A Face in the Crowd (1957)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Budd Schulberg (story)
Budd Schulberg (screenplay)

Release Date:

17 October 1957 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

An Arkansas hobo becomes an overnight media sensation. But as he becomes drunk with fame and power, will he ever be exposed as the fraud he has become?

Plot Keywords:

Psychopath | Based On Short Story | Political Satire | Satire | Exploitation

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Andy Griffith	...	Larry 'Lonesome' Rhodes
Patricia Neal	...	Marcia Jeffries
Anthony Franciosa	...	Joey DePalma
Walter Matthau	...	Mel Miller
Lee Remick	...	Betty Lou Fleckum
Percy Waram	...	Gen. Haynesworth
Paul McGrath	...	Macey
Rod Brasfield	...	Beanie
Marshall Neilan	...	Senator Worthington Fuller
Alexander Kirkland	...	Jim Collier
Charles Irving	...	Mr. Luffler
Howard Smith	...	J.B. Jeffries
Kay Medford	...	First Mrs. Rhodes
Big Jeff Bess	...	Sheriff Big Jeff Bess
Henry Sharp	...	Abe Steiner
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
R.G. Armstrong	...	TV Prompter Operator (uncredited)
John Bliss	...	Barefoot Baritone (uncredited)
Walter Cartier	...	(uncredited)
Larry Casazza	...	Second Printer (uncredited)
Bennett Cerf	...	Himself (uncredited)
Lois Chandler	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Carolyn Craig	...	Redheaded filly (uncredited)
John Stuart Dudley	...	(uncredited)
Faye Emerson	...	Herself (uncredited)
Willie Feibel	...	First Printer (uncredited)
Nicholas Frangakis	...	Western Union Messenger (uncredited)
Betty Furness	...	Herself (uncredited)
Virginia Graham	...	Herself (uncredited)
Burl Ives	...	Himself (uncredited)
Harold Jinks	...	(uncredited)
Sam Levenson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Lou Marcelle	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Brownie McGhee	...	Servant with limp (uncredited)
Lois Nettleton	...	Mr. Mason's Nurse (uncredited)
Logan Ramsey	...	TV Director (uncredited)
Charles Nelson Reilly	...	(uncredited)
Diana Sands	...	(uncredited)
Granny Sense	...	(uncredited)
P. Jay Sidney	...	Llewellyn (uncredited)
Fred Stewart	...	(uncredited)
John Cameron Swayze	...	Himself (uncredited)
Rip Torn	...	Barry Mills (uncredited)
Eva Vaughan	...	Mrs. Cooley (uncredited)
Mike Wallace	...	Himself (uncredited)
Vera Walton	...	(uncredited)
Earl Wilson	...	Himself (uncredited)
Walter Winchell	...	Himself (uncredited)
Sandra Wirth	...	A baton twirling champion (uncredited)
Sandy Wirth	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
Budd Schulberg		(story)
Budd Schulberg		(screenplay)

Produced by
Elia Kazan	....	producer

Original Music by
Tom Glazer

Cinematography by
Gayne Rescher		(director of photography)
Harry Stradling Sr.		(director of photography) (as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Gene Milford

Art Direction by
Paul Sylbert
Richard Sylbert

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Willis Hanchett	....	hair stylist
Robert Jiras	....	makeup artist (as Robert E. Jiras)

Production Management
George Justin	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles H. Maguire	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Don Olson	....	sound editor
Ernest Zatorsky	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
James Fitzsimons	....	assistant camera
Saul Midwall	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Flo Transfield	....	wardrobe (as Florence Transfield)

Music Department
Tom Glazer	....	composer: songs
Budd Schulberg	....	composer: songs

Other crew
Roberta Hodes	....	continuity
Roberta Hodes	....	script
Charles Irving	....	special assistant

Production Companies

• Newtown Productions

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Budd Schulberg's A Face in the Crowd (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #18502) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Biograph Studios, Bronx, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Newtown Productions

Trivia:

Lee Remick's film debut

Goofs:

Continuity: The Variety cover announcing Lonesome Rhodes on-air meltdown not only mis-spells his last name as "Roads" but is also dated "November 21, 1956" which is well before the other dates in the movie, for example, earlier he was picking Miss Arkansas Twirler 1957.

Quotes:

Lonesome Rhodes: Listen, I'm not through yet. You know what's gonna to happen to me?
Mel Miller: Suppose I tell you exactly what's gonna happen to you. You're gonna be back in television. Only it won't be quite the same as it was before. There'll be a reasonable cooling-off period and then somebody will say: "Why don't we try him again in a inexpensive format...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1963-01-13)" (1963)

Just Some Historical Perspective....

A timeless story,as evidenced by all the allegories to recent personalities here ( Howard Stern, Clinton, etc...)...HOWEVER..the film is based (loosely) on a personality of the mid-50s: one Arthur Godfrey..yes, the IL' Redhead himself. Skillfully wrapped in the cliché of 'country boy makes good' story, the Godfrey story was hot news in 1957,and there weren't too many people back then who missed its allusions For those who do not know: Arthur Godfrey was one of THE hottest things in the country in the early to mid 1950's: he literally had about two or three different TV shows on the schedule, plus a radio show that was among the most popular in the day. Godfrey was JUST like this movie in this respect: on the air, he was America's home-spun hero..telling folksy stories....crooning in an off tone baritone, and presenting pure, CLEAN entertainment. OFF the air,however the legend that is Arthur Godfrey to this day is one of THE biggest control freaks in show biz history..to the point of controlling the lives of all of his 'family'..unfortunately that turned out to be downfall...One Julius LaRosa had been a singer that Godfrey had 'discovered' in the US Navy Band...after he was discharged LaRosa became a singer on Godfrey's nighttime TV show "Arthur Godfrey and Friends",where he became an instant star among the bobby sox set. In time, LaRosa started a recording career,and started to have VERY successful records..then suddenly, in 1953, Godfrey suddenly fired LaRosa from his show for the mysterious reason of him having 'no humilty' ...it has been assumed since then that Godfrey was extremely jealous of Larosa's success...Anyways, this exposed the 'real' Godfrey to the public.,and while it didn't happen as quickly or as totally as Lonesome Rhodes' career,Godfrey's career as a superstar was effectively over after that..he eventually was reduced to hosting game shows and such. Writer Schulberg obviously also puts in his 2 cents on fame...politics..the show business...and early television here, but as I said,there wasn't NO ONE in those days who didn't know it was about Godfrey....