sbasu-47-608737 A very surprisingly mature treatment of a subject at that age, when not many have really attempted such maturity, at least in Hollywood (there were of course Euro movies, delving in different serious aspects). In Hollywood, even when some attempts were made, the main focus was lost, trying to cater the masses (e.g. Way Down East). But this movie doesn't lose the focus, till the end. The subject here is the treatment of Human Ego. Every person deep inside, considers himself/ herself to be special, and hence not really a part of the mass, but one who destined to rise to the cream. Many times, this belief is strengthened by their parents/ other really caring persons, which might have a disastrous effect, when the speciality of the person isn't too far away from the statistical 'Average' The movie chronicles of one of such person, who could luckily get a girl, Mary, who wasn't average in real sense, but she wasn't something of fantasy either, these loving and motherly women, ready to forgive the husbands errant ways, not due to belief, but only for love/ care (he would be lost without me - indicates both the aspects). The ending might be confusing, it has confused a few of the reviewers too, but it isn't depressing or even confusing. It is the acceptance of the facts, that We are after all a part of the crowd. Still we have our specialities (Juggling, Advertisement catch-words), through we can stand a bit away from it. But for that we have to accept that we are not so different from the mass, that we can make our own path, and then make the stream follow us. In fact on this aspect, the movie not only ends in a happy, but in a positive note too. There are a few points - which might have been missed, the transformation of the hero, from one living in his fools paradise, to real life, comes when his son, (the second one with unconditional love, along with Mary, his wife), and the only one still with full faith on him, declares "When I grow Up, I want to be like you" , and then he has to prove himself to be worth of that faith, even if it meant starting from the bottom. He had his talents, and that gets him start. The second was the support of his wife, who proudly shows the neighbour in the theater, her husband's creation, and the man seems to be suitably impressed. Both of these hints on the probable 'creaming' of the hero. Though, alas, the Great Depression was just moments way, and in real life, he would have been crushed, being at the bottom rungs. A positive movie need not end with the hero made overnight millionaire or sensation. It is the note at the ending, which gives the viewer the faith that he has moved into right path.Director, King Vidor, has quite a few brilliant movies in his portfolio, and this one could rank near the top of them,As a foot-note, he (Director) seems to have been really in love with his wife, Eleanor, the heroine in the movie. The close-ups, or the poses in the honeymoon sequence and even later (e.g. picnic) really brought out her delicate beauty, as well as her acting prowess. I wonder what went wrong within a few years after this.

frankwiener Thanks to Turner Classic Movies, for the first time in my long film viewing life I have learned to appreciate silent movies, at least the best of them, and I believe that "The Crowd" stands very tall among this group.The story of John (James Murray) and Mary (Eleanor Boardman) Sims in 1928 could easily be the timeless story of a struggling couple in any major American city today, including their hopes, dreams, celebrations, and, alas, calamities. As a working stiff for over 40 years, some of them occurring in the very cold, impersonal cities of New York, Boston, and Washington, I could very much relate to the struggles of the Sims, thanks mostly to the very effective direction of King Vidor and the excellent dramatic efforts of Murray and Boardman. In addition, Bert (Bert Roach), as the jovial, successful, and socially adept colleague of John, literally bounced off the screen as someone who could have realistically been one of my own co-workers during this century.What I value most about this film is Vidor's ability to contrast the impersonal, dispassionate, and often cruel world of the big city and its large organizations against the very human, emotional story of one, single family living somewhere within the endless surge of the multitudes. The film also allows us a rare glimpse of New York City life almost 90 years ago. For ninety minutes, I felt as though I were right there, battling the world as my parents and grandparents did during those times, which, in so many ways, are not very different from our own era today as we still struggle to attain the good life.I only wish that John did not recklessly lure his kids from across the busy street by holding the toys out of the apartment window, but that was John. What irked me even more was that after misfortune strikes the family, the parents failed to watch Junior as closely as they should have. Hadn't they learned by then? I was saddened to read of the tragic, true life of James Murray. For me, it made the tribulations of the fictional John Sims even more sorrowful.

calvinnme King Vidor must have had good standing with the powers that be at MGM, because as a director in the studio era he seemed to get to pick and shape his assignments more than most directors of that time.King Vidor made this film to be an artistic achievement, even recruiting unknown actor James Murray - a member of "the crowd" you might say - to play the male lead, all with MGM approval. Murray plays John Sims, a representative everyman who all through life, up to the end of the film thinks he is going to beat "the crowd" and be somebody. He is born July 4, 1900 with his father saying "the world is going to hear from this boy". Unfortunately, John's dad dies when he is 12, and at 21 John heads to New York to make his success. He starts out at a desk amid hundreds of other desks doing simple mathematical clerical work for an insurance company - work that decades ago was replaced by computers. Unfortunately, John's career not only starts there, it ends there too, with only one 8 dollar raise in six years to show for it. What really stings is that John's playboy coworker Bert (Bert Roach) works his way up into management even though they both started work there at about the same time.In one of his rare pieces of luck John does meet a girl (Eleanor Boardman as Mary) that he loves and who loves him back for what he is, not what he says he'll be. When John finally does win some kind of recognition - he wins a 500 dollar prize for coming up with the name for a new cleanser - it ultimately becomes the instrument of destruction for his entire family and any drive he has left.The ending looks like it's a happy one - after John quits his job and can't make it at any other job he finds, almost losing Mary in the process, he finally resigns himself to accepting and keeping any job - one that he ridiculed when he first came to New York seven years before. The final scene has John and family enjoying a night of fun at the local vaudeville house in celebration of his new job, menial though it is, laughing with an auditorium full of people. What has really happened though is that John has finally surrendered his dream and is now happy being just one of the crowd - a bittersweet ending in my humble opinion.This film blends vintage scenes of old New York of the 20's with themes anyone can relate to today - the drive to succeed, the likelihood that most by definition will not, beauty being in the eye of the beholder, and trying to hold a family together after a tragic and sudden loss. I highly recommend this wonderful film.

kidboots Probably the best film ever made. When John Sims, as a child is sitting on a fence surrounded by friends talking about their dreams and lofty ambitions, he says "my dad says one day I'm going to be somebody big". It is this belief that great things are going to happen to him without him having to strive for success that may be John Sims downfall. He doesn't have the talent or ambition to lift himself out of the crowd, all he has are his dreams. Through the film, events indicate that John is going to make his mark on the world. The first scene shows people passing the Sim's house to celebrate the 4th of July - the title announces something even greater is taking place inside - the birth of John Sims. The father then predicts the world is going to hear from the "little man".A shabbily dressed stranger on a steamer warns John, now 21, "You got to be good in that town if you want to beat the crowd". There is an expressionistic feel as the camera pans up the skyscraper, zooms into a window and singles out John Sims at work, just one of many, sitting at his desk. At this stage he is planning to get ahead by studying at night. Then he meets Mary - on a bus ride he jeers at a man in a clown costume - "I bet his parents thought he would grow up to be President", little knowing that one day he would be forced to take a similar demeaning job.Slogans abound in this film. When you first meet John, he is working on a competition slogan. Seeing an ad in the train "You furnish the girl - We furnish the home" makes him think of proposing to Mary, and on the honeymoon trip "time to retire" hastens him to the bathroom, where some men pass him a copy of "What a Young Husband Ought to Know".He doesn't get on with his in-laws, they don't think he'll amount to much. He is always dreaming of making it big but it is all talk - at the beginning he is shown to be a clockwatcher.Five years pass - he now has a little boy and girl but his friend has been promoted while he is still stuck in the same rut with only an $8 a week raise. At a beach picnic, where only the children enjoy them- selves Mary calls his bluff and encourages him to send in one of his slogans. He does and wins $500 but their joy is short lived as their little girl is run over by a truck. John, who is suffering from depression, quits his job but Mary is still supportive. He finds he can't stick at anything, they move to a shanty and Mary is forced to take in sewing. After rejecting a job from Mary's brothers, they fight and John attempts suicide. He is stopped only by the cries of his child and through the love and belief of his little boy John is now determined to get a job and succeed.The strength of James Murray's acting is overpowering. King Vidor called Murray "one of the best natural actors I had ever had the good luck to encounter". What happened to him was so tragic, when you look at his performance in "The Crowd" - he was capable of real greatness. At the end Mary can't bring herself to leave John, she realises that he is dependent on her and with all his faults and failures she still loves him. Eleanor Boardman is magnificent as Mary. When you first see her she is a gum chewing, almost coarse girl but as the film progresses you see her through John's eyes and without any change in her appearance she becomes beautiful.Apparently the film caused a stir for being the first American film to show an indoor toilet!!!Highly, Highly Recommended.