 The story was adapted from the memoir "The Great Locomotive Chase" by William Pittenger.The film stars Buster Keaton who co-directed it with Clyde Bruckman.At the time of its initial release, "The General", an action-adventure-comedy made toward the end of the silent era, was not well received by critics and audiences, resulting in mediocre box office returns (about half a million dollars domestically, and approximately one million worldwide).