The Carpetbaggers *** (1964, George Peppard, Carroll Baker, Alan Ladd, Martin Balsam, Robert Cummings, Martha Hyer, Elizabeth Ashley, Lew Ayres, Leif Erickson) – Classic Movie Review 6285

Director Edward Dmytryk skillfully turns Harold Robbins’s best-selling novel into its exact movie equivalent – a compulsively trashy epic film with an escapist Hollywood story and glossy cardboard characters.

The 1964 tells a romantic drama story about an obnoxious young Howard Hughes-style tycoon called Jonas Cord Jr (played by George Peppard), who is mixed up in movie-making, plane-making and love-making in the Thirties. There is plenty of making then. Robbins cannily draws on Howard Hughes’s real life story like he does with Lana Turner’s in Where Love Has Gone. He also bases Rina Marlowe on Jean Harlow, Nevada Smith on Tom Mix, and Jennie Denton on Joan Crawford. Why bother making things up if real life hands you the plot and the characters?

It was a landmark film in the Sixties sexual revolution, with its heated embraces, explicit dialogue and sadistic personal scenes. But, surprisingly perhaps, even steamier would have been better, as it seems more than a little tame now. Though racy and advertised for adults only in its day, it was it was given a PG when it was re-released in 1972, already dated and faded as a daring item.

But, nevertheless, the extravagant performing – by Carroll Baker as sexpot Rina, Alan Ladd as cowboy star Nevada Smith, Martin Balsam, Robert Cummings, Martha Hyer (as Jennie Denton), Elizabeth Ashley, Lew Ayres, Leif Erickson (as Jonas Cord Sr) – the wild characters, the busy plot and the sheer gutsy old-style professionalism still keep you glued to the screen.

As the fourth biggest grossing film of 1964, it was a big hit way back in its day, seemingly hitting the mood of the times just right. Ladd scored a big personal success in his comeback movie, but sadly he did not live to see his triumph and died on 29 January 1964 at 50 before the film was released. His role in the 1966 sequel (well, prequel) Nevada Smith was taken by Steve McQueen.

Also in the cast are Ralph Taeger, Archie Moore, Arthur Franz, Tom Tully, Audrey Totter, Anthony Warde, Charles Lane, Tom Lowell, John Conte, Vaughn Taylor, Frankie Darro, Ann Doran and Donald Barry.

It is written by John Michael Hayes, shot by Joseph MacDonald, scored by Elmer Bernstein, and designed by Hal Pereira and Walter Tyler.

It is – unfairly – one of the 100 Most Enjoyably Bad Movies Ever Made listed in the Golden Raspberry Award book.

The only actor with a full flying licence was Cummings, who was not involved in the aerial sequences.

Producer Joseph E Levine followed it up with his movie of Harold Robbins’s Where Love Has Gone.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6285

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