The Manchurian Candidate
by John Frankenheimer · film · 1962
unverified
frankenheimer and screenwriter george axelrod bought the rights to richard condon's 1959 novel for $50,000, formed their own production company (m.c. productions), and sold distribution to united artists. the hotel room confrontation scene uses an out-of-focus take because sinatra could not replicate the performance in reshoots, and frankenheimer kept it. searched for post-release rights mechanics and withdrawal rumors but could not confirm the widely repeated claim that sinatra personally suppressed the film after kennedy's assassination.
what shaped this
the makers, scenes, and predecessors this work came out of, grouped by how the influence reached it
scene and geography
- Playhouse 90
referenced · live television drama production
Frankenheimer was coming from the television world where he directed dramas including Playhouse 90 and Climax!.
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lineage
- Conditioned Reflex Therapy · Andrew Salter
referenced
Condon told Art Buchwald that the story was inspired by Conditioned Reflex Therapy (1949), written by psychologist Andrew Salter.
“Condon told syndicated columnist Art Buchwald that the story was inspired by Conditioned Reflex Therapy…”
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what’s downstream
later work that traces back to this one