A Face In the Crowd (1957)

A Face in the Crowd (1957) – A small-time grifter (Andy Griffith) is discovered by a small town radio producer (Patricia Neal).  His singing and down-home humor make him a star on the national stage.  When fame goes to his head his world comes crashing down.

Directed by Elia Kazan                                  Starring – Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau,                                                                                               Lee Remick

Depending on your age, Andy Griffith means different things to you.  If you’re a bit older than me you may remember him as a popular comedian who specialized in monologues about country life. For folks my age, he will always be Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry.  If you’re a bit younger he is Matlock.  All of that makes his role in this movie all the more interesting.

A Face in the Crowd comes just before his career as the ultimate “nice guy” begins.  His character Lonesome Rhodes is the mirror image of the persona that made him a star.  Yes, he’s a good old boy.  Lonesome has a story for every situation, he is charming, funny and caring.  Unlike Griffith’s signature roles, all of that is strictly superficial.  Lonesome is a con man to his core.  He says whatever he needs to say to get what he wants in the moment.  It’s a situation that feels very in the moment today.

The story is based loosely on the career of early media star Arthur Godfrey.  He even gets a quick mention in the movie.

This is a fascinating story but there’s also some great early career performances here as well.  This was Walter Matthau’s fourth movie.  He is wonderful as the “other man” in a love triangle with Griffith and Neal.  This was Lee Remick’s first movie.  She has a small role as Rhode’s near jail-bait wife.  Both do nice work in small roles.  There is a slew of guest appearances by real stars and news people.

The movie received mixed reviews at the time but has been much better received as the years went by.

Why I Liked It – Kazan does a great job balancing the storylines in a movie that is dominated by a single character.  Griffith is amazing.  It is a blunt look at fame and the media.  It’s all the more powerful when you realize it’s almost 60 years old.

Why You Will Like It – Like everyone in the movie, it’s hard not to like Lonesome Rhodes.  Griffith’s performance is stunning in itself, as well as in comparison to the characters we know and love.  It’s also fun spotting all the cameos by stars in the movie.

Rating – **** Recommended