A Face in the Crowd

Released May 28, 1957

2 hr. 5 min.

Drama

List

88%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

94%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Ambitious young radio producer Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal) finds a charming rogue named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes (Andy Griffith) in an Arkansas drunk tank and puts him on the air. Soon, Rhodes' local popularity gets him an appearance on television in Memphis, which he parlays into national network stardom that he uses to endorse a presidential candidate for personal gain. But the increasingly petulant star's ego, arrogance and womanizing threaten his rise to the top.

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Critics Consensus

A raucous Andy Griffith channels the corruptive influence of celebrity in Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd, a prescient critique of American media.

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Shioka O

Poignant social satire. Ahead of its time, and still, or even more relevant for now. The word of "influencer" appeared in this film!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

andres s

Ohhh yeah. Good ole small town America - where the living is slow and easy. Marcia Jeffries sure is an attractive woman. She's got this energy about her that is pleasant. Cinematically and visually, the movie looks incredibly polished and restored. Criterion did a hell of a job making it look like it came out recently. There's this very seedy and dark look to the movie that I find both unexpected and intriguing. I would've never expected Andy Griffith to play such a rugged and troublesome character but he nails it. He really seeps into the characters skin and becomes this rogue Lonesome Rhodes character. I do have to admit though he's got a sharp mind for talking and for getting people on his side. He's a people person - people like him and it's easy for him to sway people on his side. A charming man of the people. That can be dangerous though. Especially if the person has malicious or evil intentions to use these powers. Especially if greed, fame or power are sought after. Hmm, now he's becoming a marketing mascot. He sees the money signs and he's going fo it. That laugh he does is really something else lol. That sure is a quick rise to the top for Rhodes. Those button twirling girls were pretty exciting and entertaining to watch. I felt so bad for Marcia when Larry came back from Mexico on the plane with the blonde girl and announced that he had married her. Marcia such a good and sweet person. She doesn't deserve an unfaithful piece of crap like Larry. He's gonna get what's coming to him. And isn't it illegal to marry an underage kid? I guess not in Mexico. And I guess not if your Larry Lonesome Rhodes, who can do no wrong. Those poor little Chihuahua's lmao. They're probably scarred for life being handled like that and being around all that ruckus and commotion. Larry's got a lot of things going for him except a couple things which will eventually be his downfall. He's arrogant, he's got a wicked ego and on top of all that, he's a womanizer. Holy shit! The way Marcia jumps on the controls in the audio booth and ruins Rhodes' image! She created and made this monster, and she can damn well destroy it. I'm glad she did what she did. He pretty much deserved it. And that whole "going down, all the way down" elevator sequence was brilliant. That was a pretty scary and dark scene when Larry was acting like he was on TV with the fake applause in the background. We saw his madness in full effect. I love that final dialogue that Walter Matthau's character gives towards Rhodes. It's like he wrote what's going to happen to him well in advance. He'd been wanting to say that to Rhodes for a while. Larry's problem was that he reverted back to his old unruly and rough ways. He took Marcia for granted when he should've held her tight and kept her close and gotten serious with her. Pretty progressive themes and ideas especially for it's time. It's got a really great sense of humor. If there's one thing that this movie isn't, is boring. Entertaining, informative, smart, stimulative and funny the whole way. While also addressing the dramas that come with stardom and love. A smart movie commentating on media, politics, marketing and charismatic spokespeople. This movie really took me by surprise with how good it was. A fantastic movie! I'd definitely watch it again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Holy cow....what a performance from Andy Giffith. An interesting exploration of the power of media and celebrity.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

At some parts it delved into the unbelievable especially towards the second half. How did he honestly get all those places named after himself, how did Marcia continue to become a shell of herself, and how was he that influential after all? I realize it's a movie and can only be 2 hours, but some details were definitely missing in my opinion. It might be better as a tv show. However, it is a cautionary tale and not that far-fetched if you think about popular politicians in your lifetime (cough *trump* cough). Some ppl simply have the gift to persuade others with their talk (preachers for instance) but put in the wrong hands (narcissist) and amplified by the media it can be a recipe for disaster n exploitation. Kind of reminds me for some reason of a film like Citizen Kane, although not as good. The acting was very well done all around, esp Griffin omgosh. The story keeps your interest and I like the films shots.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

john e

A great movie. An insightful and cautionary story of the US political system and its popular distortions. A good story well told with good acting.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This film predicted decades ago where our political process was headed. Andy Griffith's performance is unforgettable.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

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Elia Kazan

Director

Andy Griffith

Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes

Patricia Neal

Marcia Jeffries

Anthony Franciosa

Joey DePalma

Walter Matthau

Mel Miller

Lee Remick

Betty Lou Fleckum

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Karel Reisz

Sight & Sound

Instead of implying their criticism of TV values through asserting their own, Kazan and Schulberg make a token gesture of protest, in which they have no faith.

Mar 31, 2020

Full Review

J. Hoberman

Village Voice

A Face in the Crowd has never ceased to be relevant.

Feb 27, 2008

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

What starts out as a seemingly liberal tract rapidly becomes a smug, cynical exercise in misanthropy.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Brian Susbielles

InSession Film

It serves as a self prophecy, showing a figure who takes his ballooned personality into areas out of his entertainment lane, notably the politics of it...

Mar 3, 2023

Full Review

Dilys Powell

Sunday Times (UK)

A Face in the Crowd is one of the few genuinely political assaults the cinema has made. And it belongs to a different era. It savages. It explodes: it is the guided missile.

Aug 9, 2022

Full Review

Andrew Sarris

Film Culture

The quiet, intimate scenes and background effects of Miss Neal, Matthau, and Franciosa maintain a level of distinction which cancels out much of the bombast and makes [the move], paradoxically enough, the most interesting film from Hollywood this year.

Feb 3, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Ambitious young radio producer Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal) finds a charming rogue named Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes (Andy Griffith) in an Arkansas drunk tank and puts him on the air. Soon, Rhodes' local popularity gets him an appearance on television in Memphis, which he parlays into national network stardom that he uses to endorse a presidential candidate for personal gain. But the increasingly petulant star's ego, arrogance and womanizing threaten his rise to the top.

Director: Elia Kazan
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Newtown Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 28, 1957, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 2, 2016

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