Review of A Face in the Crowd (1957) by Mark P — 16 Jun 2009

So I'm watching this with my sister last night, who's visiting from England, and I tell her it's a powerful performance by Andy Griffith. This is my Robert Osbornean intro to a movie that truly grips me.

As we get into the film, she's talking about how great it is that Elia Kazan, a sellout to the Committee on Un-American Activities, she reminds me, can so beautifully capture small town America, but that Andy Griffith is wrong for the part.

Well, I beg to differ with my one and only dear sister, but Andy Griffith, I believe, is perfect for this part. My sister maintains that Griffith is not sinister enough to play the part of Lonesome Rhodes.

This, I think, is a carryover of the whole Mayberry syndrome. I believe that Griffith is perfectly sinister for this part, and his acting job here shows how much range he has beyond Sheriff Andy Taylor.

You watch it, and you tell me. Do you agree with my sister, or do you agree with me? One thing we do see eye to eye on is that the script here is a gem.