Seconds (1966)

An unhappy middle-aged banker agrees to a procedure that will fake his death and give him a completely new look and identity - one that comes with its own price.

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Lewis John Carlino (screenplay), David Ely (based on the novel by)

Stars:

Rock Hudson, Frank Campanella, John Randolph

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Frank Campanella	...	Man in Station
John Randolph	...	Arthur Hamilton
Frances Reid	...	Emily Hamilton
Barbara Werle	...	Secretary
Edgar Stehli	...	Tailor Shop Presser
Aaron Magidow	...	Meat Man
De De Young	...	Nurse
Françoise Ruggieri	...	Girl in Boudoir
Murray Hamilton	...	Charlie
Thom Conroy	...	Dayroom Attendant
Jeff Corey	...	Mr. Ruby
Will Geer	...	Old Man
Richard Anderson	...	Dr. Innes
Rock Hudson	...	Antiochus Wilson
Khigh Dhiegh	...	Davalo

Storyline

Middle-aged banker Arthur Hamilton is given the opportunity to start a completely new life when he receives calls from his old friend Charlie. The only problem is that Charlie is supposed to be dead. Hamilton is eventually introduced to a firm that will fake his death and create an entirely new look and life for him. After undergoing physical reconstruction surgery and months of training and psychotherapy, Hamilton returns to the world in the form of artist Tony Wilson. He has a nice house in Malibu and a manservant, a company employee who is there to assist him with his adjustment. He finds that the life he had hoped for isn't quite what he expected and asks the company to go through the process with surprising results.

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Plot Keywords:

cult film | surrealism | male objectification | bare chested male | hairy chest | 

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Taglines:

Who are SECONDS? The answer is almost too terrifying for words. From the bold, bizarre best-seller. The story of a man who buys for himself a totally new life. A man who lives the age-old dream -- If only I could live my life all over again.

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Genres:

Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some nudity

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1967 (France)

Also Known As:

Opération diabolique

Filming Locations:

Malibu, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Joel Productions, John Frankenheimer Productions Inc., Gibraltar Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min 107 min (re-release: 1996)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

While choosing films in Criterion, filmmaker Gaspar Noé's first pick was this movie, even stating that he would remake it someday.

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Goofs

When Tony is on the airplane on his way to Malibu the "clouds" outside the window move from right to left as you would expect. However they then reverse and move the other way.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Man in Station: Mr. Hamilton?
Arthur Hamilton: Yes?
[Man in train station hands Hamilton a folded sheet of paper and turns to walk away; Hamilton stares after him, then opens the folded paper to find an address, with no explanation]

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Connections

Referenced in Jacob's Ladder (1990)

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Soundtracks

That Old Black Magic
(1942) (uncredited)
Music by Harold Arlen
Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
Played at the party

User Reviews

the best midlife crisis film

Midlife crisis films are rare beasts, but everybody loves them. Look at the success of "American Beauty," probably the most stereotypical depiction of middle-class America that I've ever seen. Quite shallow in its way, "Beauty" was a hit because of its subject matter - it tackled some taboos and had the nerve to portray the problems of "ordinary" people. But you know what - it had been done before, and better, here.

"Seconds" is the story of a middle-aged banker who undergoes surgery to become - this part is really a gas - Rock Hudson! He's given an outlet to escape from his loveless family life and tedious job, and he becomes a swinging painter/playboy with a beautiful house on the coast. Of course, he soon finds that good looks and money are no substitute for what he really wants - some kind of genuine intimacy in his life.

Is this message a bit too predictable? Oh, I dunno - we all seem to agree that the pursuit of wealth is an empty one, yet we indulge in it all the same. The social problems explored in "Seconds" are still very much with us, and our awareness of these problems certainly hasn't solved them. The film ultimately acts as a powerful, sobering reminder that most of us aren't doing what we really want to do.

Plenty of great style on display here from director Frankenheimer. There's a wonderful "wobbly camera" drunk scene that is so realistic, you'll feel as though you've been hitting the bottle yourself. There's also consistent effective use of point-of-view shots and unusual angles. In terms of subject matter and directorial flair, this film is incredibly innovative...it's taken years for us to catch up to this kind of material, and yet we still haven't topped it. Definitely in my top twenty.