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The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
24 October 1962 (USA) moreTagline:
When you've seen it all, you'll swear there's never been anything like it! morePlot:
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 | add synopsisAwards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(33 articles)
Shadows of Russia Schedule (From Alternative Film Guide. 3 November 2009, 11:31 PM, PST)
Shadows of Russia: Communism on TCM
(From Alternative Film Guide. 3 November 2009, 11:28 PM, PST)
User Comments:
A political and social thriller/drama ahead of its time. more (247 total)Cast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
126 minCountry:
USALanguage:
EnglishColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 moreCertification:
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-13Fun Stuff
Trivia:
John Frankenheimer opted to direct this movie after plans to film author Richard Yates's 1961 novel "Revolutionary Road" failed to materialize. moreGoofs:
Crew or equipment visible: As Raymond Shaw descends the stairs to enter Jilly's Bar, the camera and crew can be seen reflected in the plate glass door. moreQuotes:
Bennett Marco: You in the railroad business?Eugenie Rose Chaney: Not anymore. However if you will permit me to point out, when you ask that question, you really should say: Are you in the railroad line?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in "The Venture Bros.: Guess Who's Coming to State Dinner? (#2.9)" (2006) moreSoundtrack:
The Star-Spangled Banner moreFAQ
Is "The Mancurian Candidate" based on a novel?How closely does the movie follow the book?
Who is the "Manchurian candidate"?
more
more (247 total)
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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.