IMDb > The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
The Manchurian Candidate
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The Manchurian Candidate (1962) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.1/10   49,497 votes »
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MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Richard Condon (based on a novel by)
George Axelrod (screenplay)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for The Manchurian Candidate on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 October 1962 (USA) See more »
Genre:
Tagline:
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it! See more »
Plot:
A former Korean War POW is brainwashed by Communists into becoming a political assassin. But another former prisoner may know how to save him. Full summary » | Full synopsis »
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations See more »
NewsDesk:
(175 articles)
Blu-ray Release: Wusa
 (From Disc Dish. 22 May 2013, 1:18 PM, PDT)

Clip joint: mind control
 (From The Guardian - Film News. 22 May 2013, 3:18 AM, PDT)

10 Movie Moms We Love
 (From FilmSchoolRejects. 12 May 2013, 10:00 AM, PDT)

User Reviews:
Excellent Cinema See more (276 total) »

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

Frank Sinatra ... Major Bennett Marco

Laurence Harvey ... Raymond Shaw

Janet Leigh ... Eugenie Rose Chaney

Angela Lansbury ... Mrs. Eleanor Shaw Iselin

Henry Silva ... Chunjin

James Gregory ... Senator John Yerkes Iselin

Leslie Parrish ... Jocelyn Jordan

John McGiver ... Senator Thomas Jordan
Khigh Dhiegh ... Dr. Yen Lo
James Edwards ... Corporal Allen Melvin
Douglas Henderson ... Colonel Milt
Albert Paulsen ... Zilkov
Barry Kelley ... Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Corrigan ... Holborn Gaines
Madame Spivy ... Female Berezovo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joe Adams ... Psychiatrist (uncredited)
Frank Basso ... Photographer (uncredited)
Mary Benoit ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)

Whit Bissell ... Medical Officer (uncredited)
Nicky Blair ... Silvers (uncredited)
Merritt Bohn ... Jilly (uncredited)
Nick Bolin ... Berezovo (uncredited)
Robert Burton ... Convention Chairman (uncredited)
Evelyn Byrd ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Harry Carter ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Lana Crawford ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Ray Dailey ... Page Boy (uncredited)
Mimi Dillard ... Mrs. Melvin (uncredited)
Joan Douglas ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)
Estelle Etterre ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)
Mickey Finn ... Reporter (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Gomel's Lady Counterpart (uncredited)
Lee Tung Foo ... Man in Lobby (uncredited)
John Francis ... Hiken (uncredited)
Paul Frees ... Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Ralph Gambina ... Man in Lobby (uncredited)

Joe Gray ... Soldier (uncredited)
Tom Harris ... FBI Agent (uncredited)
Maggie Hathaway ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)
Maye Henderson ... Chairlady (uncredited)
Sam 'Kid' Hogan ... Man in Lobby (uncredited)
Harry Holcombe ... General (uncredited)
John Indrisano ... Reporter (uncredited)
Miyoshi Jingu ... Miss Gertrude (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp ... Man Seated Next to Projector (uncredited)
Rita Kenaston ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)
Colin Kenny ... Senator (uncredited)
Helen Kleeb ... Mrs. Henry Whitaker - Chairlady (uncredited)
Lou Krugg ... Manager (uncredited)
Jack Latham ... TV Newscaster (uncredited)
John Lawrence ... Grossfeld (uncredited)
Richard LePore ... Private Ed Mavole (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness ... Delegate (uncredited)
Tom Lowell ... Private Bobby Lembeck (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack ... Delegate (uncredited)
Rankin Mansfield ... Delegate (uncredited)

Michael Masters ... FBI Agent (uncredited)
Harold Miller ... Reporter (uncredited)
Marquita Moll ... Soprano (uncredited)
Reggie Nalder ... Gomel (uncredited)
Frances E. Nealy ... Woman in Lobby (uncredited)
Karen Norris ... Secretary (uncredited)
Richard Norris ... Reporter (uncredited)
Julie Payne ... Party Guest (uncredited)
Robert Riordan ... Benjamin K. Arthur (uncredited)
Anna Shin ... Korean Girl (uncredited)
Ray Spiker ... Policeman (uncredited)
Irving Steinberg ... Freeman (uncredited)
Bert Stevens ... Officer (uncredited)
Hal Taggart ... Senator (uncredited)
William Thourlby ... Little (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey ... Second Reporter (uncredited)
Raynum K. Tsukamoto ... Man in Lobby (uncredited)
Jeanne Vaughn ... Nurse (uncredited)
Anton von Stralen ... Officer (uncredited)
James Yagi ... Chinese Officer (uncredited)
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Directed by
John Frankenheimer 
 
Writing credits
Richard Condon (based on a novel by)

George Axelrod (screenplay)

John Frankenheimer  uncredited

Produced by
George Axelrod .... producer
John Frankenheimer .... producer
Howard W. Koch .... executive producer
 
Original Music by
David Amram 
 
Cinematography by
Lionel Lindon (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Ferris Webster 
 
Production Design by
Richard Sylbert 
 
Art Direction by
Philip M. Jefferies (uncredited)
 
Set Decoration by
George R. Nelson 
 
Costume Design by
Moss Mabry 
 
Makeup Department
Ron Berkeley .... makeup artist
Jack Freeman .... makeup artist
Bernard Ponedel .... makeup artist
Gene Shacove .... hair stylist: Janet Leigh
Mary Westmoreland .... hair stylist
Dorothy Parkinson .... makeup artist (uncredited)
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph C. Behm .... assistant director (as Joseph Behm)
Read Killgore .... assistant director (uncredited)
David Salven .... assistant director (uncredited)
 
Art Department
Arden Cripe .... property master
Philip M. Jefferies .... assistant art director
Richard Borland .... props (uncredited)
Lucius O. Croxton .... set dresser (uncredited)
John M. Elliott .... set dresser (uncredited)
Seymour Klate .... set dresser (uncredited)
Richard M. Rubin .... props (uncredited)
Gaylin P. Schultz .... props (uncredited)
Joseph S. Toldy .... set dresser (uncredited)
 
Sound Department
Joe Edmondson .... sound mixer
Del Harris .... sound effects editor
Bill Flannery .... boom operator (uncredited)
Buddy Myers .... sound re-recordist (uncredited)
Paul Wolfe .... recordist (uncredited)
 
Special Effects by
A. Paul Pollard .... special effects (as Paul Pollard)
 
Stunts
Gordon Doversola .... stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Beau Vanden Ecker .... assistant stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Joe Gray .... stunts (uncredited)
Robert 'Buzz' Henry .... stunts (uncredited)
John Indrisano .... stunts (uncredited)
 
Camera and Electrical Department
John Mehl .... operative cameraman
Felix Barlow .... camera assistant (uncredited)
Robert Campbell .... gaffer (uncredited)
Bill Craemer .... still photographer (uncredited)
Eugene Levitt .... camera assistant (uncredited)
William Read Woodfield .... still photographer (uncredited)
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wesley Jeffries .... costumer (as Wesley V. Jefferies)
Angela Alexander .... wardrobe (uncredited)
Morris Brown .... wardrobe (uncredited)
Ron Talsky .... wardrobe (uncredited)
Rose Viebeck .... wardrobe (uncredited)
 
Editorial Department
Carl Mahakian .... assistant film editor
 
Music Department
David Amram .... conductor
Richard Carruth .... music editor
Vinton Vernon .... music recordist
 
Other crew
Thom Conroy .... dialogue coach
Amalia Wade .... script supervisor
Grace Dubray .... script supervisor (uncredited)
Mollie Kent .... script supervisor (uncredited)
Gene Martell .... production assistant (uncredited)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributorsSpecial EffectsOther Companies
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Runtime:
126 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System) | Dolby SR | Dolby Digital
Certification:
Australia:M | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 (1988) | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:PG-13 | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (uncut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (uncut) | UK:A (1962) (cut) | West Germany:16 (f) | South Korea:15 | UK:12A (2010)

Did You Know?

Trivia:
George Axelrod copied the lecture about hydrangeas verbatim from a seed catalogue.See more »
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): While speaking on the Senate floor, Iselin addresses the chair as "Mr. Speaker"; the presiding officer of the US Senate is the "President" (a post officially held by the Vice President), not the "speaker", thus the form of address is "Mr. President".See more »
Quotes:
Jocie:Darling.
[pause]
Raymond Shaw:What?
Jocie:Nothing, Just... Darling.
See more »
Movie Connections:
Featured in Domino (2005)See more »
Soundtrack:
The Star-Spangled BannerSee more »

FAQ

What's up with Janet Leigh's character?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
Is "The Manchurian Candidate" based on a novel?
See more »
45 out of 72 people found the following review useful.
Excellent Cinema, 3 July 2003
Author: Hobbes_512 from Chicago, IL

I went into "The Manchurian Candidate" without knowing too much about the movie itself. I knew about its critical acclaim, but I was unfamiliar with the plot. Regardless, when I rented and watched the film, I had high expectations. I was not disappointed either.

The plot revolves around the strange case of Raymond Shaw, a sergeant who wins the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery in the cold war. Two of the men in his company, however, have strange nightmares that suggest Raymond is not as deserving of the award as he seems. One of these men, Major Bennet Marco, led on by these recurring nightmares, unravels a sinister Communist plot. Set against the cold war paranoia of the sixties and McCarthyism, "The Manchurian Candidate" does an excellent job of recreating the intense suspense and tension of the time.

The acting in this film is superb. A great script is heightened by excellent acting in this movie. It's hard not to like Frank Sinatra in his role as Marco, who is the protagonist. Laurence Harvey as Raymond does a good job showing us a character that is wholly unlikable and snobby, yet pathetic and sad at the same time. And of course, Angela Lansbury in her role as Raymond's malicious and plotting mother is excellent.

Some stand-out scenes in the film were the nightmare sequences that brilliantly interlaced dream and reality, the all-queen solitaire game with Marco and Raymond, and the supremely tense climax at the political convention. The cinematography in the movie was very well done as action, romance, and tension all mixed together smoothly. All the scenes managed to keep my attention and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. As a thriller, the film works remarkably well, and it is quite easily the best political thriller I've seen to date.

Keeping me from giving the movie a perfect ten are one or two little nagging problems. I wasn't a big fan of the music for the movie, and it even disrupted the mood for me at one point in the film. It was okay, just not great. Also, the whole plot is sort of unlikely. I wont go into it here, but I don't think that the Communist plan for world domination would fall into the hands of one relatively uncontrolled person, no matter how well trained his mind was. That's just my opinion, however.

The movie is sort of long, and isn't exactly action packed, but it is very interesting, insightful, and even chilling. I had a great time watching it, and I definitely recommend it if you are interested at all in seeing a gripping Cold War era political thriller. Besides, the cultural relevance of the film alone is enough to see it.

9/10

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