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'''The Manchurian Candidate''' is a far-fetched<ref>"The film initially failed at the box-office and its plot was considered far-fetched. [http://www.filmsite.org/manc.html The Manchurian Candidate (1962) review] by Tim Dirks </ref> 1962 Hollywood film about a [[Communist]] conspiracy to drug and hypnotize an American [[POW]] into assassinating a candidate for [[President of the United States]].  The film, based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, was directed by John Frankenheimer.

[[Image:Manchurian.jpg|thumb|300px]]

'''The Manchurian Candidate''' is a <ref>"The film initially failed at the box-office and its plot ''was'' considered far-fetched when it was released. [http://www.filmsite.org/manc.html The Manchurian Candidate (1962) review] by Tim Dirks </ref> 1962 Hollywood film about a [[Communist]] conspiracy to drug and hypnotize an American [[POW]] into assassinating a candidate for [[President of the United States]].  The film, based on the 1959 novel by Richard Condon, was directed by John Frankenheimer, ''was'' considered far-fetched when it was originally released, but later during the heights of the [[Cold War]] gained an almost [[cult]]-like following. The primary reason for this was the public learning more about the various Communist regimes, their clear and present danger, and the [[espionage]] techniques they employed and experimented with.

 

== Cast ==

== Cast ==

* [[Frank Sinatra]] as [[Captain (rank)|Captain]] (later [[Major (rank)|Major]]) Bennett Marco, [[United States Army|USA]], veteran of the [[Korean War]] and attached to Army G-2.

* [[Frank Sinatra]] as [[Captain (rank)|Captain]] (later [[Major (rank)|Major]]) Bennett Marco, [[United States Army|USA]], veteran of the [[Korean War]] and attached to Army G-2.

== Goofs ==

== Goofs ==

=== Contrivance or "Dramatic License" ===

=== Contrivance or "Dramatic License" ===

Senator and Mrs. Iselin greet Sergeant Shaw with a banner reading "Johnny Iselin's Boy!" and spread it over his head for a [[Photo Opportunity|photo-op]]. That would likely never have been allowed to happen. In real life, no civilian, even the mother and stepfather of a Medal of Honor recipient, would have been allowed to get that close to an honoree, and certainly not to spread a venal-looking banner over his head and take an unauthorized photograph, not only of the honoree, but also of a [[general]] officer of the Army.

Senator and Mrs. Iselin greet Sergeant Shaw with a banner reading "Johnny Iselin's Boy!" and spread it over his head for a [[Photo Opportunity|photo-op]]. That would likely never have been allowed to happen. In real life, no civilian, even the mother and stepfather of a Medal of Honor recipient, would have been allowed to get that close to an honoree, and certainly not to spread a venal-looking banner over his head and take an unauthorized photograph, not only of the honoree, but also of a [[general]] officer of the Army.

The 1950s was a time of intense interest in accounts of mind control, and the term "brainwashing" was coined in 1950. At a time of high Cold War tension, the book ''I Was Stalin's Prisoner'' (1952), a first-person account of US executive Robert A. Vogeler's experiences with mind control as a political prisoner in Hungary, produced derivative fiction. ''Brain-Washing in Red China'' (1951) and other writings by Edward Hunter proclaimed the danger and potentially devastating possibilities of brainwashing.  Inaccurate reports to the effect that numerous American POW's had defected to the Chinese in Korea caused alarm; in fact there were only a few.  Richard Condon's novel ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1959) tapped into public fascination and concern over mind-control techniques. Condon's novel is the basis of the film.  Novels by William Burroughs, A. E. van Vogt, and Francis Pollini all incorporate brainwashing themes. By the time of Walter Wager's ''Telefon'' (1975), the subject of brainwashing techniques had become passé.<ref>David Seed, "Brainwashing And Cold War Demonology." ''Prospects'' 1997 22: 535-573.  </ref>  

The 1950s was a time of intense interest in accounts of mind control, and the term "brainwashing" was coined in 1950. At a time of high Cold War tension, the book ''I Was Stalin's Prisoner'' (1952), a first-person account of US executive Robert A. Vogeler's experiences with mind control as a political prisoner in Hungary, produced derivative fiction. ''Brain-Washing in Red China'' (1951) and other writings by Edward Hunter proclaimed the danger and potentially devastating possibilities of brainwashing.  Inaccurate reports to the effect that numerous American POW's had defected to the Chinese in Korea caused alarm; in fact there were only a few.  Richard Condon's novel ''The Manchurian Candidate'' (1959) tapped into public fascination and concern over mind-control techniques. Condon's novel is the basis of the film.  Novels by William Burroughs, A. E. van Vogt, and Francis Pollini all incorporate brainwashing themes. By the time of Walter Wager's ''Telefon'' (1975), the subject of brainwashing techniques had become passé.<ref>David Seed, "Brainwashing And Cold War Demonology." ''Prospects'' 1997 22: 535-573.  </ref>  

Scholars have concluded there was no such brainwashing but it was a real fear at the time. The film picks up and elaborates on this fear.  The film was based on the 1959 novel by John Condon.  The 1954 film "Prisoner of War" also is based on brainwashing POW's in Korea.  

Some scholars have concluded there was no such brainwashing but it was a real fear at the time. The film picks up and elaborates on this fear.  The film was based on the 1959 novel by John Condon.  The 1954 film "Prisoner of War" also is based on brainwashing POW's in Korea.  

At the time of its release in 1962, the film defied plot analysis or genre categorization, but the film's subject of US soldiers brainwashed by Chinese forces during the Korean War found particular resonance in US popular culture. Beginning in 1952, popular journalists frightened and titillated their readers with dubious tales of Communist mind-control techniques. Some critics who analyzed the film in 1962-63, however, saw the film as a commentary on McCarthyism - the character of Senator John Ickes Iselin, the stepfather of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, bears striking resemblances to Joseph McCarthy, if only as parody and burlesque. The film's real target was "Momism," since it was the invasive upbringing of the protagonist by his mother that made him a good candidate for brainwashing.<ref> Susan L. Carruthers, "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) And The Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685 </ref>

At the time of its release in 1962, the film defied plot analysis or genre categorization, but the film's subject of US soldiers brainwashed by Chinese forces during the Korean War found particular resonance in US popular culture. Beginning in 1952, popular journalists frightened and titillated their readers with sometimes dubious tales of Communist mind-control techniques. Some critics who analyzed the film in 1962-63, however, saw the film as a [[leftist]] commentary on McCarthyism - the character of Senator John Ickes Iselin, the stepfather of Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw, bears striking resemblances to Joseph McCarthy, if only as parody and burlesque. The film's real target was "Mom-ism," since it was the supposedly invasive upbringing of the protagonist by his mother that made him a good candidate for brainwashing according to some, and viewed by others as a subtle attempt to help break down the nuclear family by [[liberals]]. <ref> Susan L. Carruthers, "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) And The Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685 </ref>

A key premise of the movie was that it was possible to [[brainwash]] an unsuspecting prisoner into committing [[murder]]:

A key premise of the movie was that it was possible to [[brainwash]] an unsuspecting prisoner into committing [[murder]]:

:... a tall, bald [[Communist Chinese]]/Korean doctor-spylord Yen Lo ... introduces the captured, passive and impotent men, all drugged and hypnotized [for] a public demonstration of the powers of [[hypnotism]]. One reviewer called this premise "far-fetched".<ref name="filmsite"> "Although the film initially failed at the box-office and its plot was considered far-fetched, it anticipated the American obsession with conspiracy theories in the early to mid-60s." [http://www.filmsite.org/manc.html] </ref>

:... a tall, bald [[Communist Chinese]]/Korean doctor-spylord Yen Lo ... introduces the captured, passive and impotent men, all drugged and hypnotized [for] a public demonstration of the powers of [[hypnotism]]. One reviewer called this premise "far-fetched".<ref name="filmsite"> "Although the film initially failed at the box-office and its plot was considered far-fetched, it anticipated the American obsession with conspiracy theories in the early to mid-60s." [http://www.filmsite.org/manc.html] </ref>

The movie featured a riveting performance by Angela Lansbury<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001450/ IMDB website]</ref> as the brilliant, controlling mother who manipulated both her husband and her son to realize her dream of a communist takeover of the [[United States]].  Her husband was a parody of Senator [[Joseph McCarthy]], who brandishes a list of 57 card carrying communists. The only reason for citing 57 members of this list is that Senator Iselin reads that number on a bottle of Heinz Ketchup.

The movie featured a riveting performance by [[Angela Lansbury]]<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001450/ IMDB website]</ref> as the brilliant, controlling mother who manipulated both her husband and her son to realize her dream of a communist takeover of the [[United States]].  Her husband was a parody of Senator [[Joseph McCarthy]], who brandishes a list of 57 card carrying communists. The only reason for citing 57 members of this list is that Senator Iselin reads that number on a bottle of Heinz [[Ketchup]].

== Recent remake ==

== Recent Remake ==

The movie was remade with [[Denzel Washington]] in the Sinatra role and [[Liev Schreiber]] as a the assassin controlled by a [[microchip]] brain implant. The villains in the remake are not communists, but simply people with a vague political agenda.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manchurian_candidate/about.php 'Rotten Tomatoes' Plot Summary]</ref>

The movie was remade with [[Denzel Washington]] in the Sinatra role and [[Liev Schreiber]] as a the assassin controlled by a [[microchip]] brain implant. The villains in the remake are not communists, but simply people with a vague political agenda.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/manchurian_candidate/about.php 'Rotten Tomatoes' Plot Summary]</ref>

==Colloquial Usage==  

==Colloquial Usage==  

In modern day usage, to describe a political candidate as a "Manchurian Candidate" is to say that they are hiding their real beliefs in hope of being elected, and afterwords able to advance their hidden agenda.  Barack Obama is frequently accused of being a Muslim Manchurian Candidate, by sources such as [http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=79411 WorldNetDaily] and others.

In modern day usage, to describe a political candidate as a "Manchurian Candidate" is to say that they are hiding their real beliefs in hope of being elected, and afterwords able to advance their hidden agenda.  [[Barack Obama]] is frequently accused of being a Muslim Manchurian Candidate, by the media, like  [http://www.wnd.com/index.php?pageId=79411 WorldNetDaily] and other authoritative and trusted sources.

 

==Further reading==

==Further reading==

* Carruthers, Susan L. "Redeeming The Captives: Hollywood and the Brainwashing of America's Prisoners of War in Korea." ''Film History'' 1998 10(3): 275-294. 0892-2160

* Carruthers, Susan L. "Redeeming The Captives: Hollywood and the Brainwashing of America's Prisoners of War in Korea." ''Film History'' 1998 10(3): 275-294. 0892-2160

* Carruthers, Susan L. "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and the Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685

* Carruthers, Susan L. "The Manchurian Candidate (1962) and the Cold War Brainwashing Scare." ''Historical Journal of Film, Radio And Television'' 1998 18(1): 75-94. 0143-9685

==Notes==

== Also See ==

==References==

{{reflist}}

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Movies|Manchurian Candidate, The]]

[[Category:Movies|Manchurian Candidate, The]]

[[Category:Cold War]]

[[Category:Cold War]]