Seconds (1966)

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

David Ely (novel)
Lewis John Carlino (screenplay)

Release Date:

5 October 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Sci-Fi | Thriller | Mystery | Drama

Tagline:

What Are Seconds?... The Answer May Be Too Terrifying For Words!

Plot:

Want out of your life? Just pay the fee and we'll fake your death, change your face, and set up a new identity for you...

Plot Keywords:

New Identity | Surgery | Artist | Painting | Train

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Rock Hudson	...	Antiochus 'Tony' Wilson
Salome Jens	...	Nora Marcus
John Randolph	...	Arthur Hamilton
Will Geer	...	Old Man
Jeff Corey	...	Mr. Ruby
Richard Anderson	...	Dr. Innes
Murray Hamilton	...	Charlie Evans
Karl Swenson	...	Dr. Morris
Khigh Dhiegh	...	Davalo
Frances Reid	...	Emily Hamilton
Wesley Addy	...	John
John Lawrence	...	Texan
Elisabeth Fraser	...	Plump Blonde
Dodie Heath	...	Sue Bushman (as Dody Heath)
Robert Brubaker	...	Mayberry

Also Known As:

Död man lever (Sweden) [sv]
Der Mann, der zweimal lebte (West Germany) [de]
L'opération diabolique (France) [fr]
Manden der skiftede ansigt (Denmark) [da]
Opération diabolique (Canada: French title) [fr]
Operazione diabolica (Italy) [it]
Plan diabólico (Spain) [es]
Tapaus Wilson 507 (Finland) [fi]
Tapaus Wilson 714 (Finland) [fi]
Uma Segunda Vida (Portugal) [pt]

MPAA:

Rated R for some nudity.

Runtime:

100 min | USA:107 min (re-release: 1996) | Australia:103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:X (1966) (cut) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (1996 re-release) | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

California, USA

Company:

Gibraltar Productions

Trivia:

French censorship certificate: -13.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At one point Hamilton/Wilson claims he was next in line for bank presidency. Highly unlikely in view of the fact that during early scenes he didn't even have a private office.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man in Station: Mr. Hamilton?
Arthur Hamilton: Yes?
[Man in train station hands Hamilton a folded sheet of paper and turns to walk away; Hamilton stares after him, then opens the folded paper to find an address, with no explanation]

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Man Who Shot Chinatown: The Life and Work of John A. Alonzo (2007)

One of the greatest thrillers ever made, and one of the most overlooked American movies of the 1960s.

You could make a strong case for the late John Frankenheimer being the most unappreciated American film director of all time simply by mentioning his two astonishing 1960s movies 'The Manchurian Candidate' and 'Seconds'. Frankenheimer made many others movies both good and not so good, but these two are amazing pieces of work and rarely get the praise they deserve. 'Seconds' is one of the greatest thrillers ever made. Intelligent, complex, and extremely depressing. It doesn't talk down to its audience and perhaps this is the reason why it was a box office flop and is still all but ignored today. Rock Hudson isn't an actor with much credibility to most film fans but he is brilliant in this film in easily his most powerful and believable performance ever. The rest of the supporting cast are excellent, especially the underrated character actors John Randolph ('Serpico'), Will Geer (TV's 'The Waltons') and Jeff Corey ('Mickey One'). 'Seconds' is a minor masterpiece. A very disturbing story with an unforgettable climax. Highly recommended!