HELP! The ending of the original "Manchurian Candidate"

[alphamommy]

I recorded "The Manchurian Candidate" (original version) a few months ago on our DVR. Since I'm the only one in the family who was interested in watching it, it's taken me a while to get to it.

Well, I was just watching it, and discovered that the DVR didn't get the end of the movie! ARG! I need someone to tell me (e-mail, private message, whatever) what happens! It stopped as Frank Sinatra is running up stairs to get to the assassin is sighting in his gun on the nominee. I have my guesses as to what's going to happen, but I really want to know for sure!

Thanks!
Tammy

[Janmac]

I'm just going to post this here - hope that's okay.

I don't know which stairs Sinatra was running up when your recording quit. He ran up quite a few, knocking over some bottles of beverages in one storeroom, going through at least one wrong door, to get to the square of light he'd seen when down on the floor.

In between his running up stairs and through wrong doors we see gun sight cross hairs on the speaker. Just as Sinatra is about to go through the right door, the cross hairs swivel to Angela Lansbury's husband - he's shot, and then Angela's shot.

Sinatra comes through the door, and the son (played by Lawrence Harvey who is about the same age as his "mother" Angela Lansbury) tells Sinatra that he (Sinatra) couldn't have stopped them (his mom and her husband) and the Army couldn't have stopped them so he did. He's just put his medal around his neck, and before Sinatra could do anything more, the son shoots himself.

The last scene is with Sinatra talking to his new girl friend in an apartment, while it's raining outside. He says something profound about the rain and then reads some Army commendations from a book and then makes up a commendation that Harvey saved his country.

And that's the end.

I bought both Manchurian Candidates and watch them sometimes. Can't decide which I like better, because the original has a much different - older style - pacing.

Are you going to buy the movie?

I think the ending would have been more suspenseful to have had the shots ring out while Sinatra is approaching the door, and then discover that the son swiveled the gun sight.

But perhaps the movie's not about the suspense as it is the psychology.

Jan

[Jasper]

I have always tried to catch the original when it was on TV but have always missed it. I also have not seen it for purchase locally. Does anyone know if Amazon.com or anyplace like that would have the original?

[Janmac]

Yup, Amazon even has the movie in DVD. I got my VHS version at a thrift shop a couple years ago.

Jan

[alphamommy]

It sounds like my guess of what would happen was accurate. I figured he'd kill his mother and stepfather, and probably himself.

Lawrence Harvey was 8 years younger than Angela Lansbury.

I don't plan to buy the movie, I'd just always been intrigued by it.

[BriarRose0708]

Oh what a classic. Great movie! I found my DVD in the dollar store. Totally serious. It was in a bin of DVD's and I picked it up along with somelesser known Hitchcock films and Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. It's amazing what you can find at the dollar store these days!

[Janmac]

Dollar Store does have some good nuggets - I forget what we found there a couple of months ago but we sure were happy to find it.

Speaking of Charade, I much prefer the Cary Grant version to the remake - just forgot the name of the actor. All I can think of is Markie Mark. Must be bedtime.

Okay, just remembered. Speaking of Mark Wahlberg, we caught the original Italian Job not too long ago. Much prefer the remake. The first one is almost incomprehensible.

It's funny how some remakes work better than the originals and sometimes it's the opposite.

Just watched the remake with Denzel Washington of the Manchurian Candidate last night. Not sure which I like better. I think perhaps the remake because it had more surprises.

Jan

[January-2007]

I saw the Manchurian Candidate for the first time when I was in high school, and several years ago DH bought it for me at a video store. We haven't seen the new one yet. I love Charade, it's such a fun movie. We also really like the movie Fail Safe.