The Greek Tycoon (1978)

Better Late Then Never

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

The Greek Tycoon is supposed to be loosely based on the romance of Jackie Kennedy and Ari Onassis, but it's a pretty shameless copy on the surface. Jaqueline Bisset plays Liz, a high-class, prim and proper wife of James Franciscus, who plays an ambitious politician named Jack Cassidy. The soon-to-be president has an equally ambitious brother, Johnny, played by Robin Clarke, who soon gets promoted to Attorney General. I'm not kidding. They meet The Greek Tycoon, who has silver hair and dark glasses, named Theo Tomasis. I'm still not kidding.No one in Hollywood knows what happened behind closed doors between Jackie and Ari, so beyond that, the movie is probably largely fiction. I hope the movie is largely fictitious, because neither lead is even remotely likable. "Theo" is an open womanizer who tells his new bride on his wedding night that he's going to sleep with his mistress the next day. He has a temper, and unlike most Anthony Quinn roles, he's not warm or tender underneath the roughness. "Liz" is cold and callous, giving an unbelievably heartless speech after her husband's assassination. She also has a temper, and she vacillates between boredom and anger, with no reason for either. Also, the so-called romance between the two is pretty ridiculous. She's married to a "Cassidy" and she's bored? She's married to a "Cassidy" and she is immediately drawn to the crude "Theo" even during her marriage? There's no reason for her hormones to take over when he's around, but screenwriter Mort Fine thought the audience didn't need a reason. Tony does a Greek dance and all of a sudden she can't control herself. Jaqueline Bisset could have poured herself into the role, but either she chose not to or she wasn't able to, because I wasn't able to find any real acting on display. Anthony Quinn doesn't even do a good job! He gets in arguments with Jaqueline, loses his temper, throws a punch at his son Edward Albert, and sleeps around with various women. That's about it. The music is like a bad '70s tv movie, as is the very trite script. The only thing the movie manages to do is cast two actors are infinitely more attractive than the real people they're portraying.DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not your friend. The movie contains lots of shaky helicopter shots, and that might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

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.

This movie serves up every imaginable Greek stereotype. In one particularly galling scene the tycoon says "I'm just an ignorant peasant." As the grandson of Greek peasant immigrants who passed on a legacy of wisdom and love to their children and grandchildren, I found this movie contemptible and odious.

I remember the erstwhile BBC reviewer, Barry Norman, opining that Anthony Quinn's portrayal of Theo (Ari?) had 'all the appeal of an armpit'. One or two other reviewers over the years have rather dismissed Quinn as 'overrated'. Be that as it may, I thought the great actor played his part, at times, both sensitively and sympathetically. And, of course, Jackie Bisset remains a good enough reason to watch a movie.