The Crowd (1928)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

King Vidor (screenplay) &
John V.A. Weaver (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

18 February 1928 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The life of a man and woman together in a large, impersonal metropolis through their hopes, struggles and downfalls.

Plot Keywords:

Fourth Of July | 1900s | Date | Marriage | Tragedy

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win

Cast

Eleanor Boardman	...	Mary
James Murray	...	John 'Johnny' Sims
Bert Roach	...	Bert
Estelle Clark	...	Jane
Daniel G. Tomlinson	...	Jim
Dell Henderson	...	Dick
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mary's Mother
Freddie Burke Frederick	...	'Junior' (John Sims Jr.)
Alice Mildred Puter	...	Daughter

Also Known As:

One of the Mob (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

Portugal:17 (director's cut)

Filming Locations:

Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The first American film to show a toilet.

Quotes:

John 'Johnny' Sims: Everything is gonna be roses when my ship comes in.
Mary: Your ship? A worm must be towing it from the North Pole!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Edge of Outside (2006)

David Jeffers for Tablet SIFFblog

Tuesday September 13, 2005 7:00pm The Historic Everett Theater

"The Crowd laughs with you always …. but it will cry with you for only a day."

King Vidor's masterpiece, The Crowd, is a landmark of Hollywood's silent era. The delirious joy and horrific sorrow of Johnny Sims (James Murray) and his beautiful Mary (Eleanor Boardman) remains intimate and touching even today. Theatergoers of 1928 were shocked by the eviscerating emotional impact of this film. It is a simple story of boy meets girl, boy marries girl, love and tragedy amid the humdrum routine of daily life in the big city, told with exquisite beauty and startling realism. Vidor and cinematographer Henry Sharp treat the viewer to breathtaking scenes: The magical lights of Coney Island at night, the roaring grandeur of Niagara Falls and the terrifying enormity of New York City, where people thrive or are swallowed up. "The Crowd" is among the finest films produced by MGM under Irving Thalberg during the silent era's golden age.

Viewers of this film should prepare themselves for an emotional roller coaster. "The Crowd " is one of those early film treasures that have become available on video in recent years. There is nothing this good on the big screen today. A beautiful old house with live accompaniment by Dennis James should make for a memorable evening.