Watching director King Vidor's effort to present the impact of being just one of "the crowd" on the everyday lives of ordinary people is still a moving experience. The Crowd was nominated for two Academy Awards at the first ceremony in 1929. It received nods for Unique and Artistic Production and Best Director of a Drama. This seemed an outstanding film to be watching on Christmas Day as a reminder of those who face challenges daily to just keep up with "the crowd."
King Vidor deliberately selected actors that were not part of the glamorous holiday elite. The lead actor was James Murray who unfortunately faced a very difficult life after The Crowd not that unlike his film character. He died in 1936 at the age of 35 after falling into the Hudson River. Eleanor Boardman, the female lead, was married to King Vidor. They divorced in 1931 after only five years together. She retired from film in 1935 having difficulty with the transition to talking films, but Eleanor Boardman remarried in 1940 in a relationship that lasted for 28 years. She passed away in 1991 at the age of 93.
For me, The Crowd was the best of all Best Picture nominees in either category in 1929. It remains a powerful classic well worth the time to seek out.
0 comments:
Post a Comment