A FACE IN THE CROWD

US, 1957, 126 minutes, Black-and-white.
Andy Griffiths, Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, Lee Remick, Kay Medford.
Directed by Elia Kazan.

A Face in the Crowd was Elia Kazan’s immediate follow-up to his success with On the Waterfront and East of Eden. Kazan and his family came from Anatolia (and he filmed his family story in America, America), Kazan trying as an actor, then setting up the Actors Studio, success with stage productions, moving into films, winning an Oscar for best director for Gentlemen’s Agreement and a second for On the Waterfront. He collaborated here with Budd Schulberg, adapting his own short story (and Schulberg had written On the Waterfront).

This is the story of a guitar playing drifter, introducing Andy Griffiths to cinema. The film is also a star vehicle for Patricia Neal as an agent who promotes the guitar player, enabling him to have a career first in radio then in television. Walter Matthau also appears as an agent. In the supporting cast are Anthony Franciosa and first film for Lee Remick.

This is a story of an unlikely rise and fall, the drifter with an ego, certainly having talent, ability to communicate with people, connecting with them, who hurts people in his life, including a young wife played by Lee Remick, alienating his promoters who get him on television in New York. He exploits his talent, moves to promoting politicians, he traps himself by criticising – and, his agent then exposes him.

Abandoned by friends and promoters, he nevertheless is able to continue on. A critique of the making and promoting of media personalities – and their talents as well as destructive tendencies.


1. The work of Elia Kazan? Directing career? Bud bd Schulberg and his writing career? Adapting his short story?

2. The Southern American settings, the Ozarks, Arkansas? The move to the wider American cities? North and South? The musical score?

3. A media story? The 1950s? Musician, his power of communication, music and words? His being picked up and promoted? Programs, influence, politics? Ego? Rise and downfall?

4. Andy Griffiths, first film, as Lonesome Rhodes, drifter, guitar playing, his marriage, his skills? The encounter with Marcia, her seeing his talent, backing him, promoting him, the stages of his development? Popularity? His skill at ad-libbing, communicating with his audience? Meeting the various agents? Meeting Betty Lou, the infatuation, marrying her? And the revelation about his first wife? Betty, her affair with Joey? Lonesome dismissing her?

5. Politics, the senator, Lonesome becoming involved, promotion? The tangles?

6. Marcia as a character, her age, experience, promotion? Her working with Mel Miller, his work, talent scout? Wary of Lonesome?

7. The mattress episode and its significance?

8. The transition to New York, the television program, promotion, the male enhancement product? Senator Fuller, the endorsement? The role of Joey?

9. Lonesome and his ego, the clash with Marcia, the divorce, rejection of Betty Lou?

10. The clash of personal relationships, business interests? Hostility towards him?

11. Marcia, the set up with the microphone, the expose and the consequences?

12. Downfall, the interaction with the servants, the applause machine? His final yelling out, Marcia and Mel and their departing?

13. A critique of media in the 1950s – and relevant to succeeding decades and developments in media, especially social media?