The Greek Tycoon (1978, Anthony Quinn, Jacqueline Bisset) – Classic Movie Review 12,517

Anthony Quinn and Jacqueline Bisset star agreeably in director J Lee Thompson’s turgid and trashy 1978 American biographical romantic drama film The Greek Tycoon, written by Mort Fine, so the script should be fine, but it isn’t.

It’s all Greek to Anthony Quinn (actually Mexican) who must have seemed automatic casting as Aristotle Onassis (here called Theo Tomasis) in this untidy fictionalised biopic of the aging shipping tycoon, who married the US President Kennedy’s widow Jacqueline Kennedy, here called Liz Cassidy (Jacqueline Bisset).

The agreeable turns by the amiable performers, the exotic locations and Anthony Richmond’s glossy cinematography are really the only pluses, since it isn’t even the movie equivalent of a long bad read.

It runs 112 minutes but the cut version is 106 minutes.

Filming started 1 October 1976 and it was released on 12 May 1978.

Quinn was paid $500,000, twice Bissett’s fee of $250,000.

Also in the cast are Raf Vallone, Edward Albert, James Franciscus, Camilla Sparv, Charles Durning, Roland Culver, Linda Thorson, Luciana Paluzzi, Lucy Gutteridge, Robin Clarke, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Tony Jay, John Bennett, Kathryn Schofield, Joan Benham, Guy Deghy, Jill Melford, and John Denison.

Producer Nico Mastorakis changed it to be fictional after permission for the movie was declined, saying: ‘We’re not doing a film about Aristotle Onassis. It’s a personification of all Greek tycoons.’ They actually dare to state in the credits: ‘The characters in this film are fictitious and any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.’ Mastorakis  wrote the story with Mort Fine [Morton S Fine] and Win Wells.

The film is shot in New York City, Athens, Mykonos, Corfu, Washington DC and London.

The theme song ‘(Life is) Just a Dance with Time’ is written by John Kongos and recorded by Petula Clark in both English and French (as ‘Le Grec’).

Quinn decided not to accept the role but changed his mind after Jacqueline Kennedy snubbed him at a restaurant.

The cast are Anthony Quinn as Theo Tomasis (based on Aristotle Onassis), Jacqueline Bisset as Liz Cassidy (based on Jacqueline “Jackie” Bouvier Kennedy Onassis), James Franciscus as James Cassidy (based on John F Kennedy), Edward Albert as Nico Tomasis (based on Alexander S Onassis), Camilla Sparv as Simi Tomasis (based on Athina Niarchos Onassis Spencer-Churchill Livanos), Marilù Tolo as Sophia Matalas (based on Maria Callas), Charles Durning as Michael Russell, Luciana Paluzzi as Paola Scotti, Roland Culver as Robert Keith (based on Winston Churchill), Robin Clarke as John Cassidy (based on Robert F Kennedy), Kathryn Leigh Scott as Nancy Cassidy, Linda Thorson, Lucy Gutteridge, Robin Clarke, Tony Jay, John Bennett, Kathryn Schofield, Joan Benham, Guy Deghy, Jill Melford, and John Denison.

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,517

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