The Crowd

The Crowd, 1928
Director:King Vidor




Q1.How does the film relate to the Chapter in Foner?
A1:“The Crowd” was shot in 1928; this was a film about an ordinary American, John Sims who has a typical American dream, and is eager to have a great life in the future. This film describes how he put his endeavors to pursuit his expected life, furthermore, how he goes through his life time dilemmas and challenges, and tries so hard to accomplish his American Dream. The film starts with a scene that when he is born; his father says to him “ I am going to give him every opportunity.” Indeed, John does not disappoint his father’s expectation, and becomes a very ambitious child who has a big aspirations and goals. However, when John is 12, his father dies. When he becomes 21, he comes to New York City, and becomes a professional accountant. In this metropolis, as an accountant, a well dressed professional person. Finally, he finds his love, and gets married with Mary. They live in a very tiny place, indeed, they are poor. Moreover, John is suffering from being humiliated by Mary’s wealthy mother and brothers, namely, Mary’s mother requests John to have a better standard of living to take care of Mary. When time passes, this young couple has a lovely son and daughter. Their life is normal and pleasant, but there comes an event that will change John’s ordinary life. John earns the prize of 500 dollars from an advertising competition; he buys some presents for his children for celebrating his wining. However, when his daughter crosses the street from playing with other kids to get his father’s gift, she is hit by a truck. His daughter does not survive after that accident, and this dramatic moment changes John’s life. In fact, after this tragedy, John is too pained, and unable to focus on his work. The consequence is not surprising; he quit his job. Later he decides to start up his own business by selling vacuum cleaners, but ends up with failure. After losing his lovely baby and job, he starts to stays at home, and does not work for a long time. During that time, Mary starts to do some handmade works to maintain their life. However, Mary cannot stand for John doing nothing at home, moreover, she wants to leave him. Meanwhile, John still suffering from losing his child, and thinks of himself as a useless man. He once thinks about committing suicide to end his tragic life, but with his son’s encouragement, he is willing to seek another job. A clown that John made fun of earlier in the film becomes John’s only option to bring his wife and family back. In fact, he takes the job as a clown; put his family and life back again. John represents 1920’s average income American people, like white-collar accountants, this is a portrait of how an average income American lives, and how they overcome their life time difficulties. In fact, this film did reveal some of Foner’s points of view about 1920’s in his book. First of all, when John goes to New York City, it is not hard to observe that New York is a big, populated city. This gigantic city was filled with cars, wide-extended roads, and sky-high modern buildings, most important of all, more and more busy, well-suited people around. This part of the film gives us an information of how an American city like New York was so prosperous and advanced during that time. Foner points out that “The 1920s was a decade of prosperity”( Foner 722).I think that New York is one of the most significant signs of prosperity in 1920s’ America. Foner also believes that “The automobile was the backbone of economic growth”(Foner 722). Indeed, automobiles played a significant part to stimulate America’s economy, and pushed American society to be more modernized and advanced. That’s why Foner thinks that “The automobile industry stimulated the expansion of steel, rubber and oil production, road construction, and other sectors of the economy”(Foner 722). In fact, we can notice there were so many cars in New York city, these cars in the film might be the best illustration of Foner’s point. Second, when John became a vacuum cleaners’ salesman, after not selling any of them, he went home disappointed and said to Mary “Mary, there's no use trying to sell vacuums. Everybody has one.” In fact, this reflects what Foner’s description on the top of the graph, it points out “Electric washing machines and Hoover vacuum cleaners were two of the home appliances that found their way into many American homes during the 1920s(Foner 724). This represents that the public had stronger consumption power, and how advanced American society was popularized during 1920s. Last but not least, in the film, there was a standard for men and women to be well dressed. For instance, John always wears suit and tie with his hat, no matter where he is going. This standard might be the fashionable way of wearing and part of public culture in America’s 1920s. Foner, indeed, explains this phenomenon as “ Radio and the movie spread mass culture throughout the nation. Americans seemed to dress like, think like, go to the same movies, and admire the same larger-than-life national celebrities”(Foner 721). In my understanding, these three main points are most related to Foner’s chapter, moreover, because this film was just made a year before the Great Depression, so this might be the best material to illustrate America’s culture, and their daily life before the Great Depression. However, this film was made in 1928, so, maybe the problems and negative parts of the society like corruption in the government, and the opposite sides of the modern urban culture, the rise of fundamentalism were not mentioned in the movie.



Q2.What can we learn about American Culture during the time period by interpreting the film as a primary sources?
A2: The entertainment was more important than before in1920s and people took this as necessity in their daily life. In the film, when John has a date with Mary, they go to a carnival to enjoy their date. This also points that the “night life” appeared in 1920’s and was important to the public. Moreover, in John’s company, they have a activity like “ Annual Picnic”, this reveals that cooperation started to have this kind of company activity provides an event that make their workers know each other, relax, and most important part was to unite their workers. In my explanation, this represents that the “company culture” or “company spirit” emerged in the 1920’s American business culture. Working attitude might be another issue in the 1920’s business world. John and his colleagues seem to expect to get out of work as soon as possible. There is a scene that all accountants including John are staring at the clock before five pm, and is not hard to see how they are eager to get out of work. However, after work, everyone is excited to enjoy their entertainment. This issue reflects how working people lack break time, and how they did not enjoy working. In 1920s, the social status of women had reached another level. For instance, when John has a date with Mary they are not afraid to hug or kiss in public. This represents that women’s liberty was promoted and accepted by the public. Moreover, in Mary’s case they could choose their groom or dating guy without having the same social status or parents’ arrangement. The vacuum was another symbol in 1920s, it was popularized and became a symbol of how America’s economy was rapidly growing; moreover, most Americans could afford to use this type of advanced technology at home. America’s society no doubt was more modernized than any other country and culture. Urbanization was another achievement we could observe from the film. New York City’s fascinating sky-high buildings, endless driving cars, and countless people in the city all embodies that New York City was as a well urbanized city in1920s.

Q3.What does the film reveal about attitudes toward gender, class, and race?
A3:
In this film, it does not describe any issue that associated with race, but“ The Crowd” does deal with about class and gender. In the class system, John, an accountant, is a typical representative of a white-collar average American, this film well describes what an average American life was about in 1920s. In fact, their salaries only could cover their daily fundamental uses, for example, food, and basic furniture. That’s why when John earns the prize from an advertising competition of 500 dollars, he is so pleased, because he can pay off the furniture loan, and buy something considered luxurious like presents for their children. Without this 500 dollars, he has barely enough money to buy something else, his income is completely dedicated to some daily needs like food and loans. Indeed, this points out that although John was an average income American in1920s, he could only barely maintain his life in balance. Regarding gender, although Mary had more freedom like kissing or hugging in the public as a normal behavior in the 1920s society, in this movie the women were still defined as the people who only need to devote themselves to their family. Mary, in the film, despite the time before she married John, she always stays at home waiting for John get out of work. Mary cooks breakfast for John, and when John is fired, she does some handmade works to support their family. In fact, Mary’s priority is still focusing on her family. Women’s liberty was still held by their family’s control in 1920s, they did not have complete freedom yet.


Q4.What was the most important scene in the film?
A4:
The most important scene was when John is encouraged by his son, and finds a new job to be a clown; the same job that he had laughed at in the beginning when he was still an accountant. However, he gives up his unpractical dream in thinking about that he still could have his own big business, without doing nothing, furthermore, he takes the job. Based on this clown job, John earns his revenue again, brings Mary back, and their family back on track again. This indirectly shows that John starts over his American dream again, and puts it into action. Although being a clown has a low salary, hope is what he has now. He can use this hope to change his family’s poor living condition to a better life. This optimistic vision of future might be a unique product and response of the prosperous decade of 1920s. However, again, this movie was made right before the Great Depression; I believe that after the Great Depression this optimistic social expectation will switch in a different way.