Cheap The Crowd (Video) (Eleanor Boardman, James Murray) (King Vidor) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Crowd

waiting for the ship to come in
Made in 1926-27 by King Vidor, with brilliant cinematography by Henry Sharp of huge crowd scenes, often with superimposed layers of film, this is a classic; beautifully acted and scripted, it is one of the best films of the silent genre.
It follows the life of John Sims, born on July 4th, 1900, who is average in every way, with great hopes and dreams, struggling to make a living in New York City. Every scene is full of symbolism, representing man searching for his uniqueness among the masses, and with the eventual acceptance of himself as an individual.
There are quite a few moments of comic relief (the Christmas Eve conversation with the in-laws is hilarious), but most of it is tragic; as he finds out after a death in the family, "the crowd laughs with you always...but it will cry with you for only a day".

This was an experimental film for Vidor, and one of the many risks he took was casting an unknown actor, James Murray, to play John, and the choice was a good one. Eleanor Boardman (who was married to Vidor at the time) is marvelous as John's long suffering wife Mary. Also excellent is Bert Roach, who plays John's best buddy Bert.

There is a famous camera shot early in this film, that was made with the help of a scale model, which seems as though one is going up the side of a skyscraper, through a window, and into an office. It also is a film without a heroic figure, which made the studio hesitant to release it; little did they know it would stand the test of time, and would be still seen by many, 75 years later, and appreciated as a work of cinematic art.
The restoration is excellent, and it is enhanced by an orchestral score by Carl Davis.

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Still True Today
Anyone who dismisses silent films out of hand is making a big mistake in passing up The Crowd. This film is every bit as relevant in the 21st century as it was in 1921.

John is an average guy, typical in every way, including his dreams of grandeur, and his parents' ambitions for him. The last is exquisitely expressed in the opening scene.

This is one of those films in which the camera participates in telling the story, always a promising sign in a film. It's particularly true in this film. The ending shot may make you gasp.

This film is heavy, and not a film to watch if you're feeling bad. It's a downer, yet beautifully so; you won't regret its sobering message.

Try to get copy of the film that runs close to two hours. Versions that are under an hour and a half may not simply be missing scenes, the may be too fast. Sound films are shot at 24 frames per second, while silent films are anywhere from 12 to 20 frames per second. Some videotape producers don't take this into account in reproducing the film, and it looks like it's in fast forward.

There are few film I can say without exception will be enjoyed by everyone, but this film is one of them.

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In a word: masterpiece
"The Crowd" is quite simply one of the most powerful and moving films ever made. I have had the pleasure of watching it many times over the years, both alone and as part of a "crowd", and its impact has always been the same: leaving me and the rest of the audience breathless with emotion. Directed and co-written by the wonderful King Vidor (surely one of the greatest talents ever to work in the Hollywood system) and featuring extraordinary cinematography from Henry Sharp that still startles 80 years after the fact, "The Crowd" is one of those rare instances where everything comes together to form a perfect artistic whole. An integral part of that artistic perfection is the acting from the two leads, James Murray and Eleanor Boardman, who give riveting, true-to-life performances as the film's symbolic "everyman and woman", John and Mary. Anyone who believes the old chestnut that silent film acting is too artificial and stylized to work for modern audiences should see this film. I know that the term masterpiece gets used far too frequently and lightly these days, especially apropos Hollywood cinema, but IMO "The Crowd" is one instance when it is truly merited. Thanks to the combined efforts of Thames Television and composer Carl Davis (a great talent in his own right and major friend to lovers of silent Hollywood film), we are fortunate today to have a beautifully remastered and re-scored copy of "The Crowd" but sadly it is only available on VHS, and even this is discontinued, or through the occasional cable TV screening. Surely , this is a film that demands a major DVD release...hello, Criterion?