The Manchurian Candidate [4K Ultra HD Blu-ray]

Director: John Frankenheimer John Frankenheimer

Overview

This suspenseful drama of political intrigue begins when Korean War veteran Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) is recommended for the Congressional Medal Of Honor by former Captain Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra). Marco refers to Shaw as the bravest, most honorable man he has ever known. Marco is troubled by the statement and starts his own investigation to discover if his feelings have any validity. The trail takes him from Washington D.C. to New York. Piece by piece, Marco discovers his Korean unit was captured and brainwashed by the enemy in Korea, but the exact nature of the cranium cleansing is unclear. Marco is soon followed by Chinese and Russian spies. His actions are also monitored by hypocritical politicians who carry out their perverse brand of corruption while hiding behind the American flag. Shaw is traced to the manhattan home of his mother (Angela Lansbury), who happens to be the top Communist agent in the United States. Tension builds as the brain-scrambled mamma's boy dons his medal and travels with rifle in hand to a political rally at Madison Square Garden. Marco's trance is temporarily interrupted when he is propositioned by Rosie (Janet Leigh) at a subway terminal before rushing to stop the gun-toting Shaw. His target is the newly nominated presidential candidate. If successful, his actions would set off a chain of event leading to the Communist takeover of the United States. Sinatra, who invested heavily in the film production, plays his finest dramatic role in years after a series of throw away efforts involving the Rat Pack. In the wake of the JFK assassination the following year, an obviously shaken Sinatra refused to talk about The Manchurian Candidate.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/20/2023
UPC:	0738329263072
Original Release:	1962
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Kl Studio Classics
Language:	English
Time:	2:06:00
Format:	Blu-ray
Sales rank:	4,096

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Laurence Harvey	Raymond Shaw
Frank Sinatra	Bennett Marco
Angela Lansbury	Raymond's Mother
James Gregory	Sen. John Iselin
Janet Leigh	Rosie
Henry Silva	Chunjim
Leslie Parrish	Jocie Jordon
John McGiver	Sen. Thomas Jordon
Khigh Dhiegh	Yen Lo
James Edwards	Cpl. Melvin
Douglas Henderson	Colonel,Chairlady
Albert Paulsen	Zilkov
Barry Kelley	Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Corrigan	Holborn Gaines
Madame Spivy	Berezovo's Lady Counterpart
Joe Adams	Psychiatrist
Whit Bissell	Medical Officer
Mimi Dillard	Melvin's Wife
Anton von Stralen	Officer
John Lawrence	Gossfeld
Tom Lowell	Lembeck
Richard La Pore	Mavole
Nicky Blair	Silvers
William Thourlby	Little
Irving Steinberg	Freeman
John Francis	Haiken
Robert Riordan	Nominee
Reggie Nalder	Gomel
Harry Holcombe	General
Miyoshi Jingu	Miss Gertrude
Anna Shin	Korean Girl
Bess Flowers	Gomel's Lady Counterpart
Helen Kleeb	Chairlady
Mickey Finn	Reporter
Richard Norris	Reporter,Secretary
John Indrisano	Reporter
Lou Krugg	Manager
Mike Masters	FBI Man,Actor
Tom Harris	FBI Man
Mariquita Moll	Soprano
Robert Burton	Convention Chairman
Jean Vaughn	Nurse
Ray Spiker	Policeman
Merritt Bohn	Jilly
Frank Basso	Photographer
Lana Crawford	Guest at Party
Evelyn Byrd	Guest at Party
Ray Dailey	Page Boy
Estelle Etterre	People in Hotel Lobby
Mary Benoit	People in Hotel Lobby
Rita Kenaston	People in Hotel Lobby
Maggie Hathaway	People in Hotel Lobby
Joan Douglas	People in Hotel Lobby
Frances Nealy	People in Hotel Lobby,Woman in Lobby
Ralph Gambina	People in Hotel Lobby
Sam 'Kid' Hogan	People in Hotel Lobby
James Yagi	Chinese Men in Hotel Lobby
Lee Tung Foo	Chinese Men in Hotel Lobby
Raynum K. Tsukamoto	Chinese Men in Hotel Lobby
Nick Bolin	Berezovo
Richard LePore	Mavole
Julie Payne	Party Guest
Margaret Mason	Actor
David Amram	Composer

Technical Credits

George Axelrod

John Frankenheimer	Director,Producer
George Axelrod	Producer,Screenwriter
Howard W. Koch	Executive Producer
Paul Pollard	Special Effects

Editorial Reviews

A brilliant Cold War satire, The Manchurian Candidate is a chilling commentary on political power, international conspiracy, and the gullibility of the American people. A paean to paranoia, it was ahead of its time yet reflected the tensions of its era, and modern-day viewers can use it as a guide to the political and moral climate of the early years of Cold War America. One doesn't have to look hard to find a thinly veiled Senator Joseph McCarthy in zealous anti-Communist Senator Iselin or fears of female dominance in Angela Lansbury's megalomaniacal Mrs. Iselin. In addition to its status as one of the great political satires, The Manchurian Candidate remains a classic for its sharp, often hilarious script, for John Frankenheimer's fine-tuned direction, and for its uniformly excellent performances. Though Laurence Harvey, Frank Sinatra, and Janet Leigh are all thoroughly effective, and James Gregory is pricelessly stupid as Senator Iselin, the film belongs to Lansbury. Her Mrs. Iselin remains one of the screen's most terrifying maternal presences, a queen bee intent on clearing the hive of anyone who stands in her way. Like her clueless husband, the audience can only react dumbly to her, marveling at her single-minded rampage towards world domination. Unavailable for years due to a dispute between Sinatra and United Artists, The Manchurian Candidate is a film that should not be missed. Equal parts satire, political thriller, sly commentary, and history lesson, it has become a terrifying postcard from a time that should not be forgotten.