The Carpetbaggers (1964)

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:

The early life of Alan Ladd's character that was told in the novel was made into the Steve McQueen film Nevada Smith (1966).

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:

Jonas Cord, Sr.: What are you trying to prove? That you're a man? Well, a man is judged by what's in his head, not in his bed.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "What's My Line?: (1964-06-14)" (1964)

A pattern for JR and co.

The wealthy family saga has always been an audience's favorite:think "giant" (1956) or "written on the wind"(same year) or "home from the hill"(1960,which featured George Peppard too).The genre became essentially a TV show afterwards,the likes of "Dallas" and "Dynasty".Today,it has almost died down.

"The carpetbaggers" is very unlikely story of a tycoon who pushes the others out of his way and whose heart of stone nobody can break.Add the de rigueur childhood trauma -which,as anyone past infancy should know,explains everything!Around him , a bevy of beautiful women :Caroll Baker,as his attractive mother-in-law(!)Martha Hyer as a would be actress,and Elizabeth Ashley as his deceived wife .Alan Ladd plays a movie star down on his luck ,because of the coming of the talkies.It's his swansong and his last scene with Peppard is impressive.So impressive we could do without the implausible mushy epilogue which follows.

George Peppard is extremely good and it's his performance that saves the movie from tediousness.As for Edward Dmytryk,his best works("the Caine mutiny" "the young lions") were behind him and what came next would be disastrous(notably the western "Shalako" with Brigitte Bardot and Sean Connery)