The Greek Tycoon

1978 "She was the most famous woman in the world. He was a peasant, a pirate, a shark. What he couldn't buy with money he stole with charm."
5.4| 1h47m| R| en
Details

A lusty Greek shipping magnate courts the widow of an assassinated U.S. president.

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Reviews

ChikPapa Very disappointed :(
Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Jonathon Dabell The photography is accomplished, the acting is quite good, but in virtually every other department The Greek Tycoon is a dreary bore. Taking its inspiration from the real-life love affair of Jackie Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis, the film is a glossy but absolutely empty soap opera of the kind that can be found on TV all day long. Viewers who embrace the whole "celebrity magazine culture" (paparazzi photographs and gossipy stories about the rich and famous) will undoubtedly find much to whet their appetite here. But those who prefer films with a bit more substance and craft and quirkiness will find the 107 minute running time a butt-numbing slog.American president James Cassidy (James Franciscus) and his beautiful wife Liz (Jacqueline Bisset) are in Greece on official business. A ridiculously wealthy Greek shipping tycoon, Theo Tomasis (Anthony Quinn), catches sight of Liz at a party at his elegant manor. Despite the fact that both of them are married to someone else, there is an immediate attraction between them. Later, at a private party aboard his yacht, Tomasis makes his desires known to Liz. Some while later, President Cassidy is assassinated whilst out strolling on a beach. Liz is shocked and saddened by his death, but it isn't long before she seeks comfort in the arms of her Greek lover Tomasis. Eventually the two of them are married and their love affair becomes a favourite talking point for the world's newspapers, magazines, photographers and wags.It is somewhat amusing to note the vigour with which the producers of this film denied that it was a dramatisation of the Kennedy-Onassis story. They wanted the film to be seen as an original story, rooted in fiction. But anyone with a brain can see where the movie is drawing its inspiration from. Even Aristotle Onassis himself knew The Greek Tycoon amounted to his love-life getting the Hollywood treatment (if rumours are to be believed, he actually had a hand in approving Anthony Quinn for the Tomasis role!) J. Lee-Thompson isn't really the right sort of director for this type of movie – he's better suited to action fodder like The Guns Of Navarone and Ice Cold In Alex – but he marshals the proceedings with an uninspired, professional adequacy. Quinn is very watchable as Tomasis; Bisset looks lovely as the object of his desires; Franciscus uses his toothy smile and a façade of integrity to make for a believable politician. Their performances are good on the surface, but there's little for the actors to do on any deeper level. Similarly, Tony Richmond's photography gives the film an elegant surface sheen as it moves from one exotic locale to the next, but the merest of scratches proves that there's nothing behind the film's glossy exterior.
monroeanderson I saw The Greek Tycoon when it first came out in 1978. I found it extremely boring. I thought it was no better than a travelogue except for one thing: For the first time in my life I realized why it would be good to be rich. Seeing the scenery off Aristotle Onassis' yacht and getting my first real peek into the lifestyle of the rich and famous opened my eyes. To paraphrase Martha Stewart: It was a good thing. Funny, I don't remember the sex scene. I hadn't seen the movie since it was on the big screen and found the lovemaking session with the mistress memorable this time. Maybe because I was younger and single back then, it was no big deal.
preppy-3 Thinly disguised story about the marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis. In this Anthony Quinn plays Theo Tomasis a Greek millionaire with some shady dealings. He meets Liz Cassidy (Jacqueline Bisset) and falls in love--but she's married to President James Cassidy (James Franciscus). He's killed and she goes to Onassis...you know the rest of the story.This was a huge hit in 1978 but destroyed by the critics. I think they were angry because the filmmakers kept insisting this was NOT about Kennedy and Onassis (which it most certainly was). Facts were changed (Onassis had a daughter in real life, here it's a son) and events but it was still pretty obvious. The characters themselves are treated very well. Bisset plays Cassidy as a beautiful, frightened, vulnerable yet strong woman. Quinn plays Tomasis as vulgar, stubborn but strong and learning how to love. Also Quinn has an infectious laugh and hams it up in an enjoyable way.There's also beautiful scenery and a wonderful score. These combined with the acting push this across. No cinematic masterpiece but a pretty good love story if you can ignore the Kennedy-Onassis connection. I give it a 7.
Michael J. Skarpelos 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.