The Crowd (1928)

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

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

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

Stars:

Eleanor Boardman, James Murray, Bert Roach

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 1 win.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Eleanor Boardman	...	Mary
James Murray	...	John
Bert Roach	...	Bert
Estelle Clark	...	Jane
Daniel G. Tomlinson	...	Jim
Dell Henderson	...	Dick
Lucy Beaumont	...	Mary's Mother
Freddie Burke Frederick	...	Junior
Alice Mildred Puter	...	Daughter

Storyline

Born on the fourth of July, 1900, the future holds unlimited potential for newborn John Sims. But dreams soon fade with the death of his father when John is but a lad. Like many before him, John sets out to make his mark in New York City, but ends up a faceless worker (#137) in a large office of a large business. Still he is happy with his fate and soon meets a young woman named Mary on a blind double date. Things take their course and they soon marry and live in a small apartment. Soon John is bickering with Mary and finds that he has no love for the in-laws. When the marriage looks like a bust, he finds that Mary is with child and he stays. After 5 years, he has a son and a daughter and the same dead end job. When tragedy strikes, John must find the conviction to continue or lose what little he has left.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city | 1900s | tragedy | date | fourth of july | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

3 March 1928 (USA)

Also Known As:

One of the Mob

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min 98 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Several years after the film was made, alcoholism had taken its toll on lead actor James Murray who was reduced to panhandling in the street. Ironically, one of the passers-by he solicited for money turned out to be King Vidor who offered him a part in the film's semi-sequel, Our Daily Bread. Murray declined the offer, thinking it was only made out of pity. He died in 1936 at the age of 35 in a drowning incident. Vidor was sufficiently compelled to write his life story up as an unrealized screenplay which he called "The Actor".

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Quotes

Jane: [to Bert after passing a diorama depicting Washington crossing the Delaware] Sit down. You don't look historical. You look hysterical.

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Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

User Reviews

Undermining the American Dream

What I find interesting in this depiction of one man's downward spiral and the effect it has on his family is that it is remarkable realistic, especially for a silent film. Then, just as today, the man caught in a web of disillusionment begins to take out his frustrations on his family, blaming everyone and everything but himself for his failure to rise above the crowd. King Vidor directed Murray and Boardman (his wife) in their scenes together with a degree of subtlety rarely seen in silent films.

What I find unrealistic about this story is the absence of substance abuse. Johnny Sims, unlike James Murray who portrays him, never drowns his sorrows or medicates himself in an attempt to escape the pain of self-realization. The only episode involving alcohol, where Johnny goes out to get some alcohol for his in-law dinner guests and ends up partying with a friend until very late in the evening is realistic, but limited to the one short scene.

It's almost difficult for me to conceive of someone being so frustrated and depressed, but not turning to alcohol or drugs, which of course, usually have the effect of making things worse, and quickly. Such was the fate of James Murray whose portrayal of Sims was a flash of brilliance in an all too short career. He was my Great Uncle and when he died, he was penniless, found in the Hudson River with no identification but my grandfather's business card. Producer Irving Thalberg agreed with King Vidor that James Murray was one of the great natural acting talents of his time. His own story parallels The Crowd in many ways. In fact, Vidor wrote a screenplay based on Murray's life that he titled The Actor. He was attempting to raise money to produce the film in the late seventies, but unfortunately, it was never made. Now that really is a shame. --Larry Murray