The Crowd

Plot

The Crowd follows John Sims (James Murray), an ambitious but naive young man who moves to New York City with dreams of success after his father's death. He meets and marries Mary (Eleanor Boardman), and they begin their life together in the crowded metropolis, facing the daily grind of office work and the pressures of urban anonymity. The couple struggles with financial hardships, the birth and tragic death of their child, and John's inability to advance in his career, leading to marital tensions and personal crises. After losing his job and hitting rock bottom, John eventually finds modest success as a streetcar conductor, and the film ends with the couple finding a measure of peace and acceptance of their place in the vast, indifferent crowd of the city.

Historical Background

"The Crowd" was produced during a pivotal moment in American history, just before the Great Depression would fundamentally alter the nation's economic landscape. The late 1920s was a period of rapid urbanization and industrialization, with millions of Americans leaving rural areas for cities in search of opportunity. The film captured the anxieties and aspirations of this generation, reflecting the growing sense of individual alienation in increasingly crowded urban environments. It was also made during the transition from silent to sound films, making it one of the last great silent masterpieces. The film's themes of ambition, disillusionment, and the struggle for dignity in an impersonal society resonated deeply with audiences of the time, even as it foreshadowed the economic hardships that would soon engulf the nation. Its realistic approach to storytelling and rejection of Hollywood's typical romanticism represented a significant artistic movement toward greater authenticity in cinema.

Making Of

The production of "The Crowd" was marked by King Vidor's determination to create something radically different from typical Hollywood fare. He fought for years with MGM executives, particularly Irving Thalberg, who initially rejected the project as too bleak and experimental. Vidor's vision was to create a film that would capture the essence of modern urban life, showing how individuals can become lost in the anonymous masses of the city. The filming involved numerous technical innovations, including the use of a crane to achieve sweeping shots over New York streets - a technique that was groundbreaking at the time. The casting of James Murray as John was particularly significant; Vidor discovered the actor working as an extra and saw in him the perfect embodiment of the everyman character he wanted to portray. Eleanor Boardman, who played Mary, was Vidor's wife at the time, and her naturalistic performance helped ground the film in reality. The production also featured extensive location shooting in New York City, which was unusual for the era and added to the film's authentic feel.

Visual Style

The cinematography of "The Crowd," primarily by Henry Sharp, was revolutionary for its time and remains one of the film's most celebrated aspects. The film pioneered the use of crane shots to capture the scale and energy of New York City, creating sweeping views that emphasized the overwhelming nature of urban life. The opening sequence, which shows a massive crowd of people from above, was particularly innovative and has been widely imitated. Sharp and Vidor employed numerous other technical innovations, including deep focus photography that kept both foreground and background in sharp detail, and tracking shots that followed characters through crowded streets. The film also made extensive use of actual New York locations rather than studio sets, giving it an unprecedented level of realism. The visual style emphasized the contrast between the intimate human drama and the impersonal urban environment, using wide shots to show characters as small figures in the vast cityscape and close-ups to capture their emotional struggles.

Innovations

"The Crowd" was technically groundbreaking in numerous ways that influenced cinema for decades to come. The film's most famous technical innovation was its use of crane shots, which were extremely rare at the time. Vidor and his team constructed special camera rigs that could be raised high above the streets to capture sweeping views of the city, creating a sense of scale and perspective that was unprecedented. The film also pioneered the use of location shooting in urban environments, moving away from the studio-bound productions that dominated Hollywood. The production team developed new techniques for filming in actual office buildings and on city streets, overcoming numerous logistical challenges. The film's editing was also innovative, using rapid cuts and montage sequences to convey the passage of time and the overwhelming nature of urban life. The sound design, while limited by the technology of the era, was creative in its use of synchronized music and sound effects to enhance the film's emotional impact.

Music

As a silent film, "The Crowd" was originally accompanied by a musical score performed live in theaters. The original score was composed by William Axt and included both original compositions and adaptations of popular songs of the era. The music was designed to enhance the emotional impact of key scenes, with lighter, more optimistic themes for the early romantic scenes and darker, more dramatic music for the moments of crisis and despair. In 1989, composer Carl Davis created a new orchestral score for the film's restoration, which has become the standard accompaniment for modern screenings. Davis's score draws on both classical and popular music traditions of the 1920s, creating an authentic period sound while also providing emotional support for the film's narrative. The score features prominent use of brass instruments to represent the industrial urban setting, with more intimate string passages for the personal moments between John and Mary.

Memorable Scenes

• The opening sequence with the sweeping crane shot over the massive crowd, establishing the film's central theme of urban anonymity
• The scene where John and Mary meet at Coney Island, capturing the joy and hope of young love
• The office scenes showing the dehumanizing nature of modern corporate work
• The heartbreaking sequence dealing with the death of their child
• The final scene on the crowded theater balcony, showing the couple finding peace in their small corner of the world

What Critics Said

Upon its release, "The Crowd" received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its innovation and realism while others found it too bleak and depressing. The New York Times praised its "extraordinary realism and human interest," while Variety noted its "remarkable camera work and sincere performances." However, some critics felt the film was too pessimistic and lacked the entertainment value expected from Hollywood productions. Over time, critical opinion has shifted dramatically, and the film is now widely regarded as one of the greatest American films ever made. Modern critics celebrate its technical innovations, its powerful social commentary, and its enduring relevance. The film currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is frequently cited in lists of the greatest films of all time. Film scholar Andrew Sarris called it "perhaps the most American of American films," while director Peter Bogdanovich described it as "one of the most moving and powerful films ever made."

What Audiences Thought

Contemporary audience response to "The Crowd" was lukewarm at best, with many finding its realistic portrayal of urban struggle too depressing for entertainment. The film was not a commercial success upon release, failing to recoup its substantial production budget. Many audiences of the era preferred the escapist fantasies and romantic comedies that dominated Hollywood output, finding Vidor's unflinching realism unsettling. However, the film did find appreciation among more sophisticated viewers and critics who recognized its artistic merits. Over the decades, as the film's reputation has grown, it has found new audiences through film societies, art house screenings, and home video releases. Modern audiences tend to appreciate its historical significance and its surprisingly contemporary themes of urban alienation and economic struggle. The film's reputation as a masterpiece has made it a staple of film studies courses and classic cinema retrospectives.

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