The film discusses the sameness, the emptiness, of being a nameless face in the cog of business. John (played by James Murray), marries Mary (Eleanor Boardman). The couple bickers, and is ready to separate, until Mary becomes pregnant. Five years later, John has two children and the same dead-end job. But when tragedy strikes, he must learn how to cope.
The Crowd was written by King Vidor and John V.A. Weaver, and Vidor was nominated for Best Director. The film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.