Homework: A Face in the Crowd (1957)

[nickperkins 52]

Currently available for digital rental, or you can DVR it from Turner Classic Movies this week.

[phred2321 57]

Coincidentally, my local arthouse theater is screening this tonight as part of a series of films concerning the American electoral process. Great timing!

[NathanGordon 1096]

This Wednesday on TCM at 8:00pm EST. Sometimes people tweet along with #tcmparty or #tcm.

[Cronopio 127]

This is one of my top ten American films - as relevant today as it was then. Looking forward to hearing Amy and Devin's discussion.

[Susan* 135]

Good timing. Because of the US election crap, I re-watched this movie about a month ago!

[phred2321 57]

So after our screening tonight there was a post-film discussion with a local TV news reporter and the editor of a local newspaper. One of the few Trump supporters in the audience got super offended after they started comparing Lonesome Rhodes to Trump and walked out so that was interesting

[masterofsparks 9]

So after our screening tonight there was a post-film discussion with a local TV news reporter and the editor of a local newspaper. One of the few Trump supporters in the audience got super offended after they started comparing Lonesome Rhodes to Trump and walked out so that was interesting

 

It is interesting, but I'm not sure the comparison is apt since, unlike Rhodes, Trump makes no attempt to hide his contempt for anyone. A few years ago, I can remember thinking Sarah Palin was a good modern-day analogue, though she's (thankfully) no longer a force in American politics.

[phred2321 57]

 

It is interesting, but I'm not sure the comparison is apt since, unlike Rhodes, Trump makes no attempt to hide his contempt for anyone. A few years ago, I can remember thinking Sarah Palin was a good modern-day analogue, though she's (thankfully) no longer a force in American politics.

It's not a perfect 1:1 comparison but I think there are parallels that are hard to ignore

 

[Cronopio 127]

It's not a perfect 1:1 comparison but I think there are parallels that are hard to ignore

 

I always felt Rhodes was more of a template for right-wing talkshow hosts, than for politicians. But in that they are both populists demagogues, sure, there are parallels.

[masterofsparks 9]

It's not a perfect 1:1 comparison but I think there are parallels that are hard to ignore

 

No question.

[chaplinatemyshoe 46]

If you guys want a decent Lonesome Rhodes 1:1, he already won the presidency 36 years ago.

 

Trump and Palin are just pale comparisons.

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

 

It is interesting, but I'm not sure the comparison is apt since, unlike Rhodes, Trump makes no attempt to hide his contempt for anyone. A few years ago, I can remember thinking Sarah Palin was a good modern-day analogue, though she's (thankfully) no longer a force in American politics.

Trump's closest literary analogue is Buzz Windrip from It Can't Happen Here. Notably, that novel has not been adapted to film, probably because it seemed too far-fetched (Lewis has plenty of film adaptations to his name: Elmer Gantry, Babbitt, Arrowsmith...)