THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)

This Johh Frankenheimer film created a sensation when it was released at the height of the Cold War. You know the plot: A platoon of GI's in the Korean War are captured by the Commies and brainwashed to create a legend that their despised sergeant, Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey, Eternal Cad) is really a hero who saved their lives. He gets the Medal of Honor, and is returned to the US to his manipulative mother (Angela Lansbury) and his dimwitted, McCarthy-like Senator stepfather (James Gregory). He's a long trigger programmed by the Commies to assassinate a presidential candidate on command from his mom so his stepfather, the VP candidate, can take over and hand the country to the Commies. But, his former commander, Maj. Ben Marko (Frank Sinatra) and other brainwashed GI's, start having bad dreams that reveal what really happened.

This is a nail-biter at times, but it's a bit dated and has several big lapses in logic and sappy moments. Harvey and Sinatra are ok, but the best performances are by Lansbury (really scary) and Gregory (perfect in the dimwit role). Fans of the original TV series "Hawaii Five-O" will recognize repeat bad guys Khigh Dhiegh as the Chinese brain-washer and Albert Poulsen as his Russkie counterpart.