“The Manchurian Candidate” (1962) directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh & Angela Lansbury / Z-View
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Director: John Frankenheimer
Screenplay: George Axelrod; based on THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE by Richard Condon.
Stars: Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, Khigh Dhiegh, James Edwards, Barry Kelley, Lloyd Corrigan and James Gregory.
Tagline: If you come in five minutes after this picture begins, you won’t know what it’s all about! When you’ve seen it all, you’ll swear there’s never been anything like it!
The Plot…
Captain Ben Marco and Sergeant Raymond Shaw are returned to the US, along with other surviving members of their platoon. The soldiers had been captured by Soviet and Chinese forces during the Korean War.
Once home Marco repeatedly has nightmares where he and fellow US soldiers are on a stage. They sit calmly as enemy soldiers see a presentation about new mind control techniques. In the dream Sergeant Shaw is ordered to kill one of the US soldiers on stage. Shaw takes the weapon walks over to the identified soldier who calmly sits as Shaw blows his brains out.
Since their arrival back to the States, Shaw has been awarded the Medal of Honor for saving fellow soldiers in Korean Combat. Shaw’s father is a US Senator, his mother guides his father’s career. A Presidential run is in his father’s future. The family is through and through “red, white and blue”. Yet, Marco can’t shake the feeling something is not right with Raymond Shaw.
And he’s right…
Thoughts (beware of spoilers)…
The Manchurian Candidate was nominated for two Academy Awards…
- Nominee for Best Film Editing – Ferris Webster
- Nominess for Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Angela Lansbury
The Manchurian Candidate is famous for a blurred scene with Marco. It is out of focus and shows Shaw’s confused perspective. Director John Frankenheimer was greatly praised for his creativity. Years later Frankenheimer admitted it was accidentally shot out of focus. When he called Frank Sinatra for a re-shoot, Sinatra refused. The out of focus scene had to be used… and became a happy accident.
Angela Lansbury (who is excellent) plays Laurence Harvey’s mother. She was only three years than Harvey in real life.
Truth is stranger than fiction. Robert Kennedy, who was running for President, was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan. Sirhan later claimed that he had been brainwashed to commit the murder. The Manchurian Candidate‘s director, John Frankenheimer drove Robert Kennedy to the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles where the assassination took place.
The Manchurian Candidate (1962) rates 4 of 5 stars.
