Director John Frankenheimer Dies

AP via NYTimes.com ^ | 7/6/02

[GeneD]

Filed at 4:50 p.m. ET

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- John Frankenheimer, director of such Hollywood classics as ``The Manchurian Candidate'' and ``Birdman of Alcatraz,'' died Saturday. He was 72.

Frankenheimer died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of a stroke due to complications following spinal surgery, said his business manager, Patti Person.

Frankenheimer was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards in a career that spanned nearly five decades. His work ranged from social dramas to political thrillers, and included a highly regarded run of feature films in the 1960s, and a string of 152 live television dramas in the '50s.

He won four consecutive Emmys in the late 1990s for directing cable-TV movies. In 1998 his ``George Wallace'' won a Peabody Award and a Golden Globe for best television film.

``Full bore. You gotta give it everything. You just got to give it everything,'' he said in a 1998 interview with The Associated Press. ``And sometimes that's not even enough.''

``The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), a satirical conspiracy thriller about a Korean War brainwashing victim, was the film that made Frankenheimer's name.

It was followed two years later by another highly regarded political thriller, ``Seven Days in May,'' which starred Burt Lancaster as a renegade general planning a coup. Other films included ``Seconds,'' ``Black Sunday'' and ``The Train.''

A native New Yorker, Frankenheimer got his first taste of directing movies while in the Air Force stationed in Burbank. He worked on some documentaries, and in 1953 walked into the CBS office in New York and convinced network officials to give him a chance as an assistant director.

Frankenheimer moved from weather and news programming to television shows. His early credits included 42 episodes of the ``Playhouse '90'' anthology series and his success with political thrillers followed. As producer Frank Mancuso Jr. once put it, ``He made the template'' for such movies.

In the 1970s, Frankenheimer ran into some personal difficulties, including a drinking problem, which followed the assassination of close friend Robert F. Kennedy.

Kennedy was staying at Frankenheimer's house, and Frankenheimer drove him to the Ambassador Hotel the night he was killed in 1968.

Frankenheimer lost his touch, making such clunkers as ``Prophecy,'' ``The Challenge,'' ``Dead-Bang'' and ``Year of the Gun.'' Job offers dried up in the '80s and he had to work to re-establish himself.

[Clara Lou]

"The Birdman of Alcatraz" made a nice fairytale. Made a hero out of a pervert. Bleah.

[summer]

``The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), a satirical conspiracy thriller about a Korean War brainwashing victim, was the film that made Frankenheimer's name.

One of those films you always remember...

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Frankenheimer lost his touch, making such clunkers as ``Prophecy,'' ``The Challenge,'' ``Dead-Bang'' and ``Year of the Gun.'' Job offers dried up in the '80s and he had to work to re-establish himself.

A poorly written article.

The article makes it sound like his career ended in the 1980s even though, as the article earlier notes, he had a solid career directing in the 1990s.

[summer]

John Frankenheimer,
film director - "The Manchurian Candidate"

[Tribune7]

The Train was a great movie.

[baseballfanjm]

Well, sort of. He did do several films in the 90's, but they didn't do well. He won an Emmy for directing Andersonville though.

[Molly Pitcher]

I always enjoy watching the WWII film The Train...

Makes me think a little better of the French....just a little better....

[Consort]

``The Manchurian Candidate''.....hmmmmm......

We had better add Mr. Frankenheimer to the Clinton Body Count just to play it safe.

[Crusader Rabbit]

``The Manchurian Candidate'' (1962), a satirical conspiracy thriller...

Alright, help me out here. I have watched this film many times and I would never classify it as "satirical".

[cgbg]

For those who have never seen it I would like highly recommend "Seconds". It is shown on late night TV now and then.

The concept is about starting one's life over again by faking death.

This is a dark dark movie, brilliantly presented. I will never forget it.

[Charlesj]

Poor choice of words but I can sort of see it only as regards the Janet Leigh role...her conversations with the Sinatra character being purely weird. However some 95% plus of the movie is a political thriller re brainwaswhing, and a classically good one at that.

[the crow]

I believe he also directed "Grand Prix" with James Garner, about '65 as I recall. While the plot was a bit sappy in spots it was some of the best auto racing footage ever shot. Could never be done today for safety concerns.

[Blake#1]

I recently viewed "Seven Days In May" on late night TV. One of the final scenes by Fredrick March attacks Senator McCarthy and General Walker. I wonder if Frankenhiemer ever learned that McCarthy was right (see Verona papers). I wonder if this would make any difference to him. Always speak well of the dead. However, liars like this man affect an entire nation's outlook on an issue. He will not be missed by this poster.

[Illbay]

It was "satirical" because it portrayed Communism in a bad light, and audaciously implied that the Red menace was real.

That kind of thinking is just too funny for the Hollywood Left to take seriously; ergo, Candidate must have been meant as "satire."

[Illbay]

I thought Steve McQueen starred in Grand Prix.

[Rocko]

I also enjoyed French Connection II.

[Rocko]

Sinatra was great in it. It is not a "satire."

[Tribune7]

There were some pretty funny moments in it. Like when Frank Sinatra told ????(the hero, I forget name) to go jump in the lake.

[bird humming]

My fave Frankenheimer film was 'Seconds.' Chilling. Rock Hudson was so good as the man who gets a chance to have another life. It was gripping!