Number 69 on IMDb's Top 250
In Korea in 1952, a US Army patrol is ambushed by Communist soldiers. A year later the squad, having escaped, returns to the US, where Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw is to receive the Medal of Honor for single-handedly saving the lives of the squad. Shaw is the son of Elanor Iselin (Jessica Fletcher...um...Angela Lansbury), wife of US Senator John Yerkes Iselin, and Mrs. Iselin turns the return of Raymond into a political rally that brings out a building hostility between son and mother over the ambitions of Johnny Iselin. But there is more involved, for the actions of Raymond Shaw are not what everyone believes they are, and the nightmares of a US Army officer, Bennett Marco, leads to investigation of Raymond that unlocks a stunning political conspiracy that sweeps up Johnny and Elanor Iselin, and which only Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) can possibly stop. Hilarity ensues.
Trivia: Frank Sinatra broke one of his fingers when he hit the table, which was real and not a break-away prop, in the fight sequence with Henry Silva. Due to ongoing filming commitments, he could not rest or bandage his hand properly, causing the injury to heal incorrectly. It caused him chronic discomfort for the rest of his life. Angela Lansbury, who was only 36 at the time of filming, was only three years older than Laurence Harvey who played her son. The topic of the movie was considered politically so highly sensitive it was censored and prohibited just before its theatrical release in many of the former 'Iron Curtain' countries, such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria - and even in neutral countries such as Finland and Sweden. The theatrical premiere for most of those countries was held after the collapse of Soviet Union in 1993. In the scene where Frank Sinatra gives the all-queens deck of cards to Laurence Harvey, Frank Sinatra is out of focus. Frank Sinatra had trouble recreating his performance, so director John Frankenheimer left the footage as-is. Audiences weren't bothered; they interpreted it as Harvey's blurred perspective.
This was a really nice political thriller. Lansbury was excellent and the evil manipulative mother and Sinatra was great as the troubled captain trying to find the truth. Kim says that she likes the remake better with Denzel Washington in it so I guess I will have to see that one now.
*Wow, 200, and to think that in January I was at 101 and didn't even know it and now I have all but double that total in 5 months. And not only is this number 200 for me, it is also the last top 100 film that I hadn't seen. Thanks Kim, for bringing it to me all the way from Italy. Now that is what I call service.
Posts
1 comment:
WOOHOO...200. 50 more to go.
Post a Comment