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      The Greek Tycoon

      R 1978 1 hr. 46 min. Drama List
      0% 5 Reviews Tomatometer 27% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score A lusty Greek shipping magnate (Anthony Quinn) courts the widow (Jacqueline Bisset) of an assassinated U.S. president. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member Blatant ripoff of the Jackie Kennedy/Aristotle Onassis marriage made endurable by Jacqueline Bisset and almost unendurable by Anthony Quinn. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member 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 from where the movie is drawing its inspiration. 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. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Greek Tycoon

      The Greek Tycoon (1978) The Greek Tycoon (1978) The Greek Tycoon (1978) The Greek Tycoon (1978) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Without Quinn, The Greek Tycoon would be unbearable. But he populates its rubble with a masterful performance. Rated: 2/4 Jun 16, 2018 Full Review Kathey Clarey Fresno Bee One of the main problems with Tycoon is the lack of chemistry between Quinn and Ms. Bisset. Aug 5, 2021 Full Review Bernard Drew Gannett News Service Need I go on? The movie certainly does. Oct 31, 2019 Full Review Fernando Trueba El Pais (Spain) The movie's version of the relationship between Aristotle Onassis and Jacqueline Kennedy is the most clichéd and superficial, akin to the one the tabloids offer. [Full Review in Spanish] Aug 1, 2019 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Tabloid friendly, trashy and exploitative. Rated: C- Aug 23, 2015 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A lusty Greek shipping magnate (Anthony Quinn) courts the widow (Jacqueline Bisset) of an assassinated U.S. president.
      Director
      J. Lee Thompson
      Rating
      R
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (DVD)
      Aug 3, 2010