The Greek Tycoon (1978)

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Morton S. Fine (screenplay)
Morton S. Fine (story)
(more)

Release Date:

24 August 1978 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Drama

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]

Plot Keywords:

Greece | Wedding | Tycoon | Rich And Famous | Shipping Tycoon

Cast

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
Joan Benham	...	Lady Allison
Linda Thorson	...	Angela
Guy Deghy	...	Tablir
Jill Melford	...	Magda
Lucy Gutteridge	...	Mia
Zozo Sapountzaki	...	Dancer
Nasos Kedrakas	...	Farmer
John Denison	...	Lord Allison
Carolle Rousseau	...	Camille
Danos Lygizos	...	Deck steward
Cassandra Harris	...	Cassandra
Patricia Kendall-John	...	Black girl
Sandor Elès	...	Lawrence
Beulah Hughes	...	Scarlet
Vicki Michelle	...	Nico's girlfriend
Carol Royle	...	Nico's girlfriend
Mimi Denisi	...	Nico's girlfriend
Athene Fielding	...	Nurse
Bonnie George	...	Aggie
Charles Maggiore	...	FBI agent
Jeff Pomerantz	...	FBI agent
Richard Fasciano	...	Secret Service Agent
John Bolt	...	Secret Service Agent
Henderson Forsythe	...	Stoneham
Michael Prince	...	Government official
Gordon Oas-Heim	...	Government official
William Stelling	...	Theo's lawyer
John Hoffmeister	...	Theo's lawyer
Carinthia West	...	Beautiful guest
Dimitris Nikolaidis	...	Sorrares
Dimos Starenios	...	Kazakos
John Ioannou	...	First crewman
David Masterman	...	Clerk
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joss Ackland	...	(uncredited)
T.G. Finkbinder	...	Secret Service Agent (uncredited)
Esther Oldham-Farfan	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
J. Lee Thompson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Morton S. Fine		screenplay (as Mort Fine)
Morton S. Fine		story (as Mort Fine)
Nico Mastorakis		story
Win Wells		story

Produced by
Mort Abrahams	....	executive producer
Iris Keitel	....	associate producer
Allen Klein	....	producer
Howard Koch	....	executive producer (as Peter Howard)
Ely A. Landau	....	producer (as Ely Landau)
Les Landau	....	executive producer
Nico Mastorakis	....	co-producer
Laurence Myers	....	co-producer
Eric Rattray	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Stanley Myers

Cinematography by
Anthony B. Richmond

Film Editing by
Alan Strachan

Casting by
Lesley De Pettit

Production Design by
Michael Stringer

Set Decoration by
Peter Childs

Costume Design by
Phyllis Dalton

Makeup Department
Linda DeVetta	....	makeup artist
Stephanie Kaye	....	hair stylist
Peter Robb-King	....	key hair stylist
Rose Tobias Shaw	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Giorgos Iakovidis	....	production manager: UK
Roy Parkinson	....	production manager: USA
Mickey Pugh	....	production manager: Greece

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Steve Barnett	....	first assistant director: USA
Nikos Doukas	....	first assistant director: second unit, Greece
Ariel Levy	....	first assistant director
Antonis Michaleas	....	first assistant director: Greece
Michael Stevenson	....	second assistant director
Bob Wright	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Mel Bourne	....	assistant art director
Vernon Dixon	....	construction manager
Eddie Fowlie	....	property master: UK
Dick Frift	....	property master: Greece
Dennis Griffin	....	standy-by prop man
Eugene Gurlitz	....	art director: USA
John Hogan	....	property buyer
Tony Reading	....	art director: UK
Simon Thompson	....	art director: USA
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Dino Di Campo	....	sound editor
Robin Gregory	....	sound mixer
Nicolas Le Messurier	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	dubbing mixer
Terry Sharratt	....	boom operator
Allan Sones	....	sound editor
William Trent	....	sound editor

Stunts
Eddie Stacey	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Martin Evans	....	gaffer
John Golding	....	assistant camera
Gordon Hayman	....	camera operator
Harry Jackson	....	best boy
Jeremy Jones	....	clapper loader
Beth Klein	....	camera operator: special unit
Loretta Ordewer	....	still photographer
Derek Suter	....	electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Rosemary Burrows	....	wardrobe supervisor
Joyce James	....	hairdresser: Ms. Bisset

Editorial Department
Michael John Bateman	....	assistant editor
Michael Greenleaf	....	first assistant film editor
Robin Klein	....	assistant film editor
Derek Trigg	....	assembly editor

Music Department
Michael Clifford	....	music editor
Ronald Frangipane	....	music arranger: main title theme (as Ron Frangipane)
John Kongos	....	composer: title theme
Mike Moran	....	conductor: song
Mike Moran	....	music arranger: song
Stanley Myers	....	orchestrator
David Platz	....	executive in charge of music
Harry Rabinowitz	....	conductor
Harry Rabinowitz	....	music supervisor
Al Steckler	....	music recording coordinator
Giorgos Theodosiadis	....	music arranger: taverna music (as George Theodosiadis)

Transportation Department
Tony Alatis	....	transportation manager: Greece
George Andrews	....	unit driver
Louise Howard	....	driver
Nico Triantafilidis	....	transportation manager: USA

Other crew
John Akroyd-Hunt	....	helicopter pilot
Alan Arnold	....	assistant unit publicist
Emily Baratta	....	production secretary
Anita Bloom	....	production secretary
Jerry Brandt	....	production assistant: USA
Nikki Clapp	....	production secretary
Sue Edwards	....	production secretary
Regina Golodik	....	production secretary
Ken Gordon	....	accountant
Alan P. Horowitz	....	production controller
John Jay	....	unit publicist
Basil Keys	....	production associate: Greece
Dorothy King	....	accountant
Jody Klein	....	assistant clapper loader
Deborah Lee	....	production secretary
Gavrik Losey	....	production associate
Terry Mellis	....	business affairs (as Terrance Mellis)
Seth Newfeld	....	location manager: Greece
Michael Persico	....	production secretary
June Randall	....	continuity
Fred Ruff	....	accountant
Kenneth L. Salinsky	....	business affairs
Jodi Tausig	....	second assistant unit publicist
John Trehy	....	production accountant
Christos Triantafillou	....	production secretary
Paul Tucker	....	location production runner
Neil Williams	....	areobatic pilot
Renée Glynne	....	additional script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1978) (France) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cinema Internazional Corporation (1978) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1979) (USA) (TV)

Other Companies

• Elstree Film & Television Studios  movie studio
• Lee Lighting  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Greek

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Netherlands:12 (original rating) | West Germany:12 (f) | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Quotes:

Liz Cassidy:You're an animal! How dare you! You bastard!
Theo Tomasis:God, what a woman! Let's go and make love.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in National Lampoon's Movie Madness (1982)

Adequate of its type, better not to have been made

I am ashamed of myself that I actually went to the theatre to watch this movie when it was first released. While I suppose its thinly veiled depiction of the Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy story is well enough done, it's a movie that should never have been made in the first place; hence, my low rating.

The film chronicles the tale of a wealthy Greek business shark called Theo Tomasis, who woos and wins the lovely young widow, Liz Cassidy, of a slain American President. Sound familiar? Yes, everything except the names.

The cast is not to be faulted. Anthony Quinn plays the Greek tycoon to perfection, and at least it's some consolation, having just read that Ari himself requested Quinn for the role. Jacqueline Bisset is of course beautiful and sophisticated in the part of (for all intents and purposes) Jackie, and James Franciscus has the all American good looks of the President.

I haven't seen this movie since it came out, nor do I wish to see it again. I seem to recall a fair bit of bad language and some general crudeness. Otherwise, I suppose it's a sensational and supposedly intimate glimpse into the jet setting lives of the rich and famous, frolicking aboard their yachts, beaches, pools etc. Yes, the scenery of the Greek islands is spectacular, the best part of the movie.

Of its type, it's okay, I suppose. There are no end of TV movies about the Kennedys, which I confess to occasionally tuning in to, and not to my credit. This is basically just another. Far better to allow Aristotle and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis to rest in peace.