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In 1960, Kirk Douglas had helped to break the Hollywood Blacklist with "Spartacus" by publicly crediting then-blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo as the screenwriter. But in 1969, he found himself working with a director who had been anything but helpful to his Hollywood colleagues during the height of McCarthyism. Sadly, this team-up between Douglas and director Elia Kazan also had the unfortunate distinction of being one of the Greek-American filmmaker's most derided films.

"The Arrangement" currently has a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which should tell you pretty much all you need to know about how this ill-fated drama was received upon release. The film is an adaptation of Kazan's own 1967 novel of the same name and follows LA advertising executive Evangelos Topouzoglou/Eddie Anderson (Douglas) as he endures a protracted nervous breakdown (which is what watching this incredible trailer feels like). Critics at the time were merciless with their condemnation of Kazan's film,...

The “made for television movie” began in the 1960s. In fact, one of the most famous TV movies Don Siegel’s 1964 version of “The Killers” featuring Ronald Reagan in his last film role as a ruthless villain, ended up being released theatrically because it was considered too violent for television.

But the genre came of age in the 1970s.

Some of these movies that aired on the three broadcast networks were sheer shlock and others were pilots for prospective TV series. But it was also an embarrassment of riches. Who could forget the beloved 1971 ABC biopic “Brian’s Song,” starring James Caan and Billy Dee Williams, which was nominated for 11 Emmys and won five including outstanding single program (drama or comedy). The four-hankie weepie was so popular it was released theatrically.

Also briefly released theatrically was Steven Spielberg’s pulsating 1971 classic “Duel” starring Dennis Weaver which aired on ABC. Considered one...

Hal Holbrook, the versatile stage and screen actor best known for his Tony-winning portrayal of Mark Twain, died Jan. 26 at his home in Beverly Hills. He was 95.

Holbrook’s assistant told the New York Times about his death on Monday.

In the one-man play “Mark Twain Tonight!,” which Holbrook developed in 1954, he portrayed Twain reading from a selection of his dramatic and comedic writing. The play debuted in Pennsylvania before moving to New York in 1959 Off Broadway, and finally premiered on Broadway in 1966. Holbrook won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play for that performance, and in 1967, he was nominated for an Emmy for the television broadcast.

Holbrook continued to revive the play for decades. His final Broadway appearance in the role came in 2006, and he retired from the role for good in 2017.

Born in 1925 in Cleveland, Ohio, Holbrook began acting during his service in World War II,...

Sometimes you almost think they don’t want you to watch. I’m not sure a more generic title could be conjured up than Revenge! (1971), an ABC TV movie that sounds like it should sit next to nacho chips and beer on the discount supermarket shelf. But, of course, it’s the ingredients that count, and with a stellar cast and a taut script by Psycho screenwriter Joseph Stefano, Revenge! has enough flavor to entertain the more discerning palette.

Originally airing on November 6th, this ABC Movie of the Weekend was up against NBC’s Saturday Night at the Movies and CBS’s Mary Tyler Moore Show / The New Dick Van Dyke Show, but won out again. Revenge! may be a generic title, but ABC’s brand is strong.

Open your faux TV Guide to page 32 for all the saucy details:

Revenge! (Saturday, 8:30pm, ABC)

A crazed woman believes...

Hours after long-haired guinea pigs Oscar, Lucas, and Encore made their screen debut in the premiere of the second season of House of Cards, the character they played, Cashew — devoted pet to hacktivist Gavin (played Jimmi Simpson) — became a meme and secured a seat in the canon of beloved onscreen animals. The casting, training, and handling of the trio fell under the purview of Carol Rosen, the Maryland-based owner of Positive Dog Training and Animal Actors. Rosen, who has been with House of Cards since season one (she worked with Slugline's office collie and Raymond Tusk’s parrot, to name a few of her non-human clients), spoke with Vulture about the guinea pig show circuit, ensuring poor Cashew’s safety during the cringe-inducing squish scene, and how he got big in Asia.How did House of Cards first approach you about the Cashew story line? The props master said, “Hey,...

20th Century Fox Home Entertainment will release The Hustler 50th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray starring the legendary Paul Newman (Road to Perdition) as pool shark Fast Eddie Felson on May 17, marking the classic film’s high-definition debut. It will carry a list price of $34.98.

Paul Newman is Fast Eddie Felson in The Hustler.

In the movie drama, Fast Eddie has fleeced his share of pool-hall gamblers, but now has his eye on one man: pool champ Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason, Skidoo). But after losing to Fats in a grueling, 36-hour match, Eddie hits the skids. Only the intervention of a ruthless gambler (George C. Scott, Taps) who stakes his claim to Eddie’s soul can teach this hustler the cruel art of winning.

Directed by Robert Rossen, The Hustler racked up nine Academy Award Nominations, including Best Picture, and features one of the late Newman’s most powerful and memorable performances.