Editing Karen Black (section)

===1971–1979: Hollywood breakthrough and heyday===

[[File:Karen Black The Day of the Locust.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|In ''[[The Day of the Locust (film)|The Day of the Locust]]'' (1975)]]

Black had a supporting role as the girlfriend of a heroin addict in ''[[Born to Win]]'' (1971) opposite [[George Segal]] and [[Robert De Niro]],{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=86}} followed by a role in Jack Nicholson's directorial debut, ''[[Drive, He Said]]'', as a promiscuous faculty wife;{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=86}} and the Western ''[[A Gunfight]]'', opposite [[Kirk Douglas]] and [[Johnny Cash]], in which she portrayed a saloon barmaid.{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=86}} Black followed these roles with a part in ''[[Cisco Pike]]'' (1972) opposite [[Kris Kristofferson]] and [[Gene Hackman]], and subsequently played a foul-mouthed fashion model in ''[[Portnoy's Complaint (film)|Portnoy's Complaint]]'' (1972).{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|pages=86, 90–91}} She had a lead role opposite [[Christopher Plummer]] in the Canadian-produced horror film ''[[The Pyx]]'' (1973), playing a prostitute embroiled in a series of occult murders, and later appeared in ''[[The Outfit (1973 film)|The Outfit]]'' (1973) with [[Robert Duvall]].{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|pages=90–91}} Black had the titular role of Laura in the crime film ''[[Little Laura and Big John]]'' (1973), playing a runaway moll of the [[John Ashley (bandit)|Ashley gang]], a film which "aped" the success of ''[[Bonnie and Clyde (film)|Bonnie and Clyde]]'' (1967).{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|pages=86, 90–91}} Shortly after, she appeared in the comedy [[Rhinoceros (film)|''Rhinoceros'']] (1974) with [[Gene Wilder]].{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=90}}

Black's first major commercial film{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=86}} was the disaster feature ''[[Airport 1975]]'' (1974), in which she played Nancy Pryor, a stewardess forced to fly a plane after a midair collision.<ref name=la>{{cite web|url=http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-karen-black-20130809,0,254151.story|title=Karen Black dies at 74; actress starred in 'Five Easy Pieces' and 'Easy Rider'|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|first=Rebecca|last=Trounson|date=August 9, 2013|access-date=August 10, 2013}}</ref> She subsequently portrayed an unfaithful wife, Myrtle Wilson, in the 1974 version of [[The Great Gatsby (1974 film)|''The Great Gatsby'']], a performance that earned her a second [[Golden Globe Award]] in the same category. In 1975, she played multiple roles in [[Dan Curtis]]' televised anthology film ''[[Trilogy of Terror]]'': The segments, all written by [[Richard Matheson]], were named after the women involved in the plot&nbsp;— a plain college professor seemingly seduced by a handsome cad of a student ("Julie"), a pair of sisters who squabble over their father's inheritance ("Millicent and Therese"), and the unknowing purchaser of a cursed [[Zuni fetish]] that comes to life and pursues her relentlessly ("Amelia").<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metv.com/stories/lets-not-forget-trilogy-of-terror-was-the-scariest-tv-movie-of-all-time|title=Let's not forget 'Trilogy of Terror' was the scariest TV movie of all time (Who's still frightened by the Zuni warrior doll?)|website=MeTV.com|access-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/trilogy-of-terror-karen-black/168614/karen-blacks-horror-tour-de-force-trilogy-of-terror-1975-review|title=Karen Black's Horror Tour de Force, Trilogy of Terror (1975)|author=Knipfel, Jim|website=Den of Geek|date=August 10, 2013|access-date=August 8, 2018}}</ref>

[[File:Karen Black and Joseph Bottoms.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|left|With [[Joseph Bottoms]] in ''[[Crime and Passion]]'' (1976)]]

Black received her third Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for her role as an aspiring starlet in 1930s Hollywood in [[John Schlesinger]]'s tragic drama ''[[The Day of the Locust (film)|The Day of the Locust]]'' (1975). Though the film earned her critical notice, Black recalled the production being profoundly troubled and possibly hindering her career: {{quote|That was not a fun experience, making that film. It was just horrible. I wish quite heartily I'd never made it, because I'd have had a much longer career in Hollywood... It was a very troubled production, and I became the scapegoat that everyone blamed. People kept getting sick, getting fired, and it was just a horror, an absolute horror. Seven months. There were all these rumors that people made up…and I wound up being the center of it. Poor [[William Atherton|[William] Atherton]] walked off and didn't do the final scene, because he couldn't take it anymore.<ref name=simon>{{cite web|title=Karen Black Dances the Missouri Waltz|last=Simon|first=Alex|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karen-black-dead_b_3729690|work=[[HuffPost|The Huffington Post]]|date=October 9, 2013|orig-year=2007|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190822083606/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karen-black-dead_b_3729690|archive-date=August 22, 2019|access-date=August 22, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

[[File:Family Plot 1976 Still.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|As Fran in ''[[Family Plot]]'' (1976)]]

The same year, she starred as a glamorous country singer in [[Robert Altman]]'s ensemble film ''[[Nashville (film)|Nashville]]''.{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=90}} In addition to acting in the film, Black also wrote and performed two songs for the soundtrack, which was nominated for a [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] for [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media|Best Score Soundtrack]].<ref name=npr/>

In 1976, Black appeared as a [[femme fatale]] jewel thief [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s final film, ''[[Family Plot]]''.{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=90}} The film received mixed reviews, though [[Roger Ebert]] commented that Black "does a good job in a role that doesn't give her much to do."<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|author=Ebert, Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|title=Family Plot|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/family-plot-1976|date=April 12, 1976|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190821110802/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/family-plot-1976|archive-date=August 21, 2019|access-date=August 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> She also reunited with director [[Dan Curtis]] to star opposite [[Oliver Reed]] and [[Bette Davis]] in the supernatural horror film ''[[Burnt Offerings (film)|Burnt Offerings]]'', playing the wife of a family living in a haunted house.{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|pages=87, 90}} Released in the fall of 1976, ''Burnt Offerings'' was deemed in ''The New York Times'' as an "outstanding terror movie" with "solid actors."<ref>{{Cite web|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/30/archives/burnt-offerings-is-an-outstanding-terror-movie.html|title='Burnt Offerings' Is an Outstanding Terror Movie|date=September 30, 1976|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190821110307/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/09/30/archives/burnt-offerings-is-an-outstanding-terror-movie.html|archive-date=August 21, 2019|access-date=August 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, she had a lead role in the independent crime comedy ''[[Crime and Passion]]'' (1976), co-starring with [[Omar Sharif]].{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=90}} Due to scheduling conflicts with ''Family Plot'', Black turned down [[Valerie Perrine]]'s role in ''[[W.C. Fields and Me]]'' (1976).<ref>{{cite interview|title=Vivid Obsessions: Hitchcock's Technicolor Films|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6RQWiVdWP8|date=September 16, 2010|time=5:15}}</ref>

In September 1976, Black traveled to Toronto to be a guest star on the variety program ''[[The Bobby Vinton Show]]'', which aired across the United States and Canada. Black sang "Lonely Now", and joined Bobby in a medley of country oldies. She played a dual role in the 1977 made-for-television thriller, ''[[The Strange Possession of Mrs. Oliver]]'', followed by a minor role in ''[[Capricorn One]]'' (1978) opposite [[Elliott Gould]].{{sfn|Segrave|Martin|1990|p=90}} In 1979, Black appeared in the erotic drama ''[[In Praise of Older Women (1978 film)|In Praise of Older Women]]'', which she regretted because she thought its title aged her.<ref>[https://facebook.com/realkarenblack/photos/karen-black-and-a-young-tom-berenger-publicity-shot-in-praise-of-older-women-kar/10158694190078009 Facebook]. July 6, 2019.</ref>