An Experimental Vision of the Everyman
By the late 1920s, King Vidor was one of MGM's most successful directors, thanks to massive hits like the World War I epic "The Big Parade." This success earned him the capital to pursue a passion project: a film about the crushing anonymity of modern
city life. He wanted to tell the story of an ordinary man, John Sims, who arrives in New York City believing he's destined for greatness only to be swallowed by the indifferent masses. Vidor sold the idea to production head Irving Thalberg as an experimental film. To achieve a stark realism unheard of at the time, Vidor cast a relative unknown, James Murray, in the lead and used hidden cameras to capture the chaotic energy of New York's actual streets.
The Ending That Was Too Real
Vidor's film, "The Crowd" (1928), followed John and his wife Mary through marriage, parenthood, and the quiet disappointments of a life that never lives up to its early promise. After their daughter is tragically killed, John spirals, losing his job and his self-worth. Vidor’s original ending was profoundly ambiguous. John, now a sandwich-board carrier, reconciles with Mary. The final shot finds them in a vaudeville theater, laughing along with hundreds of others, just two more faces lost in the crowd—their future uncertain, their happiness fleeting. It was a powerful statement on the fragility of the American Dream, but for studio boss Louis B. Mayer, it was simply depressing.
A Standoff Over Sentiment
MGM, and particularly Louis B. Mayer, balked at the film’s bleakness. The studio system was built on selling escapism, and a film that suggested life was a series of soul-crushing compromises was bad for business. Fearing a box-office failure, the studio shelved the film for nearly a year and demanded Vidor shoot a happier, more commercially viable ending. The director, however, was adamant that his original conclusion was essential to the film's artistic integrity. He refused to simply tack on an unearned, cheerful finale. The resulting conflict was a classic battle between art and commerce.
The Seven Endings and a Strange Compromise
Vidor's refusal wasn't absolute, but it forced an unusual situation. According to his autobiography, the studio insisted on creating alternatives, leading to the filming of a staggering seven different endings for test audiences. These ranged from Vidor's preferred bleak-but-hopeful version to a saccharine conclusion where the family celebrates Christmas after John magically lands a great new job at an advertising agency. In the end, a strange compromise was reached: MGM released the film and gave theater exhibitors a choice between two endings—Vidor's original and the unambiguously happy one. Vidor later claimed that, to his satisfaction, the happier ending was rarely shown.
A Legacy of Defiance
Though "The Crowd" wasn't a blockbuster, it was a critical success and earned Vidor an Oscar nomination for Best Director at the very first Academy Awards. Its reputation has only grown, and it's now considered a masterpiece of the silent era, influencing countless filmmakers from Vittorio De Sica to Billy Wilder. The story behind its conclusion became a legendary example of a director fighting for his vision against the immense pressure of the studio machine. While Vidor didn't win the war outright, his refusal to simply capitulate ensured that his powerful, honest, and heartbreaking vision for "The Crowd" survived to be seen, securing its place in cinematic history.
