The Crowd (1928)

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:

New York City | 1900s | Fourth Of July | Marriage | Date

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:

Despite the widespread critical and mild box office success, MGM head Louis B. Mayer despised the picture partly because of the depressing theme but mainly because he thought it was obscene due to the bathroom scene that featured a toilet.

Quotes:

John 'Johnny' Sims: Marriage is not a word, it's a *sentence*!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Edge of Outside (2006)

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