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:

Crowd | Hobo | Arkansas | Chart | Jail

Awards:

1 win & 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.		(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:

The Vitajex tablets that Lonesome Rhodes hawks have 6 grains of dextrose, 5 grains of inert material, 2.5 grains of caffeine, and 3.5 grains of aspirin. That's roughly equivalent to a 16 oz café latte and two baby aspirin tablets.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lonesome Rhodes is critiquing Senator Worthington Fuller's presentation style, the camera angle switches several times. From the front, his left arm/hand is pointed towards the ceiling; however, the reverse angle shows his left arm lowered and pointed to the side.

Quotes:

Lonesome Rhodes: This whole country's just like my flock of sheep!
Marcia Jeffries: Sheep?
Lonesome Rhodes: Rednecks, crackers, hillbillies, hausfraus, shut-ins, pea-pickers - everybody that's got to jump when somebody else blows the whistle. They don't know it yet, but they're all gonna be 'Fighters for Fuller'. They're mine! I own 'em! They think like I do. Only they're even more stupid than I am, so I gotta think for 'em. Marcia, you just wait and see. I'm gonna be the power behind the president - and you'll be the power behind me!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis: The Smoke-Filled Room (#1.15)" (1960)

Hilariously dramatic

One of the best pictures I've seen to date. Griffith had the part of the womanizing, opinionated, lazy, loud mouthed bum down pat. In fact, the entire cast was superb in this dynamic, gripping, and in the first half, uproariously funny drama which clearly shows how ego can not only destroy the egotist but those close to him. This film is an equal to Griffith's fine performances as Horton Maddock in "Savages" and Howard Pike in "Hearts of the West". 4 stars.