During the early 20th century, the growth of the large firm was seen as modern and - for many - the key to economic progress. Some, however, were concerned with the alienated employee as a cog in the wheel that seemingly went along with bigness. This clip from one of the last silent films - The Crowd - shows the employee - even white-collar - as one of those cogs.
(Film buffs may note the similarity to the opening scene of Blade Runner which takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles rather than New York City as in the Crowd. The camera in Blade Runner first looks over the city from on high, then focuses on a large building with an indentation in the middle, and then goes through a window of the building to start the action.) YouTube - Alienation from Big Firms in the 1920s 
Alienation from Big Firms in the 1920s 
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