The Crowd (1928) | Region-Free (DVD) | Directed by King Vidor

**DISC ONLY**

Source: DVD

Title: The Crowd (1928)

Genre: Drama, Romance

Plot Synopsis:
John Sims is born on the Fourth of July, 1900, with dreams of greatness. After his father’s early death, he moves to New York City at 21, joining the faceless masses as a low-level office worker. He marries Mary, and together they struggle through marriage, financial hardship, and personal tragedy, all while navigating the overwhelming anonymity of the city. A deeply humanist portrayal of everyday life, The Crowd explores the tension between individual ambition and society’s indifference.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: King Vidor
• Writers: King Vidor, John V.A. Weaver
• Cast:
  • James Murray as John Sims
  • Eleanor Boardman as Mary Sims
  • Bert Roach as Bert
  • Estelle Clark as Jane
  • Daniel G. Tomlinson as Jim

IMDb Link:
The Crowd (1928) 

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Blake Patterson – ★★★★★
   “Part of why The Crowd is an excellent film is how Vidor envisions each situation aesthetically to indicate complex feelings beyond the story at the center.”

2. Jack – ★★★★★
   “I knew this was one of the greatest films I had ever seen when the first 20 minutes happened—aesthetically on point, Vidor using symmetric imagery to only brush upon what exactly he wants to say with his film, and emotionally apt and moving like no other silent film drama.”

3. Nolan – ★★★★
   “There’s a viciousness here. The wage-workers passing by a clown and mocking what his parents would think. Friends encouraging a couple’s marriage before making offhand bets at how long they’ll stay together.”

4. FireBreathing – ★★★★
   “It turns into an hour slogging through depression, arguments, and apathy, but those first twenty minutes are full of joy and promise and amazing footage of the NYC of the 1920s.”

5. Jeremy Gilpin – ★★★★½
   “The main characters in King Vidor’s The Crowd, John Sims, showcase a criticism of the American Dream. Once John moves to New York City, the quote ‘John was one of the seven million that believes New York depends on them’ flashes on screen.”

Meta Description:
A silent-era masterpiece, The Crowd (1928) follows John Sims, a man struggling with marriage, work, and loss while trying to find purpose in an indifferent world. Directed by King Vidor, this poignant drama remains one of early Hollywood’s most powerful explorations of ambition and hardship.