''The Carpetbaggers'' is a 1964 American epic

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super- ...

directed by

Edward Dmytryk Edward Dmytryk (September 4, 1908 – July 1, 1999) was an American film director. He was known for his 1940s noir films and received an Oscar nomination for Best Director for '' Crossfire'' (1947). In 1947, he was named as one of the Hollywoo ...

, based on the best-selling 1961 novel '' The Carpetbaggers'' by Harold Robbins and starring

George Peppard George Peppard (; October 1, 1928 – May 8, 1994) was an American actor. He is best remembered for his role as struggling writer Paul Varjak in the 1961 film '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', and for playing commando leader Col. John "Hannibal ...

as Jonas Cord, a character based loosely on

Howard Hughes Howard Robard Hughes Jr. (December 24, 1905 – April 5, 1976) was an American business magnate, record-setting pilot, engineer, film producer, and philanthropist, known during his lifetime as one of the most influential and richest people in t ...

, and

Alan Ladd Alan Walbridge Ladd (September 3, 1913 – January 29, 1964) was an American actor and film producer. Ladd found success in film in the 1940s and early 1950s, particularly in films noir and Westerns. He was often paired with Veronica Lake ...

in his last role as Nevada Smith, a former

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

gunslinger turned actor. The supporting cast features

Carroll Baker Carroll Baker (born May 28, 1931) is an American former actress. After studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Baker began performing on Broadway in 1954. From there, she was recruited by director Elia Kazan to play the lead in t ...

as a character extremely loosely based on

Jean Harlow Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter; March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American actress. Known for her portrayal of "bad girl" characters, she was the leading sex symbol of the early 1930s and one of the defining figures of the ...

as well as

Martha Hyer Martha Hyer (August 10, 1924 – May 31, 2014) was an American actress who played Gwen French in ''Some Came Running'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her autobiography, ''Finding My Way ...

Bob Cummings Charles Clarence Robert Orville Cummings (June 9, 1910 – December 2, 1990) was an American film and television actor who appeared in roles in comedy films such as ''The Devil and Miss Jones'' (1941) and ''Princess O'Rourke'' (1943), and in d ...

Elizabeth Ashley Elizabeth Ann Cole, known professionally as Elizabeth Ashley (born August 30, 1939) is an American actress of theatre, film, and television. She has been nominated for three Tony Awards, winning once in 1962 for '' Take Her, She's Mine''. Ashle ...

Lew Ayres Lewis Frederick Ayres III (December 28, 1908 – December 30, 1996) was an American actor whose film and television career spanned 65 years. He is best known for starring as German soldier Paul Bäumer in the film ''All Quiet on the Western Fro ...

Ralph Taeger Ralph Taeger (July 30, 1936 – March 11, 2015) was an American actor who starred in three short-lived television series during the 1960s: '' Klondike'' (1960–61), ''Acapulco'' (1961) and ''Hondo'' (1967–68). Biography Ralph Taeger was born ...

, Leif Erickson, Archie Moore and

Tom Tully Thomas Kane Tulley (August 21, 1908 – April 27, 1982) was an American actor. He began his career in radio and on the stage before making his film debut in ''Northern Pursuit'' (1943). Subsequently, he was nominated for an Academy Award for hi ...

. The film is a landmark of the

sexual revolution The sexual revolution, also known as the sexual liberation, was a social movement that challenged traditional codes of behavior related to sexuality and interpersonal relationships throughout the United States and the developed world from the 1 ...

of the 1960s, venturing further than most films of the period with its heated sexual embraces, innuendo, and sadism between men and women, much like the novel, where "there is sex and/or sadism every 17 pages".

Plot

Jonas Cord Jr. becomes one of America's richest men in the early twentieth century, inheriting an explosives company from his late father. Cord buys up all the company stock and pays off his father's young widow, Rina Marlowe. Carroll Baker and George Peppard

Cord becomes an aviation pioneer and his wealth grows. He destroys a business rival named Winthrop, then seduces and marries the man's daughter Monica, only to abandon her when she wants to settle down and have a home and children. Monica hangs on for years, aware of Cord's troubled youth, hoping he'll come back to her. In order to force the divorce, he reconnects with his stepmother Rina and begins an affair with her. Crushed, Monica gives Cord his divorce, then discovers she is pregnant with his child. After the birth, Jonas visits her, demanding to know if he is the father. Monica tells him to leave her and their newborn daughter alone. Carroll Baker 64 Carpetbaggers JPG

Meanwhile, former Cord company stockholder Nevada Smith finds work in western films, becoming a popular cowboy hero. Rina persuades Cord to finance Nevada's project, a script about his former outlaw life, in which he will star. This gives Cord an interest in the second-rate studio that produces Nevada's films, plus creative control over the resulting movie. The film becomes successful despite Cord's constant interference. Rina becomes a big star; her career blossoms while Nevada's declines. To spite Cord, Rina marries Nevada, now considered a has-been. Rina dies in a drunken car crash and Cord's studio is sold out from under him by Dan Pierce, a renegade employee loyal to the old management. After an alcoholic binge, Cord returns to the studio and builds up a film career for the studio's new discovery, Jennie Denton. Denton and Cord begin an affair and become engaged. With news of the engagement, Dan Pierce tries to blackmail Jennie with a copy of a

pornographic film Pornographic films (pornos), erotic films, sex films, and 18+ films are films that present sexually explicit subject matter in order to arouse and satisfy the viewer. Pornographic films present sexual fantasies and usually include erotic ...

she made in her youth. Jennie confesses to Cord, who laughs, saying he knows all about her past and that he made her a star in order to have her services all to himself. With her dream of love shattered, Jennie runs out devastated. 1964 - Boyd Theater Ad - 17 Jul MC - Allentown PA

1964 - Boyd Theater Ad - 17 Jul MC - Allentown PA

Seeing the wreckage of both their lives, Nevada Smith confronts Cord and the two end up in a vicious fist-fight. During the brawl, Nevada forces Cord to confront the mess he has made of his own life and those around him. A contrite Jonas returns to Monica and begs her to take him back. Monica, who has always loved him, forgives him and they embrace.

Cast

as Jonas Cord *

as Nevada Smith *

as Rina Marlowe *

as Dan Pierce *

as Jennie Denton *

as Monica Winthrop *

as "Mac" McAllister *

Martin Balsam Martin Henry Balsam (November 4, 1919 – February 13, 1996) was an American actor. He had a prolific career in character roles in film, in theatre, and on television. An early member of the Actors Studio, he began his career on the New Y ...

as Bernard B. Norman *

as Buzz Dalton * Archie Moore as Jedediah * Leif Erickson as Jonas Cord Sr. *

Arthur Franz Arthur Sofield Franz (February 29, 1920 – June 17, 2006) was an American actor whose most notable feature film role was as Lieutenant, Junior Grade, H. Paynter Jr. in ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1954). Early life Franz was born in Perth Amboy, ...

as Morrissey, airplane designer at Jonas' company *

as Amos Winthrop, Monica's father and Jonas' business rival *

Audrey Totter Audrey Mary Totter (December 20, 1917 – December 12, 2013) was an American radio, film, and television actress and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player in the 1940s. Early life Audrey – some sources indicate "Audra" – Totter w ...

as Middle-aged prostitute attending to Jonas' week-long drinking binge *

Anthony Warde Anthony Warde (born Benjamin Schwartz; January 1, 1909 – January 8, 1975) was a noted American actor who appeared in over 150 films between 1937 and 1964. Early years Born as Benjamin Schwartz in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on New Year' ...

as Moroni, president of Pioneer National Trust Company of Los Angeles * Charles Lane as Eugene Denby, Jonas Cord Sr.'s secretary * Tom Lowell as David Woolf, Bernard Norman's nephew and assistant * John Conte as Ed Ellis, director of Rina's film at Norman Studio *

Vaughn Taylor Vaughn Joseph Taylor (born March 9, 1976) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, Taylor was raised in Augusta, Georgia, from infancy. After attending Hephzibah High Sch ...

as Doctor certifying the death of Jonas Cord Sr. * Francesca Bellini as Cynthia Randall, Norman's mistress and star at Norman Studio * Victoria Jean as Jo Ann, daughter of Jonas and Monica

Uncredited (in order of appearance)

Paul Frees Solomon Hersh "Paul" Frees (June 22, 1920November 2, 1986) was an American actor, comedian, impressionist, and vaudevillian. He is known for his work on Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Walter Lantz, Rankin/Bass, and Walt Disney theatrical cartoons during ...

as Unseen narrator *

Lisa Seagram Lisa Seagram (born Ruth Browser; July 7, 1936 – February 1, 2019) was an American actress. She was best known for her roles in '' The Carpetbaggers'' (1964), '' Caprice'' (1967) and '' 2000 Years Later'' (1969). After appearing in several I ...

as Lisa, banker Moroni's beautiful secretary * Peter Duryea as Assistant director in the back of the screening room where Dan Pierce and Nevada Smith are watching one of Nevada's films *

Walter Maslow Walter Maslow (born January 16, 1928) is an American film, stage and television actor. Life and career Maslow was born in Brooklyn, New York on January 16, 1928. After high school, he served for two years in the United States Navy, performin ...

as One of the reporters questioning Jonas and Buzz at the airport * Simon Prescott as One of the reporters questioning Jonas and Buzz at the airport *

Ann Doran Ann Lee Doran (July 28, 1911 – September 19, 2000) was an American character actress, possibly best known as the mother of Jim Stark (James Dean) in ''Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955). She was an early member of the Screen Actors Guild and serv ...

as One of the reporters questioning Jonas and Buzz at the airport *

Joe Turkel Joseph Turkel (July 15, 1927 – June 27, 2022) was an American character actor who starred in film and television during the Golden Age Era in the 1950s and 1960s. He is known for his roles in Stanley Kubrick's films '' The Killing'', ''Paths ...

as One of the reporters questioning Jonas and Buzz at the airport * James Sikking as One of the reporters questioning Jonas and Buzz at the airport *

Don Diamond Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, ''F Troop'' (1965–19 ...

as Actor portraying saloon gambler on the set of Rina's and Nevada Smith's western *

Lynn Borden Lynn Marie Freyse (March 24, 1937 – March 3, 2015) was an American film and television actress. She was known for playing Barbara Baxter in the final season of the American sitcom television series '' Hazel''. Life and career Borden was bo ...

as Actress portraying saloon girl on the set of Rina's and Nevada Smith's western *

Don "Red" Barry Donald Barry de Acosta (January 11, 1912 – July 17, 1980), also known as Red Barry and Milton Poimboeuf, was an American film and television actor. He was nicknamed "Red" after appearing as the first Red Ryder in the highly successful 19 ...

as Soundman on the set of Rina's and Nevada Smith's western at Norman studio *

Bess Flowers Bess Flowers (November 23, 1898 – July 28, 1984) was an American actress best known for her work as an extra in hundreds of films. She was known as "The Queen of the Hollywood Extras," appearing in more than 350 feature films and numerou ...

as Woman with "Mac" McAllister at wedding of Nevada and Rina *

Virginia Graham Virginia Graham, born Virginia Komiss, (July 4, 1912 – December 22, 1998) was an American daytime television talk show host from the mid-1950s to the mid-1970s. On television, Graham hosted the syndicated programs ''Food for Thought'' (1953 ...

as Fictional version of herself, radio reporter who questions Jonas and tells him that Rina just died * Sue Casey as One of Norman's two secretaries who greets Jonas after his purchase of the film studio *

Frankie Darro Frankie Darro (born Frank Johnson, Jr.; December 22, 1917 – December 25, 1976) was an American actor and later in his career a stuntman. He began his career as a child actor in silent films, progressed to lead roles and co-starring roles ...

as Hotel bellhop rolling the trolley with Jennie Denton's furs * Walter Reed as Monica's co-worker at her publishing job who hands her the phone with call from Jonas

Production

John Michael Hayes John Michael Hayes (11 May 1919 – 19 November 2008) was an American screenwriter, who scripted four of Alfred Hitchcock's films in the 1950s. Early life Hayes was born in Worcester, Massachusetts to John Michael Hayes Sr. and Ellen Mabel Hayes. ...

signed to write the script in June 1962. (Soon after, Embassy signed him to adapt '' Where Love Has Gone''.) Sonny Tufts was a candidate for Nevada Smith. He lost out to Alan Ladd. When Alan Ladd signed to play Nevada Smith, it was also announced that Paramount and Joseph E. Levine would make a prequel about Smith's adventures called ''Nevada Smith''.

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

, in her autobiography ''Past Imperfect'' (1978), says she had a firm offer to play Rina Marlowe but had to decline because of pregnancy. Robert Cummings was cast as an agent. His wife said "years ago Alfred Hitchcock told him he'd made a great villain with that baby face. It's a wonderful change of pace." Filming started on June 4, 1963. Carroll Baker had a highly publicized nude scene, shot on a closed set.

Release and reception

Alan Ladd died before the film was released. ''The Carpetbaggers'' premiered in

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...

on April 9, 1964, and went on to be a large commercial success. It grossed $28,409,547 at the domestic box office, making it the 4th highest-grossing film of 1964. ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' reported that the film earned $13 million in domestic rentals. At the worldwide box office, the film grossed $40,000,000 against a $3 million budget. For her role as Monica, Elizabeth Ashley received BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Due to its success, a

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term ...

was filmed and released two years later. Ladd's part was taken by

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and ...

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' panned the film as "a sickly sour distillation of Harold Robbins's big-selling novel", with the protagonist "a thoroughly mechanical movie puppet, controlled by a script-writer's strings", and Peppard's performance "expressionless, murky and dull." ''

'' wrote, "Psychological facets of the story are fuzzy, and vital motivational information is withheld to the point where it no longer really seems to matter why he is the miserable critter he is. His sudden reform is little more than an unconvincing afterthought. There's nobody to root for in 'The Carpetbaggers.' And Hayes' screenplay never seems to miss an opportunity to slip in connotations of sex, whether or not they are necessary." Philip K. Scheuer of the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...

'' wrote that the film "is trash, but it has the curiosity pull of a trashy novel. One sits there squirming in the captive presence of its unremitting boldness and bad taste for two-and-a-half hours (it ends again and again and starts up again and again), waiting only for its central figure, Jonas Cord Jr., to be cornered and stomped on like the rat he is. But then we find him, hat in hand, seeking forgiveness and reconciliation from a wronged ex-wife. More—he gets them."

Richard L. Coe Richard Livingston Coe (New York City, November 8, 1914 – Washington, D.C., November 12, 1995) was a theater and cinema critic for The Washington Post for more than forty years. Coe became known as one of the most influential theater critics outsi ...

of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...

'' described the film as "wild, fruity nonsense" and observed, "At all events, Robbins and Hayes have it beautifully tied up psychologically and all I can say is that I'm glad I never had an insane twin." The film became one of the targets for the negative impact of films on society. Crowther cited the film, along with ''

Kiss Me, Stupid ''Kiss Me, Stupid'' is a 1964 American sex comedy film produced and directed by Billy Wilder and starring Dean Martin, Kim Novak, and Ray Walston. The screenplay by Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond is based on the play ''L'ora della fantasia'' (' ...

'', for giving American movies the reputation of "deliberate and degenerate corruptors of public taste and morals". The movie was one of the 13 most popular films in the UK in 1965. However, many critics frowned upon the film, considering it to be "vulgar and tasteless" or "an upscale dirty movie". ''

The Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with ''Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with a ...

'' stated, "They don't make movies like this any more—or at least, like ''The Carpetbaggers'' should have been. Dmytryk does a very clean, efficient job of direction, interweaving the various strands of his complicated story with exemplary clarity, but somehow there is an element missing: the film is big, bold, sprawlingly epic and all that, but it never manages to carry off its outrageous silliness with any of the flourish of the good old days." '' Mad'' magazine lampooned the film in issue #92 with ''The Carpetsweepers''. The theme tune by

Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...

was recorded in a version by Jimmy Smith arranged by Lalo Schiffrin. This version was used to accompany the titles and credits for the UK

BBC 2 BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream ...

'' The Money Programme'', a finance and current affairs television magazine program.

Soundtrack

re-recorded his music for the movie as an album on Ava Records. In 2013 Intrada Records issued the complete original soundtrack on CD, pairing it with the CD premiere of the Ava re-recording (tracks 22-31). # Seal / Main Title 2:26 # A Maverick 0:52 # Rina's Record 3:32 # The Forbidden Room 2:42 # Sierra Source (Alternate) 1:41 # Sierra Source 2:39 # Separate Trails 2:03 # Monica's Shimmy 0:31 # Lots of Lovely Ceilings 2:02 # Nevada's Trouble 7:12 # Get a Divorce 1:35 # Movie Mogul 0:35 # Two of a Kind 5:11 # Sierra Source Pt. 2 2:14 # Rina's Dead 1:02 # Speak of the Devil 1:29 # New Star 3:05 # Bad Bargain 0:51 # Jonas Hits Bottom 5:40 # Finale 1:26 # Love Theme from ''The Carpetbaggers'' 3:10 # The Carpetbaggers 2:31 # Love Theme from ''The Carpetbaggers'' 2:40 # Speak of the Devil 2:01 # Forbidden Room 2:19 # The Carpetbagger Blues 3:52 # Main Title from ''The Carpetbaggers'' 2:10 # New Star 2:16 # The Producer Asks for a Divorce 2:39 # Jonas Hits Bottom 2:50 # Finale 1:44

Notes

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Carpetbaggers, The 1964 films 1964 drama films American aviation films American drama films American business films Embassy Pictures films Films scored by Elmer Bernstein Films about film directors and producers Films based on American novels Films directed by Edward Dmytryk Films set in the 1920s Films set in the 1930s Films set in Los Angeles 1960s business films Obscenity controversies in film Films à clef 1960s English-language films 1960s American films