During the summer of 1926, South Lane County was transformed into a Hollywood movie studio when Joseph Frank “Buster” Keaton’s silent movie masterpiece, “The General,” became the first major motion picture filmed in Oregon.
Keaton’s attention to detail and authenticity brought his production company to western Oregon in search of a suitable location. “The General” film was based on William Pittenger’s book, “The Great Locomotive Chase,” that told the story of a daring raid the author took part in during the Civil War. It involved the behind-the-lines seizure of a Confederate passenger train, The General, by Union troops and the ensuing chase to Chattanooga by a second train, The Texas.
Originally, Keaton had approached the Louisville and Nashville railroads to use the actual stolen locomotive enshrined at the Chattanooga Railroad Station, but southern indignation at the thought of using the Confederate locomotive in a comedy movie proved to be an insurmountable obstacle.
One of the production requirements was the use of wood-burning, steam-powered locomotives. The Cottage Grove-based Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railroad, which had rail lines that snaked the Row River Valley to the east, was the only rail line that still used wood burners of Civil War vintage.
The two engines used in the movie were purchased from the Anderson-Middleton Lumber Company, which operated two sawmills and a lumber camp at Culp Creek. The older engine, an antique dubbed Four Spot when it was put into service in 1902 when OP & E’s predecessor, the Oregon and Southeastern Railroad, began operations, was given the title role as The General.
Keaton’s company arrived in Cottage Grove in May 1926 with nearly twenty freight car loads of Civil War cannons, weapons, uniforms, stagecoaches, covered wagons, and countless other props to be used during the filming. The pre-fabricated boxcars and passenger cars destined to be destroyed in the film also arrived, along with hundreds of cameramen, makeup artists, and set construction crews that changed several locations around Cottage Grove into northern Georgia.
The area just east of town, from the current location of the U.S. Post Office to the area east of 1-5, became the town of Marietta, Georgia, complete with the newly constructed Western & Atlantic Railway depot, the Georgia Hotel and Barroom, general merchandise store, city hall, bank, and several dozen other buildings.
Cement paint was applied to freshly sawn green lumber to achieve the aged look of a southern village. Several other set locations in Cottage Grove were also used, including the Anderson and Middleton Lumber Company rail yard on the old Pacific Highway.
At the original location of the town of Dorena, which is now covered by the reservoir created when Dorena Dam was constructed, the old Chambers Lumber Company planning mill was remodeled to represent the railroad station of Big Shanty where the locomotive theft occurred. The small town that became known as Kingston was constructed in an area just above Wildwood Falls.
The film had a staggeringly high budget of $500,000, although news accounts of the time indicate that the actual cost approached $1 million. The movie provided work as extras for more than 1,000 local residents, including members of the Oregon National Guard who played soldiers of both the Union and Confederate armies.
By far the most famous scene in the movie, and with a cost of $42,000, the most expensive movie scene ever staged, was the culmination of the locomotive chase — the big locomotive wreck. The scene, which called for a railroad trestle to be set afire and collapse along with the destruction of a locomotive, involved many technical problems to be overcome.
Bridges all over western Oregon were considered but were eventually removed from consideration for a variety of reasons. It was decided to lay 300 feet of spur line into a newly constructed trestle across the Row River, and to build a dam across the river to raise the water level at the scene to twelve feet, deep enough to cover the crashed locomotive.
Nearly 4,000 frenzied spectators attended the train wreck scene, drawn by the promised sacrifice of a locomotive, trestle, and tracks. The fact that the scene, not done with the smoke, mirrors, and computer animation of present-day Hollywood, had to be done in one take only added to the tension and drama of the day.
Rehearsals ran all morning on July 23, 1926, to make sure the scene would be successful. Timbers on the trestle were sawn nearly in two and demolition charges were set. At 3 p.m. on that hot July afternoon, six cameras rolled and the grand finale began. The dam was opened to give the water below the illusion of movement, The General, with Keaton at the controls, eased across the trestle.
The bridge was set aflame and The Texas was sent its hot pursuit. The opposing armies met and did battle across the river. The trestle creaked and cracked in flames, and right on cue, The Texas reached the center of the bridge and crashed into the river below. Steam from the heated boiler caused the whistle to send a mournful wail up the canyon from the dying locomotive.
The locomotive remained in the Row River for nearly twenty years, until its removal by salvage crews during a drive to reclaim every usable pound of scrap metal for the World War II effort.
Keaton’s endeavor was remembered locally as much for his baseball games as for the movie. His “Hollywood Stars” team, comprised of members of the movie crew, played a series of games against local teams that proved popular enough that admission was charged. Keaton donated his team’s portion of the gate receipts for ballpark improvements.
Ten-year-old Faye Stewart, the late grandfather and namesake of former East Lane County Commissioner Faye Stewart, served as the batboy for the Hollywood team and rode his pony as an extra in several scenes in the movie.
“The General” debuted to extremely hostile reviews, with many reviewers expressing shock that a comedy movie had been made about the Civil War. Film historians have been much kinder to Keaton and “The General,” with the cinematography and famous train chase/wreck scene being called the work of a genius. Critics have designated the film as one of the top twelve films of all time, a masterpiece of silent film comedy.
The Cottage Grove Public Library has several copies of “The General” available, as does the Eugene Library and the Knight Library on the University Oregon campus. Procedures for non-resident use of library items are available from each institution. Several area video stores also have copies available for rent. (Editor update: It’s now available to watch on YouTube…click here).
Knowing the actual setting of the scenes in the makes for interesting viewing. Although much has changed since its filming, background in many scenes are still recognizable. Watching this film provides a great opportunity to look back at South Lane County scenery as it was over 90 years ago, as well as to experience the birth of Oregon’s movie industry.
Published 2006
It Happened in Oregon... 