Who starred in and directed the 1926 silent comedy film 'The General'?

Buster Keaton starred in and directed the 1926 silent comedy film The General.

Keaton plays Johnnie Gray, a Confederate locomotive engineer whose two great loves are his train, The General, and Annabelle Lee. When Union spies steal the locomotive and capture Annabelle during the Civil War, Johnnie pursues them alone, producing a long chain of escalating railway chases, improvisations, and stunts.

Keaton co-directed the film with Clyde Bruckman and also helped write the screenplay. The story was inspired by the real Great Locomotive Chase of 1862, though the film changes the historical viewpoint and turns the Confederate engineer into its comic hero. Much of the production was filmed around Cottage Grove, Oregon, using working vintage locomotives.

The General was poorly received on its initial release and did not recoup its large budget in the United States. Its reputation changed dramatically over time, and it is now widely regarded as one of the greatest silent films. It was added to the National Film Registry in 1989.