Andy Griffith plays the roles of Larry Rhodes and Lonesome in this movie. Larry’s stage name has become ‘Lonesome’ after gaining fame; their characters are similar since fame only amplifies Larry’s real character. Before his recognition, Larry was a drunkard and drifter without a real home (Tapper). However, he becomes famous after a radio presenter finds him in jail, and he sings a song that captures the reporter’s attention. The presenter vows to make something out of Larry, which introduces the character of ‘Lonesome’ Rhodes, an influential singer and entertainer.
Patricia Neal plays the role of Marcia Jeffries, an ambitious radio presenter who finds and develops talent to her advantage. Marcia works at a local radio station known as A Face in the Crowd, where she airs live entertainment shows. As a go-getter, she decides to advance her career by interviewing new faces and goes to jail to find the people (Tapper). Marcia finds Rhodes during one of her visits to the jail, where he captures her with his charisma. She is enthralled by Rhode and decides to host him in her show, marking the beginning of Rhode’s fame in the entertainment industry.
The movie introduces Lee Remick, who plays the role of Betty Lou, Rhode’s devoted fan. Lou’s screenplay is brief as she uses her beauty and feministic charms to seduce Rhodes and becomes his wife for some time. After he finds her cheating with his best friend, Rhodes sends her back home to Arkansas. Finally, General Haynesworth, played by Percy Warm, is the owner of an advertising company that recruits Rhode’s expertise in influencing the public to their company.
Rhodes craves power and dominance, and when the opportunity presents itself, he seizes it wholeheartedly without considering other people’s feelings. He wants to control everyone and everything around him, including his love interests. Marcia is an ambitious young woman and wants to gain experience and fame through her radio show called A Face in the Crowd (Tapper). Although the movie does not show Miller’s intention, he always pursues Marcia and could be interested in a romantic relationship. Alternatively, Miller also wants to promote his show through Rhode’s charisma and influence on the public. Lou is a fan who is interested in being recognized as Rhode’s woman by becoming his wife. Consequently, the general has a vision for his company’s growth, and Rhode’s reputation could be the solution to his career advancement.
Rhodes influences people’s hearts and minds through charisma and manipulation. When he meets Marcia for the first time, he claims to be a songwriter and musician, but the song he plays is not original; he leads Marcia on after realizing she loves him. Rhodes controls the public to his bidding and influences their choices significantly. He advertises products and services regardless of their credibility, yet the Crowd follows blindly without considering the disadvantages.
Rhodes states, “I’m not just an entertainer. I’m an influence, a willer of opinion, a force!” (Kazan), showing his power over people. Rhodes’s interest in Lou is also a manipulation to the public as he considers her a public promoter “all wrapped up with yellow ribbons into one cute little package” (Kazan). Everybody else uses Rhodes for their gain since he is the people’s man. Marcia takes advantage of Rhode’s influence to promote her radio and television shows, and she sticks with Rhodes despite his arrogance. Consequently, Miller uses Rhodes to promote his show, while general Haynesworth makes Rhodes a sponsor for his advertising company. Although Lou’s role is short-lived, she gains fame by marrying Rhodes.
Marcia gets famous through Rhodes, but she feels guilty for creating and encouraging his arrogance and manipulation. In the end, she exposes him and causes both their ruin. Rhodes achieves his goal of being powerful and having total control over the public. However, his true nature shows at the end leading to a great downfall. According to (Tapper), Rhodes got all due to his charisma but lost all due to manipulation and arrogance. After Rhode’s downfall, every person depending on him to advance falls with him.
Kazan explores the theme of media’s influence in manipulating and enticing audiences. Media personalities are very elusive and find all opportunities to influence people without their notice. They are like whisperers who feed the audience little bits of gossip until the public is under their control. Televisions might be small devices, but their impact is significant since people tend to disregard the truth due to manipulation. Rhode states, “…I could make them eat dog food and think it was steak” (Kazan) when he refers to his supporters. According to (Tapper), media and television personalities are sneaky and untrustworthy, and leaders and politicians embrace popularity to satisfy their greed.
The movie’s ending is precisely satisfying because each character achieves what they deserve. Marcia demonstrates courage and overcomes her weakness by exposing Rhode’s manipulative acts, which shows her ability to be reasonable despite being obsessed with Rhodes. Consequently, the movie’s finale explains the consequences of greed and lust for power by controlling people’s thoughts. Although the public is aware that some media personalities hide behind their television and radio shows, they are actually unpleasant characters. They are always unwilling to acknowledge that nobody is perfect, including media influencers. Thus, the conclusion of this movie should be a lesson to people who idolize celebrities, politicians, and other public influencers to the point of ignoring the truth.
Works Cited
Kazan, Elia, director. A Face in the Crowd, 1957. Web.
Tapper, Jake. “Why Americans Fall For Grifters”. The Atlantic, 2021. Web.