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TCM's Star of the Month on her 100th Birthday, Angela Lansbury's monster mommie in "The Manchurian Candidate"

Angela Lansbury gave her greatest screen performance in 1962's political thriller, "The Manchurian Candidate," as Laurence Harvey's monstrous mother. Lansbury, who would be 100 on this day, was just three years older than Harvey! Angela has a field day as the crass, scheming, and ultimately chilling political wife willing to sacrifice anyone to win. A classic, with great story, direction, and cast--Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh. Still, Angela steals the show. On TCM at midnight. My take:

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by Anonymousreply 30October 17, 2025 6:07 PM

It's a night of Lansbury films, beginning at 8 pm/ET with "Gaslight."

by Anonymousreply 1October 16, 2025 7:26 PM

[Quote] "The Manchurian Candidate,"

My soul cries out in anguish at the toxic misogyny of this film title.

I urge the producers to immediately decolonize the title to something like “The Persynchurian Candidate.”

by Anonymousreply 2October 16, 2025 7:29 PM

That’s my favorite movie ever. The remake should never have happened.

by Anonymousreply 3October 16, 2025 8:12 PM

The film that launched a thousand conspiracy theories.

by Anonymousreply 4October 16, 2025 8:20 PM

And later, Richard Condon wrote another book in a dark parody of conspiracy theories, "Winter Kills."

by Anonymousreply 5October 16, 2025 10:13 PM

Lansbury deserved an Oscar for this.

by Anonymousreply 6October 16, 2025 10:20 PM

Harvey's character is a major asshole. Pluto TV shows it now and again, in fact I'm watching it as I type.

by Anonymousreply 7October 17, 2025 4:10 AM

One of my alltime favorite films. But it made me dislike her ever after.

by Anonymousreply 8October 17, 2025 7:47 AM

I don’t think his stuff is parody.

by Anonymousreply 9October 17, 2025 7:49 AM

"Why don't you pass the time by playing a little solitaire?"

by Anonymousreply 10October 17, 2025 7:52 AM

I also loved Janet Leigh in this but her character made me burst out laughing at one point. On the train.

by Anonymousreply 11October 17, 2025 7:54 AM

It's been years since I've seen Manchurian Candidate. Sorry for the vague recollection here... but there was a scene on a train that always struck me as odd. I THINK it was a conversation between Sinatra and Leigh's characters. I think Leigh said something about working on a railroad (which would have made no sense for her character's story) and which perhaps gave the impression that she might have been some undercover "Manchurian". Does anyone know what the hell I'm talking about or did I have too much Robitussin tonight?

by Anonymousreply 12October 17, 2025 8:21 AM

Jesus—just read OP’s blog at the link —leave us alone.

by Anonymousreply 13October 17, 2025 10:03 AM

R6 so did Duke.

Angie wasn’t robbed, or snubbed. If was a strong list of nominees, with two especially worthy performances at the top.

by Anonymousreply 14October 17, 2025 10:06 AM

Here’s a lovely tribute from Angela’s assistant on her 100th birthday.

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by Anonymousreply 15October 17, 2025 11:02 AM

Angela Lansbury had a specialty for darker female characters, and practiced some masterful bitchcraft in the film If Winter Comes (watch her sort out a maid who naively sympathizes with here character’s husband).

She was also effective in another role of a snippy, dismissive wife in a pretty rotten film called In The Cool of the Day, where she menaces Peter Finch. And she played Glen Ford’s bossy, obtuse fiancée in a charming old film called Dear Heart, with Geraldine Page as the sweet, eccentric lead role.

She had an unusual face that looked sometimes like a caricature by Al Hirschfeld, but she photographed well and she was styled was often styled beautifully. She stayed really fit and must have had a lot of discipline as a performer to stay famous for so long. She was a really cool character actress.

by Anonymousreply 16October 17, 2025 11:40 AM

In many ways I think one of her best roles was State of the Union. It’s not the best iof the Tracy-Hepburn pictures, but Angie is half their age and more than holds her own against each of them. She was a very disciplined as actress, right out of the starting gate.

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by Anonymousreply 17October 17, 2025 11:52 AM

It’s not a perfect film but it’ll always be a classic.

by Anonymousreply 18October 17, 2025 12:00 PM

R12

[quote] I THINK Leigh said something about working on a railroad.,,

All the livelong day?

by Anonymousreply 19October 17, 2025 12:02 PM

Eugenie Rose Chaney: Maryland is a beautiful state.

Bennett Marco: This is Delaware.

Eugenie Rose Chaney: I know, I was one of the original Chinese workmen who made the track on this stretch. But, em... nonetheless, Maryland is a beautiful state. So is Ohio for that matter.

Bennett Marco: I guess so, Columbus is a tremendous football town.

by Anonymousreply 20October 17, 2025 12:54 PM

Mrs. Iselin: It has been decided that you will be dressed as a priest, to help you get away in the pandemonium afterwards. Chunjin will give you a two-piece Soviet Army sniper's rifle that fits nicely into a special bag. There's a spotlight booth that won't be in use. It's up under the roof on the Eighth Avenue side of the Garden. You will have absolutely clear, protected shooting. You are to shoot the presidential nominee through the head. And Johnny will rise gallantly to his feet and lift Ben Arthur's body in his arms, stand in front of the microphones and begin to speak. The speech is short. But it's the most rousing speech I've ever read. It's been worked on, here and in Russia, on and off, for over eight years. I shall force someone to take the body away from him and Johnny will really hit those microphones and those cameras with blood all over him, fighting off anyone who tries to help him, defending America even if it means his own death, rallying a nation of television viewers to hysteria, to sweep us up into the White House with powers that will make martial law seem like anarchy! Now, this is very important. I want the nominee to be dead two minutes after he begins his acceptance speech - depending on his reading time under pressure. You are to hit him right at the point that he finishes the phrase, "Nor would I ask of any fellow American in defense of his freedom that which I would not gladly give myself - my life before my liberty." Is that absolutely clear?

Mrs. Iselin: I know you will never entirely comprehend this, Raymond, but you must believe I did not know it would be you. I served them. I fought for them. I'm on the point of winning for them the greatest foothold they would ever have in this country. And they paid me back by taking your soul away from you. I told them to build me an assassin. I wanted a killer from a world filled with killers and they chose you because they thought it would bind me closer to them. [Puts her hands on Raymond's face] Mrs. Iselin: But now, we have come almost to the end. One last step. And then when I take power, they will be pulled down and ground into dirt for what they did to you. And what they did in so contemptuously underestimating me.

by Anonymousreply 21October 17, 2025 12:56 PM

The movie downplayed the incest angle that the book made very clear.

by Anonymousreply 22October 17, 2025 12:57 PM

She’s even good at playing the shooting victim.

This is a real Kirker —er, corker.

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by Anonymousreply 23October 17, 2025 12:58 PM

R21 just post the clip

R22 I believe the kiss made it clear just fine for the movie (the Code was still in effect)

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by Anonymousreply 24October 17, 2025 1:05 PM

The old Madison Sq Garden (now the site of Worldwide Plaza on 8th ave/50th)

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by Anonymousreply 25October 17, 2025 1:07 PM

Read the novel, R24.

by Anonymousreply 26October 17, 2025 1:12 PM

Read the Code.

by Anonymousreply 27October 17, 2025 1:50 PM

The audio of the book was free on YouTube for the longest. I don’t see how there isn’t some aspect of parody because the book is incredibly over the top.

Mrs. Islen taking her son to bed and then bringing him on her revenge tour and having him assinate her enemies was wild to say the least.

by Anonymousreply 28October 17, 2025 5:37 PM

The book "The Manchurian Candidate" is just as wild, reads like pitch black comedy. The 1962 movie does it justice. At the time, some thought it was absurd, much like the later "Network." What has come to pass in our society and politics shows how on target both were...

by Anonymousreply 29October 17, 2025 5:43 PM

R15. That was beautiful. And Tom Rhoades is HOT!

by Anonymousreply 30October 17, 2025 6:07 PM
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