A Face in the Crowd

[R. P. McMurphy]

It's a movie from 1957 starring Andy Griffith, Patricia Neal, Walter Matthau, et al.

Hadn't seen it in years and had forgotten many of the details.

What struck me was how similar the "Lonesome Rhodes" character is to Palin, Beck and many of the other demagogues that infest our airwaves.

You really have to watch the movie to see how closely these charlatans are following the script.

I'll not take up your time with a bunch of my opinion. After all, I'm just a country boy :). However, here are a couple of quotes from the movie.


On the banner strung above a lavish dinner setting where Rhodes was about to create "Fuller's Fighters" - an astroturf organization to help elect a Social Security-hating Senator to the Presidency:

"THERE'S NOTHING AS TRUSTWORTHY . . . AS THE ORDINARY MIND - OF THE ORDINARY MAN."


And from Walter Matthau's character speaking to Patricia Neal; telling her not to blame herself for helping bring Rhodes to prominence:

"Marsha, stop it. You were taken in. Just like we were all taken in. But we get wise to them. That's our strength. We get wise to them."

[redirish28]

1. My wife loves that movie. She believes it is Andy Griffin's best work.

Before she saw that movie she had just seen his tv show. Never understood how he got it or what made him so popular. To her it seemed he was an okay comedian. Than she saw him play lonesome and realized what a talent he was.


She says his performance is brilliantly scary.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Brilliantly scary... such an apt description.

Saw the movie again recently on TMC.
Certainly worth viewing every so often, as classics are.

[Hissyspit]

2. This is why Keith Olbermann refers to Beck as "Lonesome Rhodes."

Great, prescient movie, along with "Network."

[AnneD]

4. I am a real (reel) movie buff...

but never caught that one. I will put it on the list. Always thought AG was under rated. Thanks.