Whatever the American public thought (if it thought at all) about the Korean War, one aspect of it angered us: rumors of harsh treatment by North Korean officers of our officers and men with the intention of breaking them down to reveal military information in violation of the Geneva Convention. Of course, at the time, it rarely occurred to us that our men might do the same things as the North Koreans did, but we were still under a general belief that we were better than those foes.
During the 1950s there were several shows on television and movies, culminating in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, dealing with brain washing. This episode of Lloyd Bridges' short lived dramatic series in 1962 was one that I recall watching.
Bridges was Bruce Pennington, an army officer captured in the Korean War, who has been put under a North Korean officer played by James Hong. Hong is determined to get some valuable information from Bridges that he will not reveal, and starts doing everything that he can to break him. This includes torture and brainwashing techniques, but for some reason he can't get far with them. The reason is that Bridges has his own antidote.
Before he went off to fight in the war, Bridges and his wife (Betty Garrett) agree on the lot that they will build their future home together. They have even discussed styles and rooms they want.
SPOILER COMING UP:
Bridges concentrates in his cell on the design of the future home. He actually turns the wall of his cell into an imaginary drawing board, and starts shifting walls and floors and windows about. It concentrates his mind so thoroughly he can forget what the torture and brainwashing techniques are trying to do. In the end Bridges is not broken. As a high ranking officer he is to be turned over to the Americans in a prisoner exchange. Hong was aware of this but felt sure he would break him in time. Instead, as Bridges is led away, Hong is seized by his superiors who are furious at his failure (we gather failure means death for him).
During the 1950s there were several shows on television and movies, culminating in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, dealing with brain washing. This episode of Lloyd Bridges' short lived dramatic series in 1962 was one that I recall watching.
Bridges was Bruce Pennington, an army officer captured in the Korean War, who has been put under a North Korean officer played by James Hong. Hong is determined to get some valuable information from Bridges that he will not reveal, and starts doing everything that he can to break him. This includes torture and brainwashing techniques, but for some reason he can't get far with them. The reason is that Bridges has his own antidote.
Before he went off to fight in the war, Bridges and his wife (Betty Garrett) agree on the lot that they will build their future home together. They have even discussed styles and rooms they want.
SPOILER COMING UP:
Bridges concentrates in his cell on the design of the future home. He actually turns the wall of his cell into an imaginary drawing board, and starts shifting walls and floors and windows about. It concentrates his mind so thoroughly he can forget what the torture and brainwashing techniques are trying to do. In the end Bridges is not broken. As a high ranking officer he is to be turned over to the Americans in a prisoner exchange. Hong was aware of this but felt sure he would break him in time. Instead, as Bridges is led away, Hong is seized by his superiors who are furious at his failure (we gather failure means death for him).