The Carpetbaggers (1964)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Edward Dmytryk

Writers:

Harold Robbins (novel)
John Michael Hayes (writer)

Release Date:

9 April 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

This is adult entertainment!

Plot:

Jonas Cord is a disagreeable rich young tycoon on the corporate make, with some subplots about booze, broads and Hollywood in the 1930's.

Plot Keywords:

1930s | 1920s | Actress | Fashion Model | Bachelor

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

George Peppard	...	Jonas Cord
Alan Ladd	...	Nevada Smith
Robert Cummings	...	Dan Pierce (as Bob Cummings)
Martha Hyer	...	Jennie Denton
Elizabeth Ashley	...	Monica Winthrop
Lew Ayres	...	'Mac' McAllister
Martin Balsam	...	Bernard B. Norman
Ralph Taeger	...	Buzz Dalton
Archie Moore	...	Jedediah
Leif Erickson	...	Jonas Cord Sr.
Carroll Baker	...	Rina Marlowe Cord
Arthur Franz	...	Morrissey
Tom Tully	...	Amos Winthrop
Audrey Totter	...	Prostitute
Anthony Warde	...	Moroni

Runtime:

150 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) (Westrex Recording System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) (Westrex Recording System) | Mono (35 mm optical prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | West Germany:12 (re-rated) | West Germany:18 (original rating) | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Portugal:17 (censored version) | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (re-rating) (1972) | USA:Approved (original rating)

Company:

Embassy Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

One of the appeals of the Harold Robbins novel on which this was based was guessing which real life figures the main characters were based on: Rina Marlowe is obviously based on Jean Harlow, Nevada Smith seems to be Tom Mix, Jonas Cord is generally believed to be a thinly-disguised Howard Hughes, and Jennie Denton may based on Joan Crawford.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Jonus and Monica are touring the house, they walk into the master bedroom and she says, "adult playroom". Then the walk into the guest room supposedly, but you can tell it is the same door from a different angle, as the three thermostats are on the same side.

Quotes:

Rina Marlowe Cord: I like men. Maybe I hate them. I'm not always sure.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1964-06-28)" (1964)

"If I'm Gonna Lose a hand, the least I want to do is deal the Cards"

The lives of famous people is often seen from the perspective of those whom he trampled on the way to success. Thus one can easily see the legendary figure of the late Howard Hughes in the film, "The Carpetbaggers." For many who lived through the era of the infamous tycoon, it is not difficult to envision the phobic billionaire in the ambitious character Jonas Cord (George Peppard). The film is a tribute to his youth which unexpectedly cuts short his carefree lifestyle by the death of his father. Hiding a deep dark family secret which Jonas believes is hereditary, he plunges recklessly into the world of business, finance, aviation and film making. Along the way, he secures friends and foes alike including life-time friend Nevada Smith (Alan Ladd) and film agent Dan Pierce (Robert Cummings). Furthermore, he seeks and abandons a bevy of beautiful women, like bouquets of flowers. Once he wins those delicate cuts of nature, he discards them at will. All things Cord touches either makes him richer or more despotic. The film's pace is as fast as Hughes' life and in the end, one wonders if it offers a moral lesson or a warning to those seek fame and fortune at the cost of one's humanity? ****