CROWD, THE (TV)
Summary
One in a series of silent films restored and orchestrated for British television by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill. The 1928 film portrays the gritty reality of urban life, concentrating on the individual's struggle with life among the crowd. John Sims is a young man who cannot seem to get a break. The film begins on the day of Johnny's birth, when his father proclaims that the infant is going to be somebody. He strikes out on his own as one of thousands of clerks in New York City when he is twenty-one. He soon meets Mary, and the two get married. The film accompanies the pair through their early married life. The couple has a son and then a daughter. John keeps reminding Mary of what he will do when his "ship comes in" or when he just "gets a break." One day, John wins money in an advertising-slogan contest -- but the celebration is cut short by the tragic death of his daughter. John is unable to concentrate at work and quits his job. Mary, who first supports John in his search for a better position, quickly becomes disillusioned as John hops from job to job. Finally, she threatens to leave. In a scene in which John contemplates suicide, his son tells him that he still believes in him. John takes a menial job, realizing that any work is better than none, and he asks Mary to remain with him. Produced and directed by King Vidor, "The Crowd" was considered an experimental film by the studio. Shot with alternative endings, the film was most often shown with the ambiguous finish shown in this version.
Details
- NETWORK: Channel 4 (United Kingdom)
- DATE: November 30, 1999
- RUNNING TIME: 1:44:00
- COLOR/B&W: B&W
- CATALOG ID: T:64391
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; International Collection - United Kingdom
- SERIES RUN: TV - Channel 4 (United Kingdom) - TV
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- David Gill … Producer
- Kevin Brownlow … Producer
- King Vidor … Director, Writer, Screenplay by
- John V.A. Weaver … Writer, Screenplay by
- Harry Behn … Writer, Screenplay
- Cedric Gibbons … Settings by
- A. Arnold Gillespie … Settings by
- Henry Sharp … Director of Photography
- Carl Davis … Composer
- David Matthews … Orchestration by
- David Cullen … Orchestration by
- Wren Orchestra of London, The … Symphony Orchestra
- James Murray … Cast, John Sims
- Eleanor Boardman … Cast, Mary Sims
- Bert Roach … Cast, Bert
- Estelle Clark … Cast, Jane
- Daniel G. Tomlinson … Cast, Jim
- Dell Henderson … Cast, Dick
- Lucy Beaumont … Cast, Mother
- Freddie Burke Frederick … Cast, Junior
- Alice Mildred Puter … Cast, Daughter
- Warner Richmond … Cast, John's Father
- Sidney Bracey … Cast, Supervisor
- Johnny Downs … Cast, John Sims (as a boy)
- Anne Schaefer … Cast, the Woman on Stairway