I recently rented a VHS edition (I'm sorry!) of Buster Keaton's The General from my university library. I've never seen the film before and am really looking forward to it. However, this edition says that the film's runtime is 106 min, whereas imdb.com and the DVD version are listed as only 75 min. I was just wondering which is the offical correct version? Longer versions of movie's are always nice, but seeing as how this will be my first time viewing this classic, I'd prefer to see the right version. Have any of you heard of this 106 min version, and if you have, what's the difference over the 75 min version? Does this contain more scenes? Could it be that the 75 min one runs at 24 fps and this one runs less than that, making it longer? I have quicly scanned through the film and it does indeed run for 106 min; the box is not mis-printed.
I have it on LaserDisc (and soon again (sigh) on DVD). It runs 75 mins on the LD. I'm pretty sure the 75 min one runs at 18 fps. That would be correct for silent films of that time. Not sure what the VHS runs at. -greg
You probably have the VHS version with two of Keaton's short films (COPS and THE PLAYHOUSE, IIRC) immediately following THE GENERAL. All together, the three movies probably total 106 minutes. ------------------ "Always make the audience suffer as much as possible" - Alfred Hitchcock
