This loosely based "Howard Hughes" tale, full of corruption and the American Dream with wonderful, almost Soap-Opera acting techniques actually plays, because it is well cast. Carroll Baker, beautiful and gorgeous playing the party girl, Rina, who is selfish and proud of it, to George Peppard (finally appropriately cast after 5 year of miscasting) playing Alex Cord (tough, messed-up, good businessman, the new Anti-Hero), Alan Ladd on his last little legs (good actor), and Elizabeth Ashley (wonderful actress (Happiness) who never got a break) playing Peppard's smart, rich, flame (who in real life was actually married to George Peppard) before Martha Hyer comes sliding in.
Great American melodrama (ten years after it was popular in American and everywhere) playing out the string. Best performance = Carroll Baker. A 7 out of 10 (mostly for over-the-topness). If you like this, check out THE Oscar (actually worse; but great characters) dying in a bog while they complain about their wardrobe. A pastiche of the 60's that I saw when I was 12 and never got it...until I was 18 (a million ice-ages ago). Music is terrible. Directing is non-existent. Great extras and Nevada locales and some interesting bad "good" fight scene (in between love quarrels and money debates)...the river flows. Give it a chance. It's it's own real world that keeps a pace screaming until the end (when the music gets really loud) and you realize something or whatever. Give it a shot!
Great American melodrama (ten years after it was popular in American and everywhere) playing out the string. Best performance = Carroll Baker. A 7 out of 10 (mostly for over-the-topness). If you like this, check out THE Oscar (actually worse; but great characters) dying in a bog while they complain about their wardrobe. A pastiche of the 60's that I saw when I was 12 and never got it...until I was 18 (a million ice-ages ago). Music is terrible. Directing is non-existent. Great extras and Nevada locales and some interesting bad "good" fight scene (in between love quarrels and money debates)...the river flows. Give it a chance. It's it's own real world that keeps a pace screaming until the end (when the music gets really loud) and you realize something or whatever. Give it a shot!