The General

The renowned musical ensemble that Roger Ebert called “the best in the world at accompanying silent film” makes its first Columbus appearance in conjunction with a restoration of Buster Keaton’s The General, one of the most beloved comedies of all time. Set during the Civil War, The General finds Keaton playing a locomotive engineer who must sneak behind enemy lines to recover his beloved train after it is stolen by Union spies. Based in Cambridge, MA, the Alloy Orchestra has accompanied a wide range of silent-era films in every corner of the US as well as in dozens of countries abroad, including Spain, France, Russia, Italy, Portugal, and New Zealand. (78 mins., 35mm)