At the end of the original version of “Manchurian Candidate,” this scene in which Major Marco (Frank Sinatra) is seen in front of a window with rain trickling down on it reading out loud from a U.S Army citations book that lists posthumous medals. After detailing the heroics of one soldier, Marco adlibs the following about his friend Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey) who, having been brainwashed by the Chinese, had just committed suicide after killing his wife, mother and stepfather (and who of course would never receive any kind of medal.)
Marco: Poor Raymond. Poor friendless, friendless Raymond. He was wearing his medal when he died. You should read some of the citations sometime. Just read them. Taken, eight prisoners, killing four enemy in the process while one leg and one arm was shattered and he could only crawl because the other leg had been blown off – Edwards. Wounded five times, dragged himself across the direct fire of three enemy machine guns to pull two of his wounded men to safety amid sixty-nine dead and two hundred and three casualties – Holderman.
[Puts the book down]
Marco Made to commit acts too unspeakable to be cited here by an enemy who had captured his mind and his soul. He freed himself at last and in the end, heroically and unhesitatingly gave his life to save his country. Raymond Shaw… Hell… Hell.
A beautifully acted, extremely sad scene.