Commies in Congress

THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962) still has the power to stun us, to fascinate us, and to raise our ire when we recall the 50’s as the pervue of Senator Joseph McCarthy. John Frankenheimer was one of the first directors to take on McCarthy. James Gregory as Sen. John Iselin was a standout both as a dupe and a would-be demagogue. Gregory, a good luck charm for Frankenheimer, who used him often, was able to adlib more than half his lines giving a bravura performance.

The director and his friend George Axelrod bought the rights to the Richard Condon novel, but were having difficulty finding backing for the film. Enter Frank Sinatra who was very interested in playing Capt. Marko, and the project immediately found funding. Sinatra wanted Lucille Ball to play Mrs. Iselin, but Frankenheimer had just worked with Angela Lansbury in ALL FALL DOWN, and he had great faith in her. She certainly did an excellent portrayal, one of the very best in her career. Even Meryl Streep playing the part in the recent remake paled in Lansbury’s shadow. As the mole, the real Communist operative, she was part black widow, part seductress, and part assassin –giving us a glimpse of what a real zealot is capable of; something we are immersed in today in the Middle East . Frankenheimer said that in that last scene where the mother is giving Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) his final assignment, and she begins kissing him passionately, he could only take the scene part ways; because in the novel the mother slept with her son to seal the bargain.

Sinatra seemed to do best on the first take, a situation Frankenheimer was very aware of. His acting in this film was excellent, finding just the right notes for the frustration of reacting to his “brainwashing”, and finding the courage to confront Raymond Shaw, the bogus Medal of Honor winner. Janet Leigh was effective in her underwritten part –a part expanded to be an FBI agent in the interesting remake. Laurence Harvey was picked specifically for Shaw precisely because he could project being “unlikable”. I did not like his attempt at an American accent, but then I have never been much of a Harvey fan. His transitions after his hasty marriage seemed forced and inept for me. John McGiver in a rare dramatic role was very good, leaving us with a strong impression of a principled, brave, and steadfast senator. Leslie Parrish as his daughter, Jocelyn, look great in her black strapless bra, but brought very little else to the part. Khigh Dheigh found in his character, Dr. Yen Lo, a signature part for his career. He is not actually oriental, and he found himself playing them for the remainder of his career. Henry Silva, a penetrating and intense actor (who can forget him in the last scene of VIVA ZAPATA (1952)?), also created a character in his Chunjin that we will not soon forget. His karate fight with Marko was one of the first of that type on film, and he and Sinatra rehearsed it for weeks before they shot it.

Frankenheimer shot the film in 41 days, with the minimum of location shooting. Some of the backdrop and stock footage looks a bit pedestrian today, but it worked well in 1962. He used his stable of actor friends to good use, folks like James Gregory, John McGiver, Albert Paulson, Whit Bissell, Douglas Henderson, Barry Kelley, and Lloyd Corrigan. It is a film that runnith over with excellent performances, and taunt and sparse and delivered like punches to the gut.

Glenn Buttkus 2007