Walt Disney's Great Locomotive Chase

[dknelson]

The Disney film has rather wooden acting I think -- don't get me wrong I love watching the film. It is faithful to the story, with really only the boy being the created character.
10 years after Disney made the film the original General steamed again during the Civil War centennial and went on a tour. I think Walt had wanted the real General but it was not in running shape when he made the film.
Both the Disney and the Keaton film offer great views of early steam at work -- the shot of Keaton getting oil or kerosene out of the huge headlight was the first time I ever understood how those old oil headlights worked.
Dave Nelson

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BR60103

I know General is at Big Shanty (20 minutes for breakfast); where's the Texas?

I believe the Texas is at the Cyclorama in Atlanta. I remember seeing both of these famous locomotives when I was on a trip to Atlanta some years ago. The General was difficult to photograph because of the small size of the building it was housed in at Big Shanty but there was no such problem with shootting pictures of the Texas.

CNJ831

[darkstar974]

They had a special on the history channel over the weekend it was a pretty cool show

Dark

[twhite]

That's a delightful film, I remember seeing it as a kid and getting all worked up over the vintage steam in the movie (B&O's "Wm. Mason" played the General, I think. Can't remember which locomotive played the Texas). I have the DVD and watch it frequently. Showed it to a fellow film buff/train fan friend of mine and he grinned and said, "It's 'The General' only without the sight-gags." I have to admit that comparing the two films on the same subject is like apples and oranges. TGLC is a well-crafted and rather accurate telling of history, while "The General" is a flat out and out masterpiece, probably the best (and funniest) Civil War movie ever made.
Tom [:D][:D]

[BR60103]

I know General is at Big Shanty (20 minutes for breakfast); where's the Texas?

[hminky]

Sorta like Stalag 17 to Hogan's Heroes

Harold

[Don Gibson]

Walt Disney's 'Locomotive Chase, is a great movie, and depict's what happened.

Buster Keaton's 'General' is a different 'take' on the same piece of history,
and is a Masterpiece..

The South's surviving engine is located at what was called 'Big Shanty; just N of Atlanta near Kenesaw Mountain battlefield..

[hminky]

Keaton's weren't the same thing. Walt the train buff made a really great depiction of the Civil war period. Seeing early steam in a historical context is great.

Harold

[cacole]

There's an earlier, black-and-white version called "The General" with Buster Keaton, a 1927 silent film, that has been released on DVD, too -- DVD-2-13219, that also has Buster Keaton's silent movie, "Steamboat Bill Jr." on it. I found a copy in the bargain bin at Wal-mart.

[hminky]

I just got my DVD of Disney's "The Great Locomotive Chase" and it is great. I had not seen it since I was 9 in 1956. The movie is why I do the 1870's. It is great to see early steam under power in a working setting.

Just a thought
Harold

Build the 1870's at:

http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/1879/why/

Just a thought
Harold