The 11 Jan 1959 NYT reported that major and independent film companies were reading galley proofs of Richard Condon’s 1959 novel, The Manchurian Candidate, three months prior to its publication. In the 16 May 1961 LAT, Condon told syndicated columnist Art Buchwald that the story was inspired by Conditioned Reflex Therapy (1949), written by psychologist Andrew Salter. Condon believed advertisers and politicians might be able to use the treatment as mind control, eliciting reactions from people using “trigger words.” A “trained brainwasher” could easily pervert the power of this kind of therapy. The author also lamented the fact that many refused to believe brainwashing was possible.
       According to the 13 Mar 1960 NYT, director John Frankenheimer and writer George Axelrod purchased motion picture rights to The Manchurian Candidate for approximately $50,000. The 22 Jun 1962 LAT later explained that Axelrod’s agent, Irving Lazar, took a two-year option on the book, allowing the writer to develop his screenplay. A news item in the 24 Oct 1962 Var noted that Frankenheimer and Axelrod gave the randomly chosen name, Benjamin K. Arthur, to their fictional President of the United States, supposedly unaware of its resemblance to “Chester A. Arthur,” who held the office in the late nineteenth century.
       On 12 Oct 1960, columnist Hedda Hopper announced actor Robert Wagner for the role of “Raymond Shaw” in the LAT. More than a year later, the 24 May 1961 Var reported that Frankenheimer and Axelrod, doing business as Collage Productions, were considering Tony Curtis for the role, and Frank Sinatra as “Bennett Marco.” Although Hopper claimed in her 29 Mar 1961 LAT column that Sinatra’s Essex Productions purchased film rights from Collage, Var stated that the parties could not agree on a price. The Manchurian Candidate was Collage’s first production. Other casting announcements included Claire Griswold in the 2 Jan 1962 LAT, Mike Masters in the 2 Feb 1962 LAT, Lou Krugg, Tom Harris, and Marquita Moll in the 16 Mar 1962 LAT, and Lena Horne in the 1 Mar 1962 Los Angeles Sentinel. None received onscreen credit, according to listings at the time of release. Griswold was replaced by Janet Leigh, and Horne, who was to play a psychiatrist, did not appear in the film. However, Axelrod and Frankenheimer included several African Americans among the cast, hoping to represent the “ever-widening role of the Negro in American life,” as stated in the 14 Feb 1962 Var. The 8 Jun 1962 NYT reported that Sinatra offered a part to Jackie Gleason, but the actor-comedian was reportedly in need of rest after completing his third picture that year.
       The 16 Dec 1961 NYT noted that Frankenheimer had recently scouted locations in New York City. Chosen sites included Madison Square Garden, Central Park Lake, and an apartment house on Riverside Drive. According to production charts in the 7 Feb 1962 Var, principal photography began 22 Jan 1962 at Goldwyn Studios in West Hollywood, CA. The 2 Feb 1962 LAT reported the start of location shooting at Madison Square Garden the following week. The 11 Feb 1962 NYT noted that two weeks of interior scenes had already been filmed at Goldwyn, saving the company two and one half days of its forty-five day schedule, and possibly reducing the $2.5 million budget. While on location at Madison Square Garden, Axelrod revealed the character “Senator John Iselin” to be modeled on anti-communist demagogue Senator Joseph McCarthy. Frankenheimer later told the 22 Jun 1962 LAT that filming was completed five days ahead of schedule, due in part to Sinatra’s uncharacteristic cooperation with the director.
       The 21 Feb 1962 Var reported that the picture’s distributor, United Artists, had tentative plans for a promotional featurette to accompany the television broadcast of Sinatra’s 1956 film, Johnny Concho (see entry). According to the 5 Sep 1962 Var, a sneak preview was held the following week in New York City, while Axelrod, Frankenheimer, and Janet Leigh were in town. The film had already been screened at the White House for President John F. Kennedy.
       The Manchurian Candidate opened 24 Oct 1962 in New York City, and on 7 Nov 1962 in Los Angeles, CA, to mixed reviews. While the 25 Oct 1962 NYT considered the film a failure as both a satire and a thriller, the 28 Oct 1962 LAT praised it as exceptional. Box office receipts for greater New York City totaled $1,029,974 within five weeks of opening, according to the 5 Dec 1962 Var.
       The 1 Aug 1962 Var noted that a soundtrack album would be released through Sinatra’s Reprise Records, featuring actress Leslie Parrish on the cover. A rendition of the theme song, recorded by the Les Baxter Orchestra, was chosen as one of the top songs of the week in the 31 Oct 1962 Var.
       The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Angela Lansbury) and Best Film Editing (Ferris Webster and Carl Mahakian). Although she did not win the Oscar, Lansbury received Golden Globe and National Board of Review awards for her performance. The film and its crew were also nominated for awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and the Directors Guild of America (DGA). On 3 Apr 1963, NYT announced that The Manchurian Candidated was voted best film of the year in the annual FD poll of American critics and columnists.
       Despite such accolades, actor Laurence Harvey complained to the 10 Nov 1962 LAT that few critics understood the “what the picture was about.” In his article for the 21 Oct 1962 NYT, George Axelrod explained that the story addressed Senator McCarthy’s “brain-washing of an entire nation,” and the continued subtle brainwashing of the American people through mass media. Axelrod added that he was very proud of the finished product. On 28 Nov 1962, Var reported that the American Legion of Inglewood, CA, took offense to the film’s portrayal of McCarthy, and demanded an investigation of the motion picture industry from either the House Committee on Un-American Activities or the Senate Internal Securities Sub-Committee. The 19 Dec 1962 Var revealed that French critics were concerned by the film’s negative portrayal of American society, believing it could undermine the U.S. in its ideological battle against communism, and leave Western Europe vulnerable to aggression from Eastern Bloc nations.
       Just one year later, President Kennedy was assassinated on 22 Nov 1963 in Dallas, TX. Soon afterward, Richard Condon was asked by a British reporter if he thought The Manchurian Candidate may have influenced the assassin. Condon repeated his answer in 27 Dec 1962 LAT, admitting that he, along with other Americans, contributed to the assassin’s attitude. He added that observing people who share the mentality of the assassin compelled him to write the novel. He described Americans as “violent and unstable” people, conditioned to believe that “civilized, thoughtful conduct” is no longer possible for them.
       Location scenes filmed in and around Los Angeles and New York City. In 2004, Paramount Pictures released another film based on Richard Condon's novel. Also entitled The Manchurian Candidate, the picture was directed by Jonathan Demme and starred Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep.