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The Iceman Cometh
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The Iceman Cometh

film by Frankenheimer [1973]
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The 1973 film The Iceman Cometh, directed by John Frankenheimer, is an adaptation of Eugene O'Neill's tragedy of the same name. The play, written in 1939, is considered by many to be O'Neill's finest work and explores the human need for illusion and hope in the face of despair.1

The story is set in a run-down New York City tavern-hotel and follows a group of alcoholics who numb themselves with whiskey and make grand, unfulfilled plans. Their lives are disrupted when Theodore Hickman, known as "Hickey," arrives, announcing he has quit drinking and intends to help them abandon their pipe dreams. Hickey's efforts to force his cronies to face reality lead to a confession of murder and his subsequent surrender to the police. The other characters, unable to confront reality, retreat back into their illusions. John Frankenheimer was an acclaimed American film and television director known for his work in the 1950s and 1960s.12

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  1. The Iceman Cometh
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