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The acclaimed Showtime limited series “Fellow Travelers” tells the decades-long love story of two closeted men, Hawk Fuller (Matt Bomer) and Tim Laughlin (Jonathan Bailey) who meet in 1950s Washington. Their early days together are told against the backdrop of the rise and fall of Joseph McCarthy (Chris Bauer), the notorious Republican Senator from Wisconsin, tapped into Americans increasing Cold War fears of Russia and rampant Communist infiltration in the U.S. He was a little-known junior senator who, on Feb. 9, 1950, made his notorious speech in Wheeling, West Virginia where he brandished a list of over 200 alleged Communists working in the State Department. These employers, he added, were being protected by high-ranking Communist sympathizers.

McCarthy got his desired response: nationwide publicity. He became an overnight sensation in the Senate. By 1953, McCarthy was chairman of Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations where he continued his Communist witch hunt while gaining more publicity and notoriety.

Editors note: Running until the final general election results come in, the Deadline ElectionLine podcast spotlights the 2024 campaign and the blurred lines between politics and entertainment in modern America. Hosted by Deadline’s political editor Ted Johnson and executive editor Dominic Patten, the podcast features commentary and interviews with top lawmakers and entertainment figures. At the same time, you can follow all the news in the Biden & Trump rematch and more on the ElectionLine hub on Deadline.

“Have you no sense of decency, sir?” asked US Army chief counsel Joseph N Welch famously to Sen. Joe McCarthy in 1954 as anti-Communist fever continued to grip the nation. “At long last, have you left no sense of decency?” the lawyer added, shaming the opportunistic politician and turning the tide on the Second Red Scare.

In an America watching one historic norm after another collapse in Donald Trump’s ongoing hush money trial,...

Years before Burgess Meredith took on his most well-known role as Mickey Goldmill in 1976’s “Rocky” and three of its sequels, he made plenty of strong impressions on the small screen. The prolific character actor appeared on many TV programs while maintaining his film career, most notably as an unlucky bookworm on “The Twilight Zone” and as the villainous Penguin on “Batman.” After 28 years, he was finally recognized by Emmy voters with an award for his supporting turn in the 1977 movie “Tail Gunner Joe.”

NBC’s “Tail Gunner Joe” starred Peter Boyle as Senator Joseph McCarthy in a dramatization of his life. Meredith played lawyer Joseph N. Welch, who represented the U.S. Army during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings and famously confronted the witch-hunting senator by asking him, “Have you no sense of decency?”. At 69, Meredith was initially the second oldest winner of the Best TV Movie/Limited Series Supporting Actor prize,...

Years before Burgess Meredith took on his most well-known role as Mickey Goldmill in 1976’s “Rocky” and three of its sequels, he made plenty of strong impressions on the small screen. The prolific character actor appeared on many TV programs while maintaining his film career, most notably as an unlucky bookworm on “The Twilight Zone” and as the villainous Penguin on “Batman.” After 28 years, he was finally recognized by Emmy voters with an award for his supporting turn in the 1977 movie “Tail Gunner Joe.”

NBC’s “Tail Gunner Joe” starred Peter Boyle as Senator Joseph McCarthy in a dramatization of his life. Meredith played lawyer Joseph N. Welch, who represented the U.S. Army during the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings and famously confronted the witch-hunting senator by asking him, “Have you no sense of decency?”. At 69, Meredith was initially the second oldest winner of the Best Movie/Limited Supporting Actor prize, but he now ranks 10th.

Each month, the fine folks at FilmStruck and the Criterion Collection spend countless hours crafting their channels to highlight the many different types of films that they have in their streaming library. This December will feature an exciting assortment of films, as noted below.

To sign up for a free two-week trial here.

Monday, January 1

Anatomy of a Murder*: Edition #600

A virtuoso James Stewart plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: the defense of a young army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick). Featuring an outstanding supporting cast-with a young George C. Scott as a fiery prosecutor and the legendary attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge – and an influential score by Duke Ellington, this gripping envelope-pusher was groundbreaking for the frankness of its discussion of sex. But more than anything else, it...

This time on the podcast, Scott is joined by David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett to discuss Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder.

About the film:

A virtuoso James Stewart plays a small-town Michigan lawyer who takes on a difficult case: the defense of a young army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara) accused of murdering a local tavern owner who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick). This gripping envelope-pusher, the most popular film by Hollywood provocateur Otto Preminger, was groundbreaking for the frankness of its discussion of sex—but more than anything else, it is a striking depiction of the power of words. Featuring an outstanding supporting cast—with a young George C. Scott as a fiery prosecutor and the legendary attorney Joseph N. Welch as the judge—and an influential score by Duke Ellington, Anatomy of a Murder is an American movie landmark, nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture.

Chicago – Otto Preminger’s “Anatomy of a Murder” is a film that certainly still entertains modern audiences but should best be considered in light of when it came out in theaters. In 1959, courtroom dramas weren’t nearly as prevalent as they are in the era of “Law & Order” and discussions of rape and murder were not yet common in film. It may be hard for young audiences to believe but this spectacular film truly pushed the envelope of what could be done in a film like it and creatively succeeded in every way.

Rating: 5.0/5.0

Instead of going with the censorship that faced the movie (it was even banned in Chicago for some time), the country and the industry embraced “Anatomy of a Murder” and the movie was nominated for seven Oscars, including Picture, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for James Stewart and Best Supporting Actor for George C. Scott (losing...

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 21, 2012

Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95

Studio: Criterion

It’s great to see Criterion give its stunning treatment to a classic James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life) murder mystery. Although 1959′s Anatomy of a Murder didn’t win any Academy Awards, it was nominated for seven: Best Picture, cinematography, adapted screenplay, editing, Best Actor for Stewart and two Best Supporting Actor awards for Arthur O’Connell (The Poseidon Adventure) and George C. Scott (Patton).

In the movie, Stewart plays a small-town lawyer who takes on the case of a young Army lieutenant (Ben Gazzara, The Thomas Crown Affair) accused of killing the local tavern owner, who he believes raped his wife (Lee Remick, The Omen).

Directed by the late Otto Preminger (Laura), Anatomy of a Murder was a groundbreaker when it was originally released for its frank discussion of sex. The film is based on the novel...