IMDb > The Greek Tycoon (1978)

The Greek Tycoon (1978) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 9 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
4.9/10   403 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
J. Lee Thompson
Writers:
Morton S. Fine (screenplay)
Morton S. Fine (story)
more
Contact:
View company contact information for The Greek Tycoon on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
24 August 1978 (Netherlands) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
He's one of the richest and most powerful men in the world. She's the beautiful wife of an American President. [Video Australia] more
NewsDesk:
(2 articles)
Edward Albert Dies
 (From WENN. 28 September 2006)

'Cape Fear' Director Thompson Dies
 (From WENN. 4 September 2002)

User Comments:
Glossily presented drama, quite empty beyond its surface sheen. more (10 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Anthony Quinn ... Theo Tomasis

Jacqueline Bisset ... Liz Cassidy
Raf Vallone ... Spyros Tomasis

Edward Albert ... Nico Tamasis
James Franciscus ... President James Cassidy
Camilla Sparv ... Simi Tomasis
Marilù Tolo ... Sophia Matalas
Charles Durning ... Michael Russell
Luciana Paluzzi ... Paola Scotti
Robin Clarke ... John Cassidy
Kathryn Leigh Scott ... Nancy Cassidy
Roland Culver ... Robert Keith

Tony Jay ... Doctor
John Bennett ... Servant
Katherine Schofield ... Helena
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
107 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Netherlands:12 (original rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Fun Stuff

Quotes:
Liz Cassidy: You're an animal! How dare you! You bastard!
Theo Tomasis: God, what a woman! Let's go and make love.
more
Movie Connections:
Spoofed in National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful.
Glossily presented drama, quite empty beyond its surface sheen., 17 June 2007
4/10
Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

The photography is accomplished, the acting is quite good, but in virtually every other department The Greek Tycoon is a dreary bore. Taking its inspiration from the real-life love affair of Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis, the film is a glossy but absolutely empty soap opera of the kind that can be found on TV all day long. Viewers who embrace the whole "celebrity magazine culture" (paparazzi photographs and gossipy stories about the rich and famous) will undoubtedly find much to whet their appetite here. But those who prefer films with a bit more substance and craft and quirkiness will find the 107 minute running time a butt-numbing slog.

American president James Cassidy (James Franciscus) and his beautiful wife Liz (Jacqueline Bisset) are in Greece on official business. A ridiculously wealthy Greek shipping tycoon, Theo Tomasis (Anthony Quinn), catches sight of Liz at a party at his elegant manor. Despite the fact that both of them are married to someone else, there is an immediate attraction between them. Later, at a private party aboard his yacht, Tomasis makes his desires known to Liz. Some while later, President Cassidy is assassinated whilst out strolling on a beach. Liz is shocked and saddened by his death, but it isn't long before she seeks comfort in the arms of her Greek lover Tomasis. Eventually the two of them are married and their love affair becomes a favourite talking point for the world's newspapers, magazines, photographers and wags.

It is somewhat amusing to note the vigour with which the producers of this film denied that it was a dramatisation of the Kennedy-Onassis story. They wanted the film to be seen as an original story, rooted in fiction. But anyone with a brain can see from where the movie is drawing its inspiration. Even Aristotle Onassis himself knew The Greek Tycoon amounted to his love-life getting the Hollywood treatment (if rumours are to be believed, he actually had a hand in approving Anthony Quinn for the Tomasis role!) J. Lee-Thompson isn't really the right sort of director for this type of movie – he's better suited to action fodder like The Guns Of Navarone and Ice Cold In Alex – but he marshals the proceedings with an uninspired, professional adequacy. Quinn is very watchable as Tomasis; Bisset looks lovely as the object of his desires; Franciscus uses his toothy smile and a façade of integrity to make for a believable politician. Their performances are good on the surface, but there's little for the actors to do on any deeper level. Similarly, Tony Richmond's photography gives the film an elegant surface sheen as it moves from one exotic locale to the next, but the merest of scratches proves that there's nothing behind the film's glossy exterior.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (10 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for The Greek Tycoon (1978)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
There's something almost... allegorical... about this movie... kazz773k
WIDESCREEN DVD FORMAT AVAILABLE? gressos
COPY FOR SALE? cot-6
LASERDISC FORMAT gressos
Last Song rodtf
why do so many women like the sex scene? adinath1960
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
Gone with the Wind Maurice Sunshine Heaven The Ice Storm
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.