Jon Mirsalis on Piano. Dispensing with conventional dramatics and star vehicles, King Vidor made this early "message" film about an ordinary man who struggles to maintain his ego in the heartless city, and who is ultimately overcome by the forces of anonymity. James Murray-an extra picked by Vidor out of the studio crowd-is featured as the store clerk, John, and Eleanor Boardman plays his wife, Mary. Together they combat the big city's infinite little conspiracies against humanity, and nourish each other's belief in "luck" until they become vulnerable to the ravages of the crowd. The Crowd is one of the most important films of the silent era and both its theme and its visual innovations still captivate viewers. Vidor uses hidden-camera documentary-style footage of New York locations and draws as well on the urban ethos of Expressionism.