The Betsy (1978)

The aging, retired founder of an auto giant comes out of retirement to try to develop a safe, fuel-efficient car.

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

Harold Robbins (novel), William Bast (screenplay),

Stars:

Laurence Olivier, Robert Duvall, Katharine Ross

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Laurence Olivier	...	Loren Hardeman
Robert Duvall	...	Loren Hardeman III
Katharine Ross	...	Sally Hardeman
Tommy Lee Jones	...	Angelo Perino
Jane Alexander	...	Alicia Hardeman
Lesley-Anne Down	...	Lady Bobby Ayres
Joseph Wiseman	...	Jake Weinstein
Kathleen Beller	...	Betsy
Edward Herrmann	...	Dan Weyman
Paul Rudd	...	Loren Hardeman Jr.
Roy Poole	...	John Duncan
Richard Venture	...	Mark Sampson
Titos Vandis	...	Angelo Luigi Perino
Clifford David	...	Joe Warren
Inga Swenson	...	Mrs. Craddock

Storyline

The patriarch of a family-owned corporation hires a young race car driver to help him design a fuel efficient car in secrecy. They face resistance from the president of the company (the patriarch's grandson), who wishes to eliminate the motor car division because of bad blood between himself and his grandfather. During flashbacks, a parallel set of problems is revealed in the family's past, problems that persist into the present, and the race car driver gets deeper into the web of deception and corporate intrigue.

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Plot Keywords:

patriarch | flashback | nudity | gay interest | arson | 

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Taglines:

The Harold Robbins people. What you dream...they do!

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 February 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Harold Robbins' The Betsy

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$17,685,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Allied Artists Pictures, Harold Robbins International Company, United Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

125 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Did You Know?

Trivia

The name of Loren Hardeman (Laurence Olivier's car company was "The Bethlehem Motor Corporation".

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Quotes

Loren Hardeman: Angelo, I don't want anyone else to get hurt. I'm giving up the Betsy.
Angelo Perino: [shocked] You're what?
Loren Hardeman: I've seen people broken before, and it's not gonna happen again. The next funeral I want to attend is my own.

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Connections

Spoofed in National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982)

User Reviews

The Creation of The Betsy

Laurence Olivier is the multi-millionaire head of a family, who's rich due to the family business, making cars. Larry wants to make a new car whose engine would be environmentally safe. He needs Tommy Lee Jones' (a race car driver) assistance in creating the engine. And, that begins the present day plot. There are flashbacks that show just how and why things are the way they are today. The presence of Katharine Ross and Kathleen Beller make this feel like Dynasty. And, Robert Duvall is Larry's grandson who'll stop at nothing to stop the development of "The Betsy," which is what Larry named the engine. The movie is nothing like "The Oscar" in that it's not flashy or campy; and, it doesn't have any it's-so-bad-it's good value to it. Instead, you get the impression they tried to take themselves seriously and in doing so, only emphasized the fact these are not nice people and it gives the movie a kind of seedy, mean quality to it. Its love scenes add to its trashy feel to it and not entirely in a good way. The music is so understated, mellow, and refined, it sounds like some "Godfather" copy. All in all, once you've seen the ending, you may want to see it again, knowing what you know. But, it's not much to really write home about.