Old stone face (Buster Keaton) is never better than in this film. The way the comedy is done, you'd never suspect how much real history is done in this film. This raid by a group of Union Spys (Andrew's Raiders in real history) was actually done in Tennesee during the Civil War.<br /><br />Keaton's Confederate character Johnny is a composition of a couple of real people from this historic settings. His physical comedy performance in this film is priceless.<br /><br />Andrew's Raiders really did steal the locomotive (The General) & tried to bring the engine North & cut the wires & the rail lines to try & disrupt the Confederates Defense. Keaton's character is based partly on a real Southern railroad conductor who chased after the raiders. The Texas, the engine used in this film really was the engine used to pursue the GENERAL in the Civil War. Even though the GENERAL was sitting in a rail yard available in 1925 when this was being filmed, the railroad would not let Keaton use it. This made them use the Texas as a double for the General. <br /><br />They really do wreck the engine while filming one sequence, & it sat on the lot where it was wrecked until WW 2 when it was salvaged for scrap iron. The Andrews Raiders were the first people Abe Lincoln awarded with the Congressional Metal of Honor. Big Shanty, Tennesee is where the engine was stolen. <br /><br />The actual raiders didn't actually get the engine to the Union lines. But a lot of what Keaton does with the stolen train as comedy was actually done seriously by the raiders. This is a very funny film & the real history behind it makes it even more interesting to watch.