The Arrangement (1969)

Director:

Elia Kazan

Writers:

Elia Kazan (written by)
Elia Kazan (novel)

Release Date:

18 November 1969 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

The girl knew about the wife. The wife knew about the girl. It was all part of the arrangement.

Plot:

Eddie is a very rich man who has everything he wants; money, family, success. But a car crash is all...

Plot Keywords:

Giraffe | Extramarital Affair | Grave Side Ceremony | Alter Ego | Paternity Test

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Kirk Douglas	...	Eddie Anderson
Faye Dunaway	...	Gwen
Deborah Kerr	...	Florence Anderson
Richard Boone	...	Sam
Hume Cronyn	...	Arthur
Michael Higgins	...	Michael
Carol Eve Rossen	...	Gloria (as Carol Rossen)
William Hansen	...	Dr. Weeks
Harold Gould	...	Dr. Leibman
Michael Murphy	...	Father Draddy
John Randolph Jones	...	Charles
Anne Hegira	...	Thomna
Charles Drake	...	Finnegan
E.J. André	...	Uncle Joe (as E.J. Andre)
Philip Bourneuf	...	Judge Morris
Dianne Hull	...	Ellen
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Donna Anders	...	Girl in Motel (uncredited)
Brian Andrews	...	Child (uncredited)
David Barton	...	Michael - Age 12 (uncredited)
Julia Black	...	Nude (uncredited)
Steve Bond	...	Eddie - Age 15 (uncredited)
Betty Bresler	...	Party Girl (uncredited)
Helen Bruno	...	Wife of Judge Morris (uncredited)
Dee Carroll	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Stephen Coit	...	Santa Claus (uncredited)
Bob Collis	...	Zephyr Commercial (uncredited)
Bert Conway	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Francis De Sales	...	Presentation Executive (uncredited)
Ann Doran	...	Nurse Costello (uncredited)
Trent Gough	...	The Rocking Boy (uncredited)
Raymond Guth	...	Guard (uncredited)
James Halferty	...	Evangelos - Age 18 (uncredited)
Harry Hauss	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Clint Kimbrough	...	Ben (uncredited)
Dorothy Konrad	...	Cook (uncredited)
John Lawrence	...	Arthur's Aide (uncredited)
Maureen McCormick	...	Zephyr Commercial (uncredited)
Al McGranary	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Valerie Miller	...	Zephyr Commercial (uncredited)
Richard Morrill	...	Sawyer (uncredited)
Paul Newlan	...	Mr. Meyer (uncredited)
John Ortega	...	Pilot (uncredited)
Pat Patterson	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Virginia Peters	...	Butch Bentley (uncredited)
Beverly Ralston	...	Zephyr Commercial (uncredited)
Walter Rode	...	Bit Role (uncredited)
Barry Russo	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Robert Shayne	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Charles Stewart	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Chet Stratton	...	Charlie (uncredited)
Robert Strong	...	Board Member (uncredited)
Barry Sullivan	...	Chet Collier (uncredited)

Directed by
Elia Kazan

Writing credits
Elia Kazan		(written by)
Elia Kazan		(novel "The Arrangement")

Produced by
Elia Kazan	....	producer
Charles H. Maguire	....	associate producer

Original Music by
David Amram

Cinematography by
Robert Surtees		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stefan Arnsten

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Art Direction by
Malcolm C. Bert

Set Decoration by
Audrey A. Blasdel		(as Audrey Blasdel)

Costume Design by
Theadora Van Runkle

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burtt Harris	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Larry Jost	....	sound
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recordist (as Richard Vorisek)

Stunts
Bob Harris	....	stunts (uncredited)
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts (uncredited)
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunts (uncredited)

Music Department
David Amram	....	conductor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Athena Productions

Distributors

• Warner Brothers/Seven Arts (1969) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1974) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Australia:M | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Athena Productions

Trivia:

In his autobiography, Elia Kazan says he wanted Marlon Brando to play the protagonist of his film, Eddie Anderson. Brando initially agreed to play the role, but backed out after the assassination of Martin Luther King, saying he could not go on with the film in light of such terrible events. While Kazan, a political person himself, took Brando's exit graciously, he wondered whether Brando's excuse was just a con and that he didn't really want to play the role. Kazan says that Brando's interest in playing the role, during their discussions, never got beyond his desire that the studio use a particular Italian wigmaker for his hairpieces. On his part, Kazan had urged Brando to lose weight so that the character would be "lean and hungry."

Quotes:

Gwen:The screwing I'm getting is not worth the screwing I'm getting.

Movie Connections:

Features America, America (1963)

A sorrowfully neglected cinematic achievement

In recent years I have come to reevaluate most of Elia Kazan´s films. "A Streetcar Named Desire" (1951) looks more and more the stagebound it is and belongs rather to its actors than to its director. "On the Waterfront" first of all is an elaborated excuse for informing (something Kazan had done some years earlier in front of the HUAC). "America, America" (1963) is the sort of tale immigrants who have made it tend to tell at family gatherings over and over again. On the other hand "Panic in the Streets" (1950) now emerges as a powerful thriller about paranoia. "The Visitors" (1972) - more or less a home movie - is a painfully depiction of America´s guilt with regard to the Vietnam War and as such much ahead of its time (most certainly much ahead of Brian De Palma´s "Casualties of War" (1988), that tells are rather similar story). The most astonishing film being "The Arrangement" (1969), a film that has been dismissed that often as a downright bomb that this verdict was taken for granted for a very long time. Well, it´s high time for a change.

"The Arrangement" deals with an advertising executive´s alienation from his job, his family, his world and even from himself. This Eddie Anderson is one of Kirk Douglas´s most touching and least mannered performances. He manages to keep the audience interested in a guy who is lost in almost every sense of the word. A gripping psychodrama, a film for adults and therefore out of place even at a time when traditional Hollywood was blown away by America´s very own New Wave. "The Arrangement" may at times annoy you, but it won´t insult your intelligence for even that long as a second. Cudos to the director, Kirk Douglas and both Richard Boone and Deborah Kerr who gave two performances to crown their already sterling careers. Faye Dunaway, by the way, has never before and never since been that erotic on screen.