The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Richard Condon (based on a novel by)
George Axelrod (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller | War

Tagline:

When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it!

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.

Plot Keywords:

Nightmare | Korean War | Army | Korea | Medal Of Honor

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

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)

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)

Production Companies

• M.C. Productions (copyright holder)

Distributors

• United Artists (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (as United Artists Pictures Inc.)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• Park Circus (2010) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• United Artists (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Howard Anderson Company, The (photographic effects) (as The Howard Anderson Co.)

Other Companies

• American Map Company Inc.  maps: provided through the courtsey of
• Ruser  jewels (as Ruser - Beverly Hills)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

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)

Filming Locations:

67 Riverside Drive, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

M.C. Productions

Trivia:

Angela Lansbury was thirty-six at the time of filming, only three years older than Laurence Harvey, who played her son.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: After the fight between Marco and Chunjin, the movie marquee shows Pirates of Tortuga (1961) playing with Pinocchio (1940). Although Pinocchio was released in 1940 and could be playing, Pirates of Tortuga wasn't released until 1961. The time frame in the movie is 2 years after the events in 1952, therefore 1954.

Quotes:

Marco:[During the Kung Fu fight with Chunjin] How did the old ladies turn into Russians?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in I Am a Bounty Hunter: Domino Harvey's Life (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

The Star-Spangled Banner

One of the Finest Movies of Its Genre

Still one of the finest movies of its genre, this original film version of "The Manchurian Candidate" features excellent atmosphere, memorable characters, and a first-rate cast. John Frankenheimer's direction shows a very good understanding of the material and its potential, and indeed it is a rare example of a top quality movie being made from an average novel, rather than the other way around.

Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey carry the bulk of the movie, as former members of the same military unit in Korea, who slowly learn the truth about their shared past. Both give fine performances, with Sinatra's character perpetually nervous and fearful of what he will find, yet compelled to get at the truth, while Harvey as Sergeant Shaw is coldly self-composed, and contemptuous of anyone else's weakness.

The supporting cast is also excellent. Angela Lansbury's icy presence as Shaw's mother is unforgettable, Janet Leigh makes an intriguing woman of mystery, and James Gregory is flawless as a pestilential, brainless Senator. Khigh Dhiegh also has some fine moments of refined cruelty as evil mastermind Yen Lo.

Some of the finest scenes come from the dream sequences, which are crafted very well from a technical viewpoint, and which also ring true with the story as it comes out. They produce some chilling moments, as well as making the plot concept - which in itself is pretty far- fetched - seem more believable.

With the passage of time and the dissolution of Cold War tensions, it's now possible to watch this without any political baggage, and to allow the excellent production to stand on its own high quality, rather than on any contemporary sentiments.