The Manchurian Candidate Overview:

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) was a Drama - Mystery Film directed by John Frankenheimer and produced by John Frankenheimer, George Axelrod and Howard W. Koch.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Richard Condon published in 1959.

SYNOPSIS

Among the most lauded political thrillers of all time, this film was amazingly prescient in light of the recent attraction of conspiracy theories. Korean War hero Harvey is a brainwashed human time bomb engineered to further a hidden Communist takeover, with Sinatra the one man who stands in his way. A mix of black-comic political satire (Gregory, in his finest performance as a Joe McCarthy-like demagogue) and an energetic, violent, and disturbing exercise in suspense, the film has resonance like few others of its time. Perhaps the finest work by Frankenheimer, featuring an outstanding cast (Lansbury, in the role of her career as Harvey's scheming mother) and one of the saddest scores of all time by Amram. Not to be missed. Based on Richard Condon's harrowing novel. The laserdisc collector's edition is digitally remastered and includes the original theatrical trailer.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

.

The Manchurian Candidate was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994.

Academy Awards 1962 --- Ceremony Number 35 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActressAngela LansburyNominated
Best Film EditingFerris WebsterNominated
.

BlogHub Articles:

More than “just a film”: The Manchurian Candidate (John Frankenheimer, 1962)

By Virginie Pronovost on Jul 5, 2019 From The Wonderful World of Cinema

John Frankenheimer is one of those movie directors whose films, I feel, are so unique, that I couldn’t compare them with the work of anybody else. He fits, I believe,? in the category of those “authors”. But it’s subtle and you have to look at them with a lot of reflexions. T... Read full article


1001 Classic Movies: The Manchurian Candidate

By Amanda Garrett on Sep 8, 2017 From Old Hollywood Films

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) is one of the 1001 classic movies you should see. The political thriller stars Laurence Harvey as a disturbed Korean War veteran and Angela Lansbury as his domineering mother. Each week, I'm going to recommend a classic movie you should see (for the reasons behind ... Read full article


The Manchurian Candidate

By Beatrice on Jul 26, 2017 From Flickers in Time

The Manchurian Candidate Directed by John Frankenheimer Written by George Axelrod from a novel by Richard Conden 1962/USA M.C. Productions Repeat viewing/My DVD collection One of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die I consider this the best conspiracy movie ever made. ?Pity about Janet Leigh&#... Read full article


CCU38: The Manchurian Candidate

By Aaron West on May 22, 2016 From Criterion Blues

May 22 Posted by aaronwest Mark, Aaron and Paul Cobb look at John Frankenheimer’s political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate. We explore the originality and how it influenced other paranoia films, how it spoke to the spirit of the 1960s, as a satire towards McCarthyism, and how it has remai... Read full article


CCU38: The Manchurian Candidate

By Aaron West on May 22, 2016 From Criterion Blues

May 22 Posted by aaronwest Mark, Aaron and Paul Cobb look at John Frankenheimer’s political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate. We explore the originality and how it influenced other paranoia films, how it spoke to the spirit of the 1960s, as a satire towards McCarthyism, and how it has remai... Read full article


See all The Manchurian Candidate articles

Quotes from

Chunjin: I need job.
Raymond Shaw: Job?
Chunjin: Yes Sir, Mr. Shaw.
Raymond Shaw: But my dear fellow, we don't need interpreters here. We all speak the same language.


Mrs. Iselin: Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?


Raymond Shaw: My dear girl, have you ever noticed that the human race is divided into two distinct and irreconcilable groups: those that walk into rooms and automatically turn television sets on, and those that walk into rooms and automatically turn them off. The trouble is that they end up marrying each other.


read more quotes from The Manchurian Candidate...

Facts about

A scene where Laurence Harvey jumps in Central Park lake was shot on the coldest day in 30 years. They had to break the foot-thick ice on the lake with a bulldozer before the scene could be shot.
One scene was filmed at the Bar and Grill that Frank Sinatra's friend Jilly Rizzo owned in New York City.
Angela Lansbury was thirty-six at the time of filming, only three years older than Laurence Harvey, who played her son.
read more facts about The Manchurian Candidate...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
book or play


See All Film Adaptations >>
Best Supporting Actress Oscar 1962






See more Best Supporting Actress awards>>
National Film Registry

The Manchurian Candidate

Released 1962
Inducted 1994
(Sound)




See All Films in National Registry >>
Also directed by John Frankenheimer




More about John Frankenheimer >>
Also produced by John Frankenheimer




More about John Frankenheimer >>
Related Lists
Create a list




See All Related Lists >>
Also released in 1962




See All 1962 films >>
More "Book-Based" films



See All "Book-Based" films >>
More "Politics" films



See All "Politics" films >>
More "Mother/Son" films



See All "Mother/Son" films >>
More "Army" films



See All "Army" films >>