Endless desks

[ChristopherBanks]

In "The Apartment", Billy Wilder apes a set from King Vidor's "The Crowd" involving a sea of endless desks, full of 9-5 minions slaving away.

Two years later, Welles has a similar (albeit more surreal) scene in "The Trial".

Was Welles aware of "The Crowd"? And of "The Apartment"?

[LA]

I'm pretty certain he was aware of The Crowd , as he listed it's sequel Our Daily Bread in the "runners up" section of a top ten list (linked to here not long ago, if I remember rightly).

About The Apartment , I'd expect so, though I really don't know.

Haven't got TIOW to hand, did Welles like Wilder films?

[fantomas]

welles claimed to have seen THE CROWD when he was fifteen. he loved the films of king vidor.

[mteal]

THE CROWD is a good film. That shot towards the beginning where the camera swoops into the office building may have inspired the shot in Kane where the camera swoops down on Susan Alexander. I had the good fortune of seeing it with a live organ accompaniment, which really brings the old silent movies to life. Too bad it's not done more often. I think my favorite Vidor film is THE FOUNTAINHEAD, with a screenplay by Ayn Rand from her book. I've always wondered what Welles thought of this film (if he saw it), seeing as Rand lumped him and John Stienbeck together as Marxist propogandists.

Welles and Vidor must have been good friends since Welles wrote the screenplay for Ambersons aboard Vidor's yacht. He also did the narration for DUEL IN THE SUN, the giant Selznick production which Vidor is credited with directing (Von Sternberg is also said to have had a hand in it). Welles, Vidor, Von Sternberg - pretty impressive list of hired guns. Of course, after GWTW I'm sure Selznick was used to getting whatever and whoever he wanted.