King Vidor has a knack for making stark melodrama seem real enough and this is even evident as early as THE CROWD, where his Depression-era hero (JAMES MURRAY) and his wife (ELEANOR BOARDMAN) struggle to make ends meet during the dark days of a marriage that begins with a sweet romance and almost ends in bitter despair.
Murray and Boardman make all of their touching scenes very realistic. He was obviously a natural talent who was discovered by King Vidor for this film and made the most of a meaty role, running the gamut of emotions from joy to sorrow with effortless ease and a certain amount of charm. Boardman too is very effective as the wife who stands by her man even though she realizes he will never rise above "the crowd," the way he always promises he will.
Ironically, in real life Murray couldn't handle his overnight success and a few years later was a skid row alcoholic whose life ended when his body was plucked from a river pier in Manhattan. His downward spiral is very similar to the character he plays in this film.
While the story has plenty of depressing elements, Vidor's direction keeps it a compelling study of a strained marriage that starts to unravel upon the death of Murray's baby daughter. A highly emotional scene between father and son toward the end--just when the man is on the brink of suicide--is as touching and eloquent as any scene in the film. In some ways, the film mirrors the kind of performance actors in this type of role have to sustain over all the highs and lows--the way James Stewart did so effectively in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Murray's character is just as demanding and he plays it brilliantly.
For a silent film, much of the acting is more restrained than usual, but Vidor does seem to heighten melodramatic moments for maximum effect, as he would later on in films like BEYOND THE FOREST and THE FOUNDTAINHEAD.
Murray and Boardman make all of their touching scenes very realistic. He was obviously a natural talent who was discovered by King Vidor for this film and made the most of a meaty role, running the gamut of emotions from joy to sorrow with effortless ease and a certain amount of charm. Boardman too is very effective as the wife who stands by her man even though she realizes he will never rise above "the crowd," the way he always promises he will.
Ironically, in real life Murray couldn't handle his overnight success and a few years later was a skid row alcoholic whose life ended when his body was plucked from a river pier in Manhattan. His downward spiral is very similar to the character he plays in this film.
While the story has plenty of depressing elements, Vidor's direction keeps it a compelling study of a strained marriage that starts to unravel upon the death of Murray's baby daughter. A highly emotional scene between father and son toward the end--just when the man is on the brink of suicide--is as touching and eloquent as any scene in the film. In some ways, the film mirrors the kind of performance actors in this type of role have to sustain over all the highs and lows--the way James Stewart did so effectively in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. Murray's character is just as demanding and he plays it brilliantly.
For a silent film, much of the acting is more restrained than usual, but Vidor does seem to heighten melodramatic moments for maximum effect, as he would later on in films like BEYOND THE FOREST and THE FOUNDTAINHEAD.