Peculiar," "I'll Be Doggone," and "One More Heartache." 


In 1972 Smokey Robinson and his wife Claudette left The Miracles. Marv Tarplin remained with The Miracles until 1973, when he joined Smokey Robinson in his solo career. Mr. Tarplin would continue to collaborate with Mr. Robinson, co-writing several of his solo hits. Among the songs which Mr. Tarplin co-wrote were "Cruisin'" and "Being With You." He would continue to play guitar with Smokey Robinson until 2008, when he retired from touring.


Marv Tarplin was often referred to as "The Miracles' secret weapon" and there can be no reason to doubt that his guitar work was much of the reason for the group's success. The combination of Smokey Robinson's powerful vocals and Marv Tarplin's singular guitar work gave The Miracles a sound unlike any other R&B group at the time. Indeed, Marv Tarplin is often counted as one of the greatest guitarists of all time. As a songwriter he was also very talented, winning the BMI award for Songwriting multiple times. Indeed, it was Mr. Tarplin who created the distinctive three chord riff that formed the backbone of the song "The Tracks of My Tears." A great guitarist and a great songwriter, Marv Tarplin was an immensely talented man.

Television: Rare & Well Done Now on Kindle

For those of you who enjoy reading and for those of you who like e-books, there is a new book It's my own Television: Rare and Well Done: Essays on the Medium. You can buy it here.

For those of you who do not have Kindles, you can still buy both of these books. Amazon has free Kindle applications for both PCs and Macs. They also have apps for Androids, Blackberrys, IPads, IPhones, and Windows Phones!

The General (1926)

If film buffs are asked what was Buster Keston's greatest film, chances are good that most of them would say, "The General (1926)." And there is little reason that they should not. Buster Keaton himself said that The General was his favourite film of those he made. Orson Welles considered The General to be the greatest comedy film ever made, the greatest Civil War film ever made, and possibly the greatest film ever made. In an international poll conducted by the magazine Sight & Sound, The General was voted the 15th greatest film of all time. In the 10th anniversary edition of the American Film Institute's 100 Years...100 Movies list of the greatest American films, The General ranked #18. It was also ranked among the 50 Greatest Films of All Time by Vanity Fair and among the 100 Greatest Films by Film Four. Critics from Leonard Maltin to Roger Ebert have all counted The General among the greatest movies ever.

As many accolades as The General has received over the years, it would seem likely that it was greeted to widespread critical acclaim and box office success upon its release. Sadly, this was not the case. The General received a good number of negative reviews from such well known periodicals as The New York Times, Variety, and The Los Angeles Times. Worse yet, the film lost money at the box office.  The General only grossed $474,264, $300,000 less than Mr. Keaton's previous film, The Battling Butler (1926). Its negative cost alone was $415,232. In all The General cost $750,000 to make.  In some respects, The General was the Heaven's Gate (1980) of its time. Sadly, because of the failure of The General at the box office, Buster Keaton would never again be trusted with total control over one of his motion pictures.

While it is an undisputed classic today, in some ways it is easy to understand why The General bombed with critics and failed with audiences in 1926 and 1927. Quite simply, in many respects the movie was ahead of its time. The review of the film from The Los Angeles Times claimed that The General was "...neither straight comedy nor is it altogether thrilling drama." What The Los Angeles Times and other magazines and periodicals failed to realise is that The General was part of a whole new subgenre. The General was one of the first action comedies, the forerunner of movies ranging from My Favourite Brunette (1947) to Hot Fuzz (2007). If The General was neither straight comedy or straight drama, it was because it was both. Quite simply, The General was ahead of its time.

Indeed, both the setting and the story of The General were rather unconventional for comedies during the Silent Era. The movie was based on an actual event, the Great Locomotive Chase, also called Andrew's Raid, a military operation during the American Civil War in which Federal troops hijacked a locomotive called The General in Big Shanty, Georgia with the intent of meeting up with Major General Ormsby M. Mitchel in Chattanooga, Tennessee and tearing up the railway along the way. The General was pursued by its conductor, William Allen Fuller, and two other men. Mr. Fuller ultimately prevented the Federal soldiers from driving The General all the way to Chattanooga and the Federal lines.

The General very loosely followed the historical event. It starred Buster Keaton as Western & Atlantic Railroad train engineer Johnnie Gray, who is rejected from enlisting in the Confederate Army because his occupation is too necessary to the war effort (at the time railway engineering was a highly specialised job). Sadly, his fiancee Annabelle (Marion Mack) believes he simply did not want to enlist and refuses to speak to him again until he is in the military.  A year later Annabelle travels on The General to visit her wounded father, even though she still wishes to have nothing whatsoever to do with Johnnie. Unfortunately, when The General stops so the passengers can eat a meal, Union troops hijack the train with Annabelle still aboard. Both his train and the woman he loves now in the possession of the Federals, Johnnie begins his pursuit, first using a handcar, then a bicycle, and finally another train.

While The General had a good deal of action and drama, it also had the physical comedy for which Buster Keaton was well known. In fact, many of the stunts which Mr. Keaton performed himself were very dangerous. In one of the most famous scenes Mr. Keaton sat upon the train's cowcatcher while holding a railroad tie. In another scene he sat on the train's coupling rods, the rods which connect the locomotive's driving wheels. In yet another scene Mr. Keaton jumped from the engine to a tender to a boxcar. Perhaps the film's most spectacular stunt was not played for comedy. In one scene a bridge collapses as a train crosses it, plunging the train to its destruction. What made this scene so incredible is the fact that Mr. Keaton collapsed an actual bridge and destroyed an actual train. Since no actors could be on board the train, a dummy was used to portray the train's engineer. Since they were using a real bridge and a real train, it was tantamount that the scene be shot in one take. Fortunately, everything went according to plan. In all the scene cost $42,000. This made it the single most expensive scene of any film during the Silent Era.

While The General featured some of Buster Keaton's most spectacular stunts, it was also very authentic with regards to the details of the period.  Three authentic, antique locomotives were used in the film. Pains were taken to insure that the costumes, from the uniforms of the soldiers to the clothing of civilians, were as authentic as possible. The film's look was in part inspired by the American Civil War photographs of Mathew Brady. Mr. Keaton would later state that he believed The General was more authentic than Gone With the Wind (1939). In many ways it is hard to argue with him.

For all the incredible stunts and the Civil War authenticity of The General, the movie ultimately succeeds because of Buster Keaton himself. As in all of his silent movies, Mr. Keaton is no clown. At no point does he mug for the camera or ham up scenes. Instead he plays Johnnie Gray seriously. It is not Johnnie Gray who is funny, but rather the events unfolding around him and the things which are happening to him. Johnnie Gray is the underdog that all of us have been at some time, the sort that all of us root for. More so than Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp and even Harold Lloyd's  "Glasses Character," we can identify with Johnnie. All of us have had our hearts broken, all of us have had things go wrong on our job (even if it is nothing so big as a train being hijacked). We then do not so much laugh at Johnnie Gray so much as the circumstances he is in.

While today The General is recognised as a masterpiece, it would be years after its release before it would be counted as a classic comedy. Strangely enough, part of this was due to fellow silent comedy star Charlie Chaplin. In 1952 Buster Keaton appeared in Mr. Chaplin's movie Limelight. This created new interest in Buster Keaton's silent films. By 1955 interest in The General alone had grown to such a point that when New York City's Museum of Modern Art held a tribute to United Artists, it was the only film that had to be shown twice in order to fill the demand to see it. Since then it has only grown in reputation, to the point that it is now regarded as one of the greatest films ever made. Buster Keaton died in 1966, safe in the knowledge that his favourite film, the expensive Civil War blockbuster that had bombed at the box office, was now regarded as a classic.