A Face in the Crowd (1957)
1. Source Material
a.Based on Huey Long, Will Rogers & Arthur Godfrey
i.Godfrey pitchman “you can trust me”
1.TV star
ii.Rogers appeared homespun, but resented his fans (Will Rogers, Jr)
b.Mel is avatar for Schulberg’s beliefs
2.Elia Kazan “Gadge”
a.1930’s
b.1940’s
i.Method director “turning psychology into behavior”
ii.Broadway: DeFacto right of 1st refusal for any Broadway play
1.“Death of a Salesman”
2.“Streetcar Named Desire”
iii.Socially conscience films (Gentlemen’s Agreement, Pinky)
1.Simple conflicts, well lit
c.1950’s
i.HUAC-1952
ii.Darker contect post-HUAC
1.On The Waterfront-‘53
2.Southern Trilogy
3.Baby Doll-’56, Face in Crowd-’57, Wild River-‘60
a.Loves the people, but sometimes looks down-E coast elite
d.Personal
i.Immigrant outsider-Istanbul birth/Greek
ii.1st Wife Coneticut WASP from wealthy family
iii.Affair with Barbara Loden during Face in the Crowd shooting
3.Bud Schulberg
a.What makes Sammy Run/The Harder They Fall
b.Short Story “Your Arkansas Traveler” from a coll. Some Faces in the Crowd
c.On the Waterfront-Oscar
d.Named names HUAC
4.Andy Griffith
a.Film Debut
i.“3 Months to shoot & 4 months to recover from”-Griffith on Lonesome
ii.Almost left performing because of difficulty
iii.Cocktail party where Kazan instructed everyone to treat Griffith poorly, as if he were stupid
b.Music degree/plays/monologist/North Carolina
i.High school music teacher
ii.Local theater in NC
iii.Monologist/Stand up comedian
c.“No time for Segeants”. 1 year on Broadway. Met Kazan
d.Andy Griffith Show
i.Onionhead (follow up to Face in the Crowd-bombed-movie jail)
ii.Spin off of Danny Thomas Show
5.Patricia O’Neal
a.Married to Roald Dahl
b.Acts with her eyes and face. Always thinking
6.Lee Remick
7.Walter Matheau
a.Kind cynicism
8.Lonesome Rhodes
a.Demigod/meglomaniac
b.Low class/high personae
c.Politics/advertising/entertainment
d.Kazan: “can’t you imagine something Lonesome would want to do with Patricia Neal?”-scene along road when she tries to convince him to work at radio station
e.Betty Lou scene advice before rolling close up of Rhodes: “Fuck Her!”
f.Open Mic: Uncle Don’s kids show real life “that out to keep the little bastards happy.”
g.Duality between good/evil & innocent/knowing
9.Production
a.Kazan had Griffith drink during last violent scene. “he was too nice otherwise”
i.Gaffer to Griffith: “today’s the day we’re going to see if you can really act”
b.Kazan/Schulberg thought they made Lonesome too comically evil
10.Release
a.Censorship
i.Marcia’s black neglige
ii.Suitcase left in hallway to signify all night stay by lonesome
iii.Betty Lou’s outfits & visual closeups
11.Reception
a.Mixed reviews
12.Themes
a.Power of TV
i.1950-12% of households
ii.1957-80%
iii.3 yrs later helped elect Kennedy
iv.Kazan/Schulberg understood impact & future
b.Media
i.Cultivated personae wielding immense power
ii.Folksy charm puts viewers at ease “man of the people”
c.Influencer
i.“I’m an influence, a wielder of opinion, a force.”-Lonesome Rhodes
1.“disruptors”
2.Mistrust institutions, science, minorities, others
3.Prey on fear of change
4.Contempt for his audience
5.Love/Hate with people who charm, then hurt & swindle us
ii.Pushes product he doesn’t believe in for profit (Alex Jones)
iii.Create new insecurities in their audience and dupe enough people to stay in business (POWER).
d.As long as Marcia loves him, Rhodes is redeemable
13.HUAC
a.1940’s
i.Mid-40’s turned on Hollywood for publicity
b.1950’s
i.Schulberg 1951
ii.Kazan 1952 (January & April)
1.2 appearances (1st-no names)
2.Second: names names, including friend Clifford Odets
3.Takes out ad in NYT proclaiming his righteousness
4.Arthur Miller’s feelings: wrote A view from the Bridge as condemnation of informing, sent it to Kazan, who said “I’d be honored to direct.” Miller responded, “I don’t want you to direct. I wanted to show you how I feel about stool pigeons.”
5.Ostrasized
6.Oscar protest 1999
c.Hollywood 10
i.Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus)
1.The Brave One-’57 (Oscar)
2.Roman Holiday-’54 (Oscar)
ii.Edward Dmytryk (Crossfire-’47, Murder, My Sweet-’45)
d.McCarthy/Roy Cohn
1. Source Material
a.Based on Huey Long, Will Rogers & Arthur Godfrey
i.Godfrey pitchman “you can trust me”
1.TV star
ii.Rogers appeared homespun, but resented his fans (Will Rogers, Jr)
b.Mel is avatar for Schulberg’s beliefs
2.Elia Kazan “Gadge”
a.1930’s
b.1940’s
i.Method director “turning psychology into behavior”
ii.Broadway: DeFacto right of 1st refusal for any Broadway play
1.“Death of a Salesman”
2.“Streetcar Named Desire”
iii.Socially conscience films (Gentlemen’s Agreement, Pinky)
1.Simple conflicts, well lit
c.1950’s
i.HUAC-1952
ii.Darker contect post-HUAC
1.On The Waterfront-‘53
2.Southern Trilogy
3.Baby Doll-’56, Face in Crowd-’57, Wild River-‘60
a.Loves the people, but sometimes looks down-E coast elite
d.Personal
i.Immigrant outsider-Istanbul birth/Greek
ii.1st Wife Coneticut WASP from wealthy family
iii.Affair with Barbara Loden during Face in the Crowd shooting
3.Bud Schulberg
a.What makes Sammy Run/The Harder They Fall
b.Short Story “Your Arkansas Traveler” from a coll. Some Faces in the Crowd
c.On the Waterfront-Oscar
d.Named names HUAC
4.Andy Griffith
a.Film Debut
i.“3 Months to shoot & 4 months to recover from”-Griffith on Lonesome
ii.Almost left performing because of difficulty
iii.Cocktail party where Kazan instructed everyone to treat Griffith poorly, as if he were stupid
b.Music degree/plays/monologist/North Carolina
i.High school music teacher
ii.Local theater in NC
iii.Monologist/Stand up comedian
c.“No time for Segeants”. 1 year on Broadway. Met Kazan
d.Andy Griffith Show
i.Onionhead (follow up to Face in the Crowd-bombed-movie jail)
ii.Spin off of Danny Thomas Show
5.Patricia O’Neal
a.Married to Roald Dahl
b.Acts with her eyes and face. Always thinking
6.Lee Remick
7.Walter Matheau
a.Kind cynicism
8.Lonesome Rhodes
a.Demigod/meglomaniac
b.Low class/high personae
c.Politics/advertising/entertainment
d.Kazan: “can’t you imagine something Lonesome would want to do with Patricia Neal?”-scene along road when she tries to convince him to work at radio station
e.Betty Lou scene advice before rolling close up of Rhodes: “Fuck Her!”
f.Open Mic: Uncle Don’s kids show real life “that out to keep the little bastards happy.”
g.Duality between good/evil & innocent/knowing
9.Production
a.Kazan had Griffith drink during last violent scene. “he was too nice otherwise”
i.Gaffer to Griffith: “today’s the day we’re going to see if you can really act”
b.Kazan/Schulberg thought they made Lonesome too comically evil
10.Release
a.Censorship
i.Marcia’s black neglige
ii.Suitcase left in hallway to signify all night stay by lonesome
iii.Betty Lou’s outfits & visual closeups
11.Reception
a.Mixed reviews
12.Themes
a.Power of TV
i.1950-12% of households
ii.1957-80%
iii.3 yrs later helped elect Kennedy
iv.Kazan/Schulberg understood impact & future
b.Media
i.Cultivated personae wielding immense power
ii.Folksy charm puts viewers at ease “man of the people”
c.Influencer
i.“I’m an influence, a wielder of opinion, a force.”-Lonesome Rhodes
1.“disruptors”
2.Mistrust institutions, science, minorities, others
3.Prey on fear of change
4.Contempt for his audience
5.Love/Hate with people who charm, then hurt & swindle us
ii.Pushes product he doesn’t believe in for profit (Alex Jones)
iii.Create new insecurities in their audience and dupe enough people to stay in business (POWER).
d.As long as Marcia loves him, Rhodes is redeemable
13.HUAC
a.1940’s
i.Mid-40’s turned on Hollywood for publicity
b.1950’s
i.Schulberg 1951
ii.Kazan 1952 (January & April)
1.2 appearances (1st-no names)
2.Second: names names, including friend Clifford Odets
3.Takes out ad in NYT proclaiming his righteousness
4.Arthur Miller’s feelings: wrote A view from the Bridge as condemnation of informing, sent it to Kazan, who said “I’d be honored to direct.” Miller responded, “I don’t want you to direct. I wanted to show you how I feel about stool pigeons.”
5.Ostrasized
6.Oscar protest 1999
c.Hollywood 10
i.Dalton Trumbo (Spartacus)
1.The Brave One-’57 (Oscar)
2.Roman Holiday-’54 (Oscar)
ii.Edward Dmytryk (Crossfire-’47, Murder, My Sweet-’45)
d.McCarthy/Roy Cohn
