THE CARPETBAGGERS
US, 1964, 150 minutes, Colour.
Carroll Baker, George Peppard, Elizabeth Ashley, Alan Ladd, Lew Ayres, Martha Hyer, Martin Balsam, Robert Cummings, Audrey Totter.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.
The Carpetbaggers is the most enjoyable and, probably, the best of the film versions of Harold Robbins' best-selling novels. It was made in the early 160s - and, at the time, was taken as one of the films ushering in greater permissiveness. This does not seem to be the case in retrospect - in fact, it seems a model of suggestion rather than explicitness.
The scope is best-seller big: the spanning of the '20s and '30s - in the growth of industry, the aviation industry, movies. It is said that the character of Jonas Cord is based on Howard Hughes. The parallels are there to be seen: wealth, mania (even to being a recluse), living in hotels, pilot, interest in aviation, interest in the movies, taking over films and directing, the buying of R.K.O. Studios. To this extent the film is a full-blown symbol of the American dream. The Carpetbaggers was the forerunner of many other mini-series and film versions of Robbins novels including The Pirate, The Betsy.
John Michael Hayes, writer of many comedies and thrillers - especially for Hitchcock (Rear Window, To Catch A Thief) - gives some style to Robbins' material. There is a large star cast with George Peppard effective in the central role, his then wife Elizabeth Ashley in support. Carroll Baker, in a role somewhat notorious at the time, is made to play the sex symbol. Alan Ladd is interesting in the role of Nevada Smith. It was to be his last film - and the character was taken up for a 'prequel' of the same name which starred Steve McQueen?. It is hard not to enjoy this kind of big-budget overdrawn melodrama.
1. A big-budget film of the '60s? Soap opera, the material of the later mini-series, the world of the best-seller? Best-seller treatment? The qualities of the best-seller film?
2. The popularity of Harold Robbins? The broad canvas, sensationalism, sex and violence, the world of American affluence and power, cruelty? The glimpse of industry, the movies? Men and women in this American dream? The nightmare touches? Best-seller stereotypes?
3. Panavision photography, colour, the '20s and '30s, the stunts, the aerial work, affluence, the movies and movie-making, sex symbols? Elmer Bernstein's rousing score?
4. The strong cast, the images - sex appeal and Carroll Baker, the western and Alan Ladd? George Peppard in the central role - and his career?
5. The title and the prologue about the 19th century carpetbaggers? Jonas Cord being presented as a 20th century carpetbagger? Norman and the other industrialists as carpetbaggers? The American dream, the souring of the American dream? The gaining of the whole world - with what loss?
6. The structure of the film and the focus on Jonas? The insertion of his memories? The ghosts, the madness in the closet? Jonas and his relationship with his father, his breaking free yet repeating the same patterns? The credibility of the reconciliation and happy ending?
7. The film as a piece of Americana - best-seller as an American-style book, treatment of history, society, psychology? The Freudian undertones? The influence of parents, patterns in families, sanity and madness, motivation, cruelty, sexuality? The use of people? The vitiated hero? The possibility of reconciliation?
8. George Peppard as Jonas Cord: irresponsibility, relationship with women, exploiting them, feeling he was being exploited? The exhilaration of flying - and his daredevil flights? The importance of his name - and its being on the roofs of the factories? Women and scandals? Daredevil? His hatred for his father: the encounter, his father's death? His despising him as an alcoholic? His using Mac and his driving him in all his deals, relying on his legal knowledge? Ultimately sacking him? Controlling the lawyers, the international deals, his business acumen, his willingness to take risks, the encounter with the banker - and getting more money on loan? German Plastics? His winning the plane in gambling - and giving a loan to his associate? The fulfilling of dreams of success, his gaining control of so many companies? Industry, industrial relations, building more planes, moving into competition and getting rights for flights? Buying companies, hotel living? Growing ruthlessness? His interest in the movies, his taking control? His revenge on Rina for dropping him and marrying his father, despising her yet passionately longing for her? His using her against Monica? The friendship of Nevada Smith, his giving him his shares in the company, his helping him - and then turning on him, fighting him? The encounter with Monica, using her for her father, marrying her, loathing her? His using blondes to humiliate her? His fear about his child's madness? The separation and divorce, being seen with starlets? The on-and-off encounters with Rina? His dislike for Norman, taking over the studio? His finally being tricked by him? Dick Pierce and his using him, then rejecting him? The impact of Rina's death, the drunken binge, the support of the hooker? His comeback? The secrets, the fear of madness, the memories of his twin brother, the death? Being reunited with Monica? The American arrogance, the cad? The chauvinistic attitude towards woman (Harold Robbins style)? Redeemable? The parallel with Howard Hughes?
9. Jonas Cord Senior: drinking, deals, the fight, the death? His marriage to Rina? Jonas' memories? The child's room? Sanity, drunkenness? The old servant and his telling the story to Monica?
10. Monica and the initial encounter, the game with the interview, her father being sacked, being used - and Jonas asking her to find him again? The marriage, the registry office? The living in hotels, his being too busy, at the factory with the planes, never seeing his wife? His cutting off his love for her? Using Rina for the divorce? Monica making a life of her own, her successful work, the magazine? Coming with her daughter and encountering the starlet? The credibility of the final reconciliation?
11. Alan Ladd as Nevada Smith, the memories of the West, his story -and its being made a film? His care for Jonas? The advice given, money? His joining the circus and its failure? Becoming an extra, rising to be a star? His devotion to Rina and her return to him? Making his own film - and being a failure? Jonas taking over, using and abusing him? The significance of the ultimate fight?
12. Carroll Baker's style as Rina - the emphasis on the sex symbol? The money, her reaction to her husband's death, throwing herself at Jonas? His rejection? Her going to Europe, the chandelier and the accident? Nevada Smith's devotion? Being picked up by Pierce? Jonas taking over the film, the audition and the test? Her becoming a star? Her drinking? Devotion to Nevada, passion for Jonas? The passing of the years? Norman having her under contract, sending his nephew with the script? The final humiliation?
13. Mac as the lawyer and adviser, his tidy mind, doing whatever Jonas asked, seeming to do the impossible, his final reaction against Jonas' methods, his need for a rest, his being ignominiously sacked?
14. Norman and his running of the studio, Cord's dislike of him, his reputation with the starlets, the pressure: and his vowing revenge, his biding his time, using’ Nevada, using Rina, sending his nephew with the screenplay? The set-up with Pierce, his acting the role of the dying man, his revenge?
15. Pierce as agent, helping Nevada, flirting with Rina? Being on Cord's payroll? Cad, the double-dealing? The hooker-turned starlet? His betraying Cord? The ugly agent image?
16. Martha Hyer as the hooker, the parallel with Rina, her prospects for a film career, the interview with Cord, her strong reaction? The audition, success? Her career? The ring and Jonas' proposal? The marriage because she couldn't have children? Her not bending to Cord, her racing of the truth? An alternate Rena - but with more strength?
17. Buzz and his work on the planes, losing his plane, the loan to Jonas? The competitions, the contracts, arguing? The steady background of the building of the aviation industry - post, travel, acre luxurious planes? The cove into World Tar loo?
18. The background of American industry, chemicals, plastics? loans, board meetings? Insight into American industry?
19. The aerial photography, the planes, the races, designs, contracts?
20. The world of the movies - silent films? The westerns? The re-creation of studio atmosphere? Alan Ladd cowboy films for Nevada Smith? The role of the extras? Transition from silent films to sound? Producers firing stars? the producers, like Cord, talking over - contracts, writing, the buying of studios? Deals? Cutthroat?
21. The short sketch of the hooker who was sympathetic to Cord and helped him to get back to work again?
22. The abundance of plot? Visual and verbal style for communicating plot and moving it ahead? Sex and the '50s - and later? The cinema equivalent of the popular best-seller?
