The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Richard Condon (novel)
George Axelrod (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

24 October 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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:

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

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Frank Sinatra	...	Maj. Bennett Marco
Laurence Harvey	...	Raymond Shaw
Janet Leigh	...	Eugenie Rose Chaney
Angela Lansbury	...	Mrs. Iselin
Henry Silva	...	Chunjin
James Gregory	...	Sen. John Yerkes Iselin
Leslie Parrish	...	Jocelyn Jordan
John McGiver	...	Sen. Thomas Jordan
Khigh Dhiegh	...	Dr. Yen Lo
James Edwards	...	Cpl. Allen Melvin
Douglas Henderson	...	Col. 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)
John Lawrence	...	Grossfeld (uncredited)
Richard LePore	...	Pvt. Edmund 'Ed' Mavole (uncredited)
Tom Lowell	...	Pvt. Bobby Lembeck (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		(novel)
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)

Art Department
Arden Cripe	....	property master
Philip M. Jefferies	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Joe Edmondson	....	sound mixer
Del Harris	....	sound effects editor
Buddy Myers	....	sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
A. Paul Pollard	....	special effects (as Paul Pollard)

Visual Effects by
Howard A. Anderson	....	photographic effects

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	....	camera operator
William Read Woodfield	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wesley Jeffries	....	costumer (as Wesley V. Jefferies)

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

Production Companies

• M.C. Productions

Distributors

• United Artists (1962) (USA) (theatrical)
• 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)
• 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)

Other Companies

• American Map Company Inc.  maps
• Ruser  jewels

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:

Finland:(Banned) (1964) (uncut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (cut) | Finland:K-16 (1989) (uncut) | UK:A (1962) (cut) | West Germany:16 (f) | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Norway:15 (re-rating) | Norway:16 (original rating) | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

M.C. Productions

Trivia:

Famous for his use of innovative camera angles, director John Frankenheimer was widely acclaimed for a shot that is slightly out of focus. John Frankenheimer said that rather than the shot being evidence of inspiration, it was an accident and merely the best take for actor Frank Sinatra.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Shaw and Marco get drunk, Marco opens and pours a second bottle of champagne while Shaw reminisces about his happy past. Later in the scene the bottle is back in its paper bag, unopened.

Quotes:

Raymond Shaw: Twelve days of Christmas! One day of Christmas is loathsome enough!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Phil the Alien (2004)

Soundtrack:

The Twelve Days of Christmas

A political and social thriller/drama ahead of its time.

John Frankenheimer's surrealistic direction and George Axelrod's adaptation of the 1959 book by the same name offer Laurence Harvey a career defining role.

Set in 1950's, A Korean War veteran Raymond Shaw(Harvey) returns home to a medal of honor for rescuing his POW platoon from behind Chinese lines and back to safety. One of the returning soldiers, (played effectively by Frank Sinatra) however, has recurring dreams of his platoon being brainwashed and Shaw committing acts of murder.

He eventually convinces army brass that Shaw is still a puppet of his Communist-Marxist operators.

Angela Lansbury, (although barely a few years older than Harvey was at the time) plays his mother in a tour de force role. She absolutely captivates and steals every scene she is in, playing a very complex role that needs to convince the viewer of many things without much dialogue.

There's a rich cast of characters, including Janet Leigh, Henry Silva, James Edwards, and a painfully accurate James Gregory. Each character weaves through the methodical subplots and tapestry of Frankenheimer's masterful "Hitchcockian" pace.

I won't give away the plot, but dear readers, allow me to sat that this one is really worth watching--until the nail-biting and chilling conclusion.

There are many undertones in this film -- political, sexual, class and power, and social. You will want to view this film several times to approach it from different perspectives.