A Face in the Crowd Blu-ray

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Elia Kazan
USA 1957

A Face in the Crowd chronicles the rise and fall of Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes (Andy Griffith), a boisterous entertainer discovered in an Arkansas drunk tank by Marcia Jeffries (Patricia Neal), a local radio producer with ambitions of her own. His charisma and cunning soon shoot him to the heights of television stardom and political demagoguery, forcing Marcia to grapple with the manipulative, reactionary monster she has created. Directed by Elia Kazan from a screenplay by Budd Schulberg, this incisive satire features an extraordinary debut screen performance by Griffith, who brandishes his charm in an uncharacteristically sinister role. Though the film was a flop on its initial release, subsequent generations have marveled at its eerily prescient diagnosis of the toxic intimacy between media and politics in American life.

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Andy Griffith makes a spectacular film debut in this searing drama as Lonesome Rhodes, a philosophical country-western singer discovered in a tanktown jail by radio talent scout Patricia Neal and her assistant Walter Matthau. They decide that Rhodes is worthy of a radio spot, but the unforeseen result is that the gangly, aw-shucks entertainer becomes an overnight sensation not simply on radio but, thereafter, on television. As he ascends to stardom, Rhodes attracts fans, sponsors and endorsements by the carload, and soon he is the most powerful and influential entertainer on the airwaves. Beloved by his audience, Rhodes reveals himself to his intimates as a scheming, power-hungry manipulator, with Machiavellian political aspirations. He uses everyone around him, coldly discarding anyone who might impede his climb to the top (one such victim is sexy baton-twirler Lee Remick, likewise making her film debut). Just when it seems that there's no stopping Rhodes' megalomania, his mentor and ex-lover Neal exposes this Idol of Millions as the rat that he is. She arranges to switch on the audio during the closing credits of Rhodes' TV program, allowing the whole nation to hear the grinning, waving Rhodes characterize them as "suckers" and "stupid idiots." Instantly, Rhodes' popularity rating plummets to zero. As he drunkenly wanders around his penthouse apartment, still not fully comprehending what has happened to him, Rhodes is deserted by the very associates who, hours earlier, were willing to ask "how high?" when he yelled "jump." Written by Budd Schulberg, Face in the Crowd was not a success, possibly because it hit so close to home with idol-worshipping TV fans. Its reputation has grown in the intervening years, not only because of its value as a film but because of the novelty of seeing the traditionally easygoing Andy Griffith as so vicious and manipulative a character as Lonesome Rhodes.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

Posters

Theatrical Release: May 28th, 1957 (Chicago, Illinois)

Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews

Comparison:

Warner Home Video Boxset - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray

1) Warner - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - RIGHT

Box Cover	or available in Warner's Controversial Classics Collection (Reviewed *HERE*)	Coming out on Blu-ray by Criterion in the UK ion May 6th, 2019:
Distribution	Warner - Region 1,2,3,4 - NTSC	Criterion Spine #970 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Runtime	2:05:48	2:06:11.564
Video	1.78:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.56 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s Chapters : 28	1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,622,832,896 bytes Feature: 37,850,560,512 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.82 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	English (Dolby Digital original), DUB: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)	LPCM Audio English 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Subtitles	English, None	English (SDH), None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Warner Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Edition Details: • New documentary Facing the Past (29:08) Theatrical Trailer DVD Release Date: May 10th, 2005 Cardboard Box with 7 Keep Cases	Release Information: Studio: Criterion 1.85:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 48,622,832,896 bytes Feature: 37,850,560,512 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.82 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • New interview with Ron Briley, author of The Ambivalent Legacy of Elia Kazan (20:43) • New interview with Andy Griffith biographer Evan Dalton Smith (19:43) Facing the Past, a 2005 documentary featuring actors Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Anthony Franciosa; screenwriter Budd Schulberg; and film scholars Leo Braudy and Jeff Young (29:10) • Trailer (2:19) • PLUS: An essay by critic April Wolfe, excerpts from director Elia Kazan’s introduction to the film’s published screenplay, and a 1957 New York Times Magazine profile of Griffith New cover by Marc Aspinall Blu-ray Release Date: April 23rd, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 34

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Criterion bring Elia Kazan's A Face in the Crowd to a new Blu-ray edition. This restored 4K digital transfer is on a dual-layered Blu-ray in 1080P with a max'ed-out bitrate looks impressive. It is in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio (where the Warner DVD was 1.78:1). Grain is not abundant in the HD transfer but there is consistent texture and the contrast is pleasing producing a solid representation of the film in-motion..

The Blu-ray audio's transferred via a linear PCM (24-bit). The film is notable for a score written by Tom Glazer and songs performed by Andy Griffith such as Free Man in the Morning, the Vitajex Jingle, Just Plain Folks, Old Fashioned Marriage, Mama Guitar etc. which sound authentically flat but crisp. The audio quality is decent and dialogue is clear and audible. There are optional English (SDH) subtitles on this Region 'A' Blu-ray.

Supplements include a 2005 documentary, Facing the Past, with actors Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, and Anthony Franciosa; screenwriter Budd Schulberg; and film scholars Leo Braudy and Jeff Young discussing A Face in the Crowd for shy of 1/2 hour. Face in the Crowd was Andy Griffith's first film role; he would go on to be most famous for his folksy portrayal of Sheriff Andy Taylor on television's The Andy Griffith Show. In the included 20-minute interview, shot by the Criterion Collection in 2018, Griffith expert Evan Dalton Smith discusses the actor's difficulties with the role of Lonesome Rhodes, and how it led to his career-defining television show. There is also a new interview with, Ron Briley, author of The Ambivalent Legacy of Elia Kazan: The Politics of the Post-HUAC Films, who discusses the origins of the Lonesome Rhodes character in the biographies of populist celebrities such as Will Rogers and Arthur Godfrey. He also addresses the political implications of A Face in the Crowd within the context of Kazan's career. It runs 20-minutes. There is a trailer froe the film and the package has a liner notes booklet with an essay by critic April Wolfe, excerpts from director Elia Kazan’s introduction to the film’s published screenplay, and a 1957 New York Times Magazine profile of Griffith.

A Face in the Crowd is a superb film on many fronts. It's funny, probing, well-ahead of it's time, satirical and brilliantly acted and directed. The Blu-ray transfer is at Criterion top-shelf level and, as far as I am concerned - this is a 'must-own'. A superior film and BD effort - buy with extreme confidence!

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Never being a strong Kazan fan, this film was new to me, but I enjoyed it quite a lot (especially as I have always had a crush on Patricia Neal!). The 30 minute documentary "Facing the Past" is an adequate replacement for a commentary with quite a few talking heads and clips from the film. The image quality of the feature is very strong with piercing blacks and good detail.