A Face in the Crowd

Name: A Face in the Crowd
Genre: Drama, Music
Released: June 1, 1957
Duration: 126 min
Rating: 72
Cast: Alexander Kirkland, Andy Griffith, Anthony Franciosa, Lee Remick, Marshall Neilan

1957

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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7.6

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7.6	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Ratings

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A Face In The Crowd

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. | Release Date: June 1, 1957 | TV-PG

Starring: Alexander Kirkland, Andy Griffith, Anthony Franciosa, Lee Remick, Marshall Neilan, Patricia Neal, Paul McGrath, Percy Waram, Rod Brasfield, Walter Matthau

Summary: An Arkansas drifter becomes an overnight media sensation. As he becomes drunk with fame and power, will he ever be exposed as the fraud he has become?

Director: Elia Kazan

Genre(s): Drama, Music

Rating: TV-PG

Runtime: 126 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Mick LaSalle

This is one of the greatest films of the 1950s, a prophetic film about the dangerous power of modern media. Read full review

100

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not Credited)

A raw, penetrating, and terrifying portrait of humanity. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg, who teamed to bring forth On the Waterfront, have another provocative and hardhitting entry, based on Schulberg's short story The Arkansas Traveler. It's a devastating commentary on hero-worship and success cults in America. Read full review

Dave Kehr

The script, by Budd Schulberg, is pat and badly proportioned, but the picture has a sharp, dirty appeal. Read full review

Jeremiah Kipp

Strong performances and a fiery aggressive tone keep things moving, but A Face in the Crowd is dated and not particularly deep. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

In the opening scenes of Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg's satire on the dangers of television and advertising, Griffith's virtuoso, likeably irreverent performance makes for genuinely amusing viewing; but once he's mixing with the bigwigs, the film-makers' political messages start flying thick and fast, and the drama soon becomes overheated and unconvincing. Read full review

Pauline Kael

Some exciting scenes in the first half, but the later developments are frenetic, and by the end the film is a loud and discordant mess.

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User Reviews

JLuis_001

Mar 28, 2023

There is definitely no way I would dare call this film an underwhelming experience, especially since I always try not to let my own expectations work against me, but I also find it hard to believe that what I have seen is in any way the extraordinary film that I have heard for so many yearsThere is definitely no way I would dare call this film an underwhelming experience, especially since I always try not to let my own expectations work against me, but I also find it hard to believe that what I have seen is in any way the extraordinary film that I have heard for so many years that it was. I mean, this is considered one of Elia Kazan's best films and to me it felt extremely average and ordinary. Engaging of course, but nothing special.

I may have misunderstood the quality, but there's something here that doesn't quite resonate with me.… Expand

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