The Crowd (1928)
Directed by: King Vidor
1.How
does the film relate to Chapter 20 in Foner?
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The Crowd, is very closely to Chapter 20 in
Foner because one of the main focuses of this film is the American Dream. In
the film it is emphasized from the beginning, ever since little Johnny Sims was
born, that he was going to be something big. He wants to be something big by
not only just having the satisfaction of a successful career, but he also wants
to earn a good amount of money which will help him make the American Dream into
a reality. After his father passed away at a young age, his hopes and ambitions
changed. He entered the working crowd of America, working for a small company
as nearly no one. John is set up to go on a blind date with Mary; they both go
to Coney Island, as spending leisure time is now apart of the “new”
civilization. After they get married they also go to the Niagara Falls for
their honeymoon. This is a connection to a point that Foner made, “Americans
spent more and more of their income on leisure activities like vacations,
movies, and sporting events”. When John gets married to Mary, he mentions going
back to a nice house, which is not really the case, it’s a small house right
next to the El Trains. A very small apartment with just one room that pretty much
function as everything, the living room, bedroom, and the kitchen, this may
have been a small disappointment compared to the new society that was being
established in America. Foner mentions, “During the 1920s, consumer goods of
all kinds proliferated, marketed by salesmen and advertisers who promoted them
as ways of satisfying Americans’ psychological desires and everyday needs.” Items
such as washing machines, vacuum, and refrigerators were changing everyday life
around the house. Women had more time for them selves and spent less time keeping
up with household chores. During the time that this film takes place,
Prohibition was mentioned by Foner, which was taking place in the 1920s, in The Crowd they display this during the
Christmas dinner when John had to go to a friends house in order the get the
liquor. John returns home drunk after attending a party, and after the guests
have already left. Also during the 1920s women start to have a bit more freedom
than they have ever had before. Foner describes the effects of The Equal Rights
Amendment and the new freedom that women have gained. I think that this film
definitely supports his idea from the book. In the film, after the couple has
been married for some time, they start to bicker and argue. I think Mary
reflects the freedom that she has by showing some independence. She argues back
to him and I think this would have been a big step up from before, when women
would probably just go along with whatever their husbands say to them. She also
decided to leave him after he continued to argue with her, and that would have
been too ashamed of herself to even mention that to her husband. Mary’s actions
in this film were quite predictable after reading Foner’s point. He wrote,
“What had been scandalous a generation earlier—women’s self- conscious pursuit
of personal pleasure…”. Mary took advantage to the freedom that she had towards
the end of the movie when she began working and earning money for the
household. Foner said, “Having found a husband, women were expected to seek
freedom within the confines of the home, finding “liberation”, according to the
advertisements, in the used of new labor-saving appliances.”
1.Why
is this film titled The Crowd?
This
film was titled The Crowd because it helps one understand that during
this era if your not something big, if you are not wealthy, then you are just
simply apart of the crowd. This explains John Sim’s dreams and ambitions, however,
it did not all work out as he had planned because after his father passed away,
he had to enter the work force at a young age, and even without wanting, John
was apart of the “crowd”. Throughout the film he goes through ups and downs but
never makes it past the crowd. When John takes his family on a vacation that
signifies that he as well as his family is all just apart of the crowd. Getting
out of the crowd would mean that one has successfully fulfilled his/her version
of the American Dream. Meaning that they would be successful, wealthy, and have
all the luxury they need. John Sim’s is just described as a normal man, that no
one really notices, he is among the crowd. The crowd also meant being apart of a group, such as Mary, who followed other women of the time. She was working, independent, bobbed hair, and short dresses.
2.How
are ideas about success represented in the film?
Success in this film is
basically outlined by money, having those luxuries in ones life that only the
wealthy could afford. All throughout the movie John Sims only has one goal, to
excel in the workplace and get promoted with a better pay. In one scene on the
movie John gets a little raise and promises to continue his work and get more
raises in pay. A scene that I think particularly outlined this movie was when
John won a $500 prize. As soon as Mary hears about this she makes a list of
everything she wants, all of those luxuries that she wants apart of the
domestic life. Instead of supporting her husband and being proud of at least
what he has and does she continues to criticize him. She used the example of
Bert you started off at the same level that John was at and who is now at a
higher position with a high pay.
3.What
does the film reveal about dating and domestic life in the 1920s?
A new type of life is
introduced in the 1920s about dating a domestic life. The couple actually
spends leisure time outside of the home with a little romance. On their blind
date, John and Mary go to Coney Island Amusement Park, which was modern destination,
for couples to go to on dates. This was a destination far from others the
couple would know. The couple also goes on their honeymoon to the Niagara
Falls. They both are madly in love with each other and show affection and
compassion for each other. In the 1920s the concept of the honeymoon was a
modern view. Life was good in the beginning after the couple got married, but
it didn’t stay that way for long, as the couple started bickering and fighting
among little issues until it got far when John blamed Mary for not being
successful in life, and not being able to get out of the “crowd” and be
something big. The couple continues to bicker about their problems with their
apartment and her appearance gets in the way.
One morning when the couple
began to fight it got a little to far and Mary mentioned that she was going to
leave him, until she told him that she was expecting a baby. John is happy with
the good news and their life together continues as it turns back to normal
after the baby is born. They start to argue all over again. Mary would complain
to John that he will never be able to be “someone”, and he will never have a
successful life.
As far as their domestic life
goes, they live in a very small apartment that has only one room. The El Train
is right outside of the apartment, which indicates that their apartment is not
very expensive and that they live in bad circumstances. In the scene when the
couple is having breakfast John throws a fit about what Mary has prepared and
makes her feel as if she does not even try to keep their domestic life
together. The couple has no special appliances that the use around the house
because they do not have the money to buy them.
