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

US TV Schedule:

Mon. July 6

8:00 AM

TCM

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)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1965) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• United Artists (1963) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• 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) (cut) | Finland:(Banned) (1964) (uncut) | 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:

All the members of the platoon in Korea are named after cast and crew of "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955).

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:

Benjamin K. Arthur: Nor would I ask of any fellow American, in defense of his freedom, that which I would not gladly give myself: my life before my liberty!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Essentials: The Manchurian Candidate (#6.26)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

The Washington Post

Belongs in Top 50 Dramas

Manchurian Candidate is, quite simply, the best political thriller of all time. I can't think of another that keeps me on the edge of my seat, even on the tenth viewing. The incredible script, Angela Lansbury's Dearest Mommy, the effective use of black & white film for a movie about issues that were anything but black & white--I could go on and on.

I know that most people rave about Ms. Lansbury above all the other cast members, but--for me--Frank Sinatra wins the prize hands down. His disbelief, and then his disillusionment, and then his despair are perfectly portrayed. There were really two Sinatras, the singer AND the great actor.

In watching The Manchurian Candidate again and again, I never cease to be amazed at its prescient theme, the danger of the combination of fanaticism and patriotic fervor. Goldwater's famous quote comes to mind, "Extremism in the defense of virtue is no vice". In my opinion, this film just gets better with age.