Seconds (1966 film)

Seconds
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Frankenheimer
Screenplay byLewis John Carlino
Based onSeconds
(1963 novel)
by David Ely
Produced byEdward Lewis
Starring
CinematographyJames Wong Howe
Edited by
Music byJerry Goldsmith
Production
companies
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release dates
  • May 16, 1966 (1966-05-16) (Cannes)
  • October 5, 1966 (1966-10-05) (New York City)
  • November 9, 1966 (1966-11-09) (Los Angeles)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.5 million
Box office$1.75 million (US and Canada rentals)

Seconds is a 1966 American science-fiction psychological horror film directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Rock Hudson, Salome Jens, and Will Geer. The screenplay by Lewis John Carlino is based on the 1963 novel by David Ely. Set in New York City and Malibu, California, the film tells the story of a middle-aged New York banker who, disillusioned with his life, is contacted by an agency known as "The Company" which specializes in providing "rebirths" under new identities and appearances altered by plastic surgery.

The film premiered at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Palme d'Or. It was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on 5 October 1966. Though it was a financial disappointment, it received positive reviews and has since developed a cult following. At the 39th Academy Awards, the film received a nomination for Best Cinematography (James Wong Howe).

In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".