A Face in the Crowd (1957)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writer:

Budd Schulberg (story)

Release Date:

June 1957 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

POWER! He loved it! He took it raw in big gulpfuls...he liked the taste, the way it mixed with the bourbon and the sin in his blood!

Plot:

An Arkansas hobo becomes an overnight media sensation. But as he becomes drunk with fame and power, will he ever be exposed as the fraud he has become?

Plot Keywords:

Fame | Crowd | Arkansas | Power | Personality

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

US TV Schedule:

Fri. June 1

11:45 AM

TCM

Cast

Andy Griffith	...	Larry 'Lonesome' Rhodes
Patricia Neal	...	Marcia Jeffries
Anthony Franciosa	...	Joey DePalma
Walter Matthau	...	Mel Miller
Lee Remick	...	Betty Lou Fleckum
Percy Waram	...	Gen. Haynesworth
Paul McGrath	...	Macey
Rod Brasfield	...	Beanie
Marshall Neilan	...	Senator Worthington Fuller
Alexander Kirkland	...	Jim Collier
Charles Irving	...	Mr. Luffler
Howard Smith	...	J.B. Jeffries
Kay Medford	...	First Mrs. Rhodes
Big Jeff Bess	...	Sheriff Big Jeff Bess
Henry Sharp	...	Abe Steiner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
R.G. Armstrong	...	TV Prompter Operator (uncredited)
John Bliss	...	Barefoot Baritone (uncredited)
Walter Cartier	...	(uncredited)
Larry Casazza	...	Second Printer (uncredited)
Bennett Cerf	...	Himself (uncredited)
Lois Chandler	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Carolyn Craig	...	Redheaded Filly (uncredited)
John Stuart Dudley	...	(uncredited)
Faye Emerson	...	Herself (uncredited)
Willie Feibel	...	First Printer (uncredited)
Nicholas Frangakis	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Betty Furness	...	Herself (uncredited)
Virginia Graham	...	Herself (uncredited)
Burl Ives	...	Himself (uncredited)
Harold Jinks	...	(uncredited)
Sam Levenson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Brownie McGhee	...	Servant with Limp (uncredited)
Lois Nettleton	...	Mr. Mason's Nurse (uncredited)
Logan Ramsey	...	TV Director (uncredited)
Charles Nelson Reilly	...	(uncredited)
Diana Sands	...	(uncredited)
Granny Sense	...	(uncredited)
P. Jay Sidney	...	Llewellyn (uncredited)
Fred Stewart	...	(uncredited)
John Cameron Swayze	...	Himself (uncredited)
Rip Torn	...	Barry Mills (uncredited)
Eva Vaughan	...	Mrs. Cooley (uncredited)
Mike Wallace	...	Himself (uncredited)
Vera Walton	...	(uncredited)
Earl Wilson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Walter Winchell	...	Himself (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
Budd Schulberg		(story and screenplay)

Produced by
Elia Kazan	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Tom Glazer		(score composed by)

Cinematography by
Gayne Rescher		(director of photography)
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Gene Milford		(film editor)

Art Direction by
Paul Sylbert
Richard Sylbert

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Willis Hanchett	....	hairdresser
Robert Jiras	....	makeup (as Robert E. Jiras)

Production Management
George Justin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles H. Maguire	....	assistant director
William C. Gerrity	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Don Kranze	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Don Olson	....	sound editor
Ernest Zatorsky	....	sound
Edward J. Johnstone	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Fitzsimons	....	assistant cameraman
Saul Midwall	....	operating cameraman

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Flo Transfield	....	wardrobe (as Florence Transfield)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Music Department
Tom Glazer	....	songs by
Budd Schulberg	....	songs by
Ed White	....	music director: majorette sequence (uncredited)

Other crew
Roberta Hodes	....	script & continuity
Charles Irving	....	special assistant

Production Companies

• Newtown Productions (An Elia Kazan Production)

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical) (presents)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Budd Schulberg's A Face in the Crowd" - USA (complete title)

Runtime:

126 min | West Germany:104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #18502) | West Germany:16 | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Newtown Productions

Trivia:

The Vitajex tablets that Lonesome Rhodes hawks have 6 grains of dextrose, 5 grains of inert material, 2.5 grains of caffeine, and 3.5 grains of aspirin. That's roughly equivalent to a 16 oz café latte and two baby aspirin tablets.

Goofs:

Continuity: The Variety cover announcing Lonesome Rhodes on-air meltdown not only mis-spells his last name as "Roads" but is also dated "November 21, 1956" which is well before the other dates in the movie, for example, earlier he was picking Miss Arkansas Twirler 1957.

Quotes:

Marcia Jeffries:You put your whole self into that laugh, don't you?
Lonesome Rhodes:Marcia, I put my whole self into everything I do.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: Episode dated 13 January 1963" (1963)

Soundtrack:

Free Man in the Morning

Hilariously dramatic

One of the best pictures I've seen to date. Griffith had the part of the womanizing, opinionated, lazy, loud mouthed bum down pat. In fact, the entire cast was superb in this dynamic, gripping, and in the first half, uproariously funny drama which clearly shows how ego can not only destroy the egotist but those close to him. This film is an equal to Griffith's fine performances as Horton Maddock in "Savages" and Howard Pike in "Hearts of the West". 4 stars.