The Movie Night Group had the wonderful opportunity to join Robert Osborne and Angela Lansbury for a screening of the 1962 The Manchurian Candidate
in New York City. Like most of the attendees, we had never seen this
film on a big screen, and what a knockout. The story of a Korean war
troup that is kidnapped by the enemy, with one member programmed to be a
stone-cold killer, it features outstanding performances by Frank
Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, and Angela Lansbury. As Ms.
Lansbury pointed out in the introduction, none of the actors was afraid
to look bad, and all (except Ms. Leigh) have scenes in which the tension
and horror of the movie is reflected in their face. In particular is a
scene towards the end of the film in which Ms. Lansbury's face seems
distorted, bloated, and truly ugly (if one could believe that!).
If you have never seen The Manchurian Candidate (big
screen or small), it is one that you owe to yourself. It has a script
that will keep you on the edge of your seat til the conclusion. However,
if you have seen it before, you will see new things with each new
viewing. On our way out of the theatre, we heard a woman mentioning that
she had seen the film before, but this time noticed the constant
references to Abraham Lincoln (something I don't believe I had picked up
on during my many small screen viewings).
So thanks again to TCM
for a remarkable opportunity to see classic movies the way they should
be seen. And thanks too, to Mr. Osborne and Ms. Lansbury for sharing
their insight into the film with an eager audience. For those of you who have never seen this magnificent film, here is the trailer (there is another scene on YouTube, but it gives away too much of the ending. We'll put that at the bottom. DON'T watch it if you are new to the movie)
More Joan Crawford
soon, but we felt our "readers" might like to join us for a few minutes
at the special event.
This week, our movie is 1955's Not as a Stranger, wherein Olivia plays a superior OR nurse named Kristina Hedvigson,
who falls in love with medical student Lucas Marsh (Robert Mitchum).
Marsh wants to be a doctor, and will do anything to get there, including
marry Kristina (whom he does not love), in order to pay his way through
medical school. The big problem with Marsh, though, is not that he
doesn't love Kristina - he doesn't love ANYONE. He does love medicine,
wants desperately to be an excellent doctor, but will not brook any kind
of medical mistakes. As a result, he is cold and unforgiving, with no
patience for his colleagues.
Olivia's Kristina is a good woman.
Somewhat unsophisticated, but an excellent nurse and a caring human
being. But she is plain. It is interesting the way this is
accomplished. The blonde wig and very white makeup that Olivia wears
makes her looked washed out. Her usual vibrancy is replaced by a
ghostly, almost surreal invisibility; a symbol, perhaps, of the fact
that Lucas never really sees her. In this scene, the young doctors learn about the human spirit:
This movie is also chock-full of
supporting performances by actors one doesn't always see in supporting
roles. Frank Sinatra, for example as Alfred Boone, another medical
student who is just not up to Lucas' standards, but is a good, caring
man, is just wonderful here. His sympathetic nature radiates. He is
the perfect foil to Mitchum's uptight perfectionist. Broderick
Crawford, as one the medical school's key instructors and Charles
Bickford, as the doctor who gives Lucas his first job, are also
excellent, again providing a glimpse of the humanity that is necessary
to a successful medical career. Bickford especially shows us medicine
as a caring profession; he knows every one of his patients, and treats
them with understanding and love.
Finally, there is our only other
major female role, the always fascinating Gloria Grahame as Harriet
Lang, a wealthy widow who is looking for excitement. And of course, the
rather studdily Mitchum is quickly within her sights.
A big thumbs up for this so often overlooked movie. If you've never seen it, by all means, give it a try.
