The Crowd (1928)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

King Vidor

Writers:

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

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sidney Bracey	...	John's Supervisor (uncredited)
Johnny Downs	...	John 'Johnny' Sims, Age 12 (uncredited)
Sally Eilers	...	Party Girl at Bert's Place (uncredited)
Claude Payton	...	(uncredited)
Warner Richmond	...	Mr. Sims, John's Father (uncredited)
Virginia Sale	...	Mary's Sister-in-Law (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Doctor (uncredited)

Directed by
King Vidor

Writing credits
King Vidor		(screenplay) &
John V.A. Weaver		(screenplay)
Joseph Farnham		() (titles) (as Joe Farnham)
Harry Behn		(adaptation) uncredited

Produced by
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Carl Davis		(1981)

Cinematography by
Henry Sharp

Film Editing by
Hugh Wynn

Set Decoration by
Cedric Gibbons		(settings)
A. Arnold Gillespie		(settings) (as Arnold Gillespie)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
André-ani	....	wardrober

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1928) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Critics' Choice Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Movies Unlimited (????) (USA) (VHS)

Also Known As:

One of the Mob (USA) (working title)
A Multidão (Portugal) [pt]
A Turba (Brazil) [pt]
Czlowiek z tlumu (Poland) [pl]
Die Mühlen des Lebens (Austria) [de]
Ein Mensch der Masse (Germany) [de]
Halk (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Ihmiset väkijoukossa (Finland) [fi]
La folla (Italy) [it]
La foule (France) [fr]
O anthropos ton mazon (Greece) [el]
Y el mundo marcha (Spain) [es]

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:

Title Card: We do not know how big the crowd is, and what opposition it is... until we get out of step with it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Edge of Outside (2006)

ALIENATION

This wonderful silent movie depicts the individual who gets swallowed up by the uniformity of society yet also represents the yearnings and aspirations for the want of a better life. Our main character is forever waiting for his ship to come in and sadly it never does. King Vidors sweeping shot of the rows and rows of desks and the image of John being a faceless number in the crowd. Despite him thinking that he is better than others and it's only a matter of time before his situation improves. It sadly never does and he loses the respect of his wife. Perhaps if there is a moral to this movie, then it should be that life can be a bitter pill to swallow but we should take pleasure in the small things in life and recognise that we have to accept lifes disappointments which will inevitably occur. Don't let the year that the film was made put you off or it being in black and white. This movie will grab you by the throat and won't let go. A classic!