Tycoon (1947)

Director:

Richard Wallace

Writers:

Borden Chase (screenplay)
C.E. Scoggins (novel)
(more)

Release Date:

27 December 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

Breath-taking Adventure !

Plot:

Engineer Johnny Munroe is enlisted to build a railroad tunnel through a mountain to reach mines. His task is complicated...

Plot Keywords:

Railway | Train | Flood | South America | Beautiful Woman

Cast

John Wayne	...	Johnny Munroe
Laraine Day	...	Maura Alexander Munroe
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Frederick Alexander (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Judith Anderson	...	Miss Ellen Braithwaite
James Gleason	...	Pop Mathews
Anthony Quinn	...	Ricky Vegas
Grant Withers	...	Fog Harris
Paul Fix	...	Joe
Fernando Alvarado	...	Chico
Harry Woods	...	Holden
Michael Harvey	...	Curly Messenger
Charles Trowbridge	...	Señor Tobar
Martin Garralaga	...	Chávez
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Jose Alvarado	...	Boy (uncredited)
Don Avalier	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Trevor Bardette	...	Julio Ayora - House Guest (uncredited)
Argentina Brunetti	...	Señora Ayora - House Guest (uncredited)
Nina Campana	...	Estrelita (uncredited)
Ann Codee	...	Señora Tobar (uncredited)
Tom Coffey	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Carmen D'Antonio	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Earle S. Dewey	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Ernest Dominguez	...	Boy (uncredited)
Joe Dominguez	...	Laborer (uncredited)
John Eberts	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Paul Fierro	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Eliso Gamboa	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Carmelita González	...	Girl (uncredited)
Phyllis Graffeo	...	Girl (uncredited)
Frank Leyva	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Sam Lufkin	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Marya Marco	...	Girl (uncredited)
Wayne McCoy	...	Laborer (uncredited)
Rudolph Medina	...	Dancer at Fiesta (uncredited)
Frank Mills	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Connie Montoya	...	Girl (uncredited)
Alberto Morin	...	Hernández, Headwaiter (uncredited)
Al Murphy	...	Assistant Doctor (uncredited)
Clarise Murphy	...	Laborer's Wife (uncredited)
Frank Nordstrom	...	Engineer (uncredited)
Eduardo Noriega	...	Emilio (uncredited)
Jose Portugal	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Sheila Raven	...	Laborer's Wife (uncredited)
Julian Rivero	...	Priest (uncredited)
Jan Sterling	...	Dancer at Fiesta (uncredited)
Diane Stewart	...	Laborer's Wife (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Foreman with Holden at Fiesta (uncredited)
Harry J. Vejar	...	Mine Forman (uncredited)
Lucio Villegas	...	Priest (uncredited)
Blanca Vischer	...	Young Woman (uncredited)
Max Wagner	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)

Directed by
Richard Wallace

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Borden Chase		screenplay
C.E. Scoggins		novel
John Twist		screenplay

Produced by
Stephen Ames	....	producer

Original Music by
Leigh Harline

Cinematography by
W. Howard Greene		(director of photography)
Harry J. Wild		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Frank Doyle

Art Direction by
Carroll Clark
Albert S. D'Agostino

Set Decoration by
Harley Miller
Darrell Silvera

Costume Design by
Michael Woulfe		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Hazel Rogers	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Sam Ruman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Grayson Rogers	....	assistant director

Sound Department
John L. Cass	....	sound
Clem Portman	....	sound

Special Effects by
Vernon L. Walker	....	special effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dwight Franklin	....	wardrobe: men

Music Department
C. Bakaleinikoff	....	musical director
Gil Grau	....	orchestral arranger

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Edward Killy	....	production assistant
Morgan Padelford	....	associate technicolor color director
Sid Davis	....	stand-in: John Wayne (uncredited)

Production Companies

• RKO Radio Pictures

Distributors

• RKO Radio Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical)
• RKO Radio Pictures (1955) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• C&C Television Corporation (1955) (USA) (TV)
• Éditions Montparnasse (2006) (France) (DVD) (as Taikoun)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2000) (Germany) (VHS)

Runtime:

128 min | West Germany:95 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 (nf) | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12780, Adult Audience) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

RKO Radio Pictures

Trivia:

'Maureen O'Hara' was originally to play the female lead in this film. RKO producers, however, assigned her to make Sinbad the Sailor (1947) and cast Laraine Day instead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: As the work crew is putting the last bridge span in place, their shadows are clearly visible on the lower part of the sky in the background.

Quotes:

Johnny Munroe: I've got a railroad to build.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Personal History: Foreign Hitchcock (2004) (V)

John Wayne as a bridge builder

John plays an engineer helping to build a bridge over a dangerous South American gorge, and Laraine Day plays the daughter of the wealthy man trying to get the bridge built. This is a tough film to wade your way through; it's over 2 hours long, and not especially exciting. Cedric Hardwicke and Judith Anderson are good, but they can't help this piece much.