IMDb RATING
8.1/10
9.5K
YOUR RATING
The life of a man and woman together in a large, impersonal metropolis through their hopes, struggles, and downfalls.The life of a man and woman together in a large, impersonal metropolis through their hopes, struggles, and downfalls.The life of a man and woman together in a large, impersonal metropolis through their hopes, struggles, and downfalls.
- Nominated for 2 Oscars
- 4 wins & 2 nominations total
John D. Bloss
- Boy on Fence
- (uncredited)
Roy Bloss
- Boy on Fence
- (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey
- John's Supervisor
- (uncredited)
Johnny Downs
- John - Age 12
- (uncredited)
Sally Eilers
- Party Girl at Bert's Place
- (uncredited)
Joseph W. Girard
- Member of Board of Directors
- (uncredited)
Pat Harmon
- Truck Driver
- (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin
- Worker in Hallway
- (uncredited)
Claude Payton
- Undetermined Secondary Role
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaSeveral years after the film was made, alcoholism had taken its toll on lead actor James Murray, who was reduced to panhandling in the street. Ironically, one of the passers-by he solicited for money turned out to be King Vidor, who offered him a part in the film's semi-sequel, Our Daily Bread (1934). Murray declined the offer, thinking it was only made out of pity. He died in 1936 at the age of 35 in a drowning incident. Vidor was sufficiently compelled to write his life story as an unrealized screenplay, which he called "The Actor".
- GoofsAfter John sprays himself with milk when opening the bottle, his clothes go from covered with milk to clean from one shot to the next.
- Quotes
Title Card: The crowd laughs with you always... but it will cry with you for only a day.
- Alternate versionsThere is an Italian edition of this film on DVD, distributed by DNA srl, "LA FOLLA (1928) + LA GRANDE PARATA (1925)" (2 Films on a single DVD), re-edited with the contribution of film historian Riccardo Cusin. This version is also available for streaming on some platforms.
- ConnectionsEdited into The Easiest Way (1931)
Featured review
Skilled technique and a thoughtful approach to the lives of some ordinary characters make "The Crowd" a memorable drama that tells an interesting, if mostly downbeat, story with some worthwhile observations on human relationships. It takes skill and judgment to make a memorable movie out of this type of material, and "The Crowd" is one of numerous quality pictures from the final years of the silent era that deserve to be much better remembered.
James Murray and Eleanor Boardman are completely believable as a typical couple starting out with all kinds of dreams and expectations. As they gain increasing experience in the real world, their reactions to events, especially on Murray's part, are by no means always appealing, but they are always genuine. The characters' flaws are made clear, yet you cannot help wishing for better things for them.
The story is structured carefully, with some interesting parallels between the early scenes and the closing sequences. With only a handful of really dramatic turns, the story reveals many things about the characters that implicitly comment on human nature in general. It does not offer many solutions, but it does provide some things to think about.
The symbolism of "The Crowd" fits well with the story, and it adds another dimension to this very effective drama. The occasional camera views of the office workers and other expansive settings re-emphasize the image in a resourceful and visually striking fashion.
James Murray and Eleanor Boardman are completely believable as a typical couple starting out with all kinds of dreams and expectations. As they gain increasing experience in the real world, their reactions to events, especially on Murray's part, are by no means always appealing, but they are always genuine. The characters' flaws are made clear, yet you cannot help wishing for better things for them.
The story is structured carefully, with some interesting parallels between the early scenes and the closing sequences. With only a handful of really dramatic turns, the story reveals many things about the characters that implicitly comment on human nature in general. It does not offer many solutions, but it does provide some things to think about.
The symbolism of "The Crowd" fits well with the story, and it adds another dimension to this very effective drama. The occasional camera views of the office workers and other expansive settings re-emphasize the image in a resourceful and visually striking fashion.
- Snow Leopard
- Sep 30, 2004
- Permalink
- How long is The Crowd?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- One of the Mob
- Filming locations
- Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA(nighttime establishing exterior shots)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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