The Betsy (1978)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Daniel Petrie

Writers:

William Bast (writer)
Walter Bernstein (writer)

Release Date:

9 February 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

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

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Flashback | Bootlegger | Swimming Pool | Suicide By Gunshot | Gay Parent

Cast

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

Also Known As:

Harold Robbins' The Betsy

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Iceland:12

Filming Locations:

Detroit, Michigan, USA

Company:

Harold Robbins International Company

Trivia:

The "assembly line" scenes for BMC were actually filmed at the AMC (American Motors Corporation) plant located at Kenosha, Wisconsin. In several shots you can catch glimpses of a 1978 Gremlin, Pacer, and Concord being built and painted. The plant was destroyed by Chrysler in the early-'90s. Also, some shots of contemporary "BMC" automobiles are actually badly redecorated Fords; a Granada and LTD are among the unfortunate victims of a very hideous restyle.

Quotes:

Angelo Perino: I gather you didn't enjoy being a racer's wife.
Lady Bobby Ayres: Well, let's just say I was a widow long before my husband died.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982)

So much talent, so little performance

How can you make a bad movie with Olivier, Duvall, Tommy Lee, Katherine Ross, Jane Alexander, and plenty of other capable people?

Study this film to find out.

I felt awful for Olivier. First, let me say that I am a great fan of his, and have worn out my VCR watching him in Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Spartacus, and other great performances. Having said that, I must now regretfully say that his performance in The Betsy ranks among the worst ever captured on film. He has no clue how to affect an American accent. Worse still, he plays himself in the flashbacks ... and he looks like an old guy on Miami Beach wearing youthful fashions and spray-on hair color. I had to turn away from it at times.

Oh, I wish I had never seen this movie at all.

If you have a choice between this and "Manos", plan on a Torgo evening.