A Face in the Crowd (1957)

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

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Budd Schulberg (story), Budd Schulberg (screenplay)

Stars:

Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited 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	...	Sen. 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

Storyline

"A Face in the Crowd" charts the rise of a raucous hayseed named Lonesome Rhodes from itinerant Ozark guitar picker to local media rabble-rouser to TV superstar and political king-maker. Marcia Jeffries is the innocent Sarah Lawrence girl who discovers the great man in a back-country jail and is the first to fall under his spell.

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Plot Keywords:

television | politician | personality | crowd | politics | 

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Taglines:

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!

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Genres:

Drama | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 June 1957 (USA)

Also Known As:

Budd Schulberg's A Face in the Crowd

Filming Locations:

240 Central Park South, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Newtown Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marlon Brando turned down the role of Lonesome Rhodes.

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Goofs

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.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Earl Wilson: Oh miss Jeffries!
[as he jogs over to the KGRK network's station wagon]
Earl Wilson: Good morning Marcia! Well, I think we have just what you're lookin' for; we always get a good haul on the Fourth of July.
[in reference of her periodic head-hunting for local broadcasting talent on her radio show: A Face in the Crowd]
Marcia Jeffries: Good! Come on, let's go.
[they then drive over to the town jail]

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Connections

References The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)

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Soundtracks

Old Fashioned Marriage
(1957) (uncredited)
Music by Tom Glazer
Lyrics by Budd Schulberg
Sung by Andy Griffith

User Reviews

media on trial

hymn Most people will think this movie is about Andy Griffith as Lonsome Rhodes, hick entertainer storyteller megalomaniac. What this film REALLY is is a condemnation of mass media and how the media builds up people to images they can't possibly fulfill. Take Griffith, small town drunk, in jail, with a story to tell and a woman to record it. His story goes over with the public and the woman decides to make Rhodes a media darling. On the other side of the screen is the smoke filled room political machine out to publicize a washed up yokel as politician that they put up for election. Sound familiar? See the film NETWORK and compare Rhodes to the Peter Finch character, Howard Beale.

This film is a scathing indictment of misuse of media, pseudo stardom and all that goes with it. It is allegory to be sure, but then everything old is new again. Take a look at the so called "celebrities" of today and how they got that way and what makes them tick... then watch "A Face In The Crowd!!!!!