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The Betsy

  • 1978
  • R
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
5.2/10
1.9K
YOUR RATING
The Betsy (1978)
The aging, retired founder of an auto giant comes out of retirement to try to develop a safe, fuel-efficient car.
Play trailer2:05
1 Video
39 Photos
Drama

The aging, retired founder of an auto giant comes out of retirement to try to develop a safe, fuel-efficient car.The aging, retired founder of an auto giant comes out of retirement to try to develop a safe, fuel-efficient car.The aging, retired founder of an auto giant comes out of retirement to try to develop a safe, fuel-efficient car.

  • Director
    • Daniel Petrie
  • Writers
    • Harold Robbins
    • William Bast
    • Walter Bernstein
  • Stars
    • Laurence Olivier
    • Robert Duvall
    • Katharine Ross
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.2/10
    1.9K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Daniel Petrie
    • Writers
      • Harold Robbins
      • William Bast
      • Walter Bernstein
    • Stars
      • Laurence Olivier
      • Robert Duvall
      • Katharine Ross
    • 38User reviews
    • 14Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Trailer
    Trailer 2:05
    Trailer

    Photos39

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    + 32
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    Top Cast35

    Edit
    Laurence Olivier
    Laurence Olivier
    • Number One
    Robert Duvall
    Robert Duvall
    • Loren Hardeman III
    Katharine Ross
    Katharine Ross
    • Sally Hardeman
    Tommy Lee Jones
    Tommy Lee Jones
    • Angelo Perino
    Jane Alexander
    Jane Alexander
    • Alicia Hardeman
    Lesley-Anne Down
    Lesley-Anne Down
    • Lady Bobby Ayres
    Joseph Wiseman
    Joseph Wiseman
    • Jake Weinstein
    Kathleen Beller
    Kathleen Beller
    • Betsy Hardeman
    Edward Herrmann
    Edward Herrmann
    • Dan Weyman
    Paul Rudd
    • Loren Hardeman Jr.
    Roy Poole
    Roy Poole
    • John Duncan
    Richard Venture
    Richard Venture
    • Mark Sampson
    Titos Vandis
    Titos Vandis
    • Angelo Luigi Perino
    Clifford David
    Clifford David
    • Joe Warren
    Inga Swenson
    Inga Swenson
    • Mrs. Craddock
    Whitney Blake
    Whitney Blake
    • Elizabeth Hardeman
    Carol Williard
    • Roxanne
    Read Morgan
    Read Morgan
    • Donald
    • Director
      • Daniel Petrie
    • Writers
      • Harold Robbins
      • William Bast
      • Walter Bernstein
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews38

    5.21.8K
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    Featured reviews

    10SquirePM

    My favorite guilty pleasure movie.

    Serious cineasts, GO AWAY! Watch this film for the pure pleasure of getting down and dirty in a potboiler. Lust! Greed! Passion! Murder! Seduction! Even MAFIA!

    And see Laurence Olivier ham it up like crazy with the goofiest accent you'll ever hear!

    Oh, yeah. I forgot ... Hate! Fear! Wealth! Decadence!
    5jrs-8

    Watchable trash but trash nonetheless

    I have always been curious as to how so many big name stars came to agree to appear in "The Betsy". Was Harold Robbins' name alone enough for them to believe they were starring in a hit? Perhaps they all were paid handsomely. I hope it's the latter. As you might expect with Harold Robbins' name on the title "The Betsy" is about sex and greed and sex and power and sex and murder and sex. This is pure trash all the way but if you don't take it seriously and catch yourself in a goofy mood then you might enjoy it.

    The story is simple. A family headed by patriarch Laurence Olivier manufacture cars and become wealthy and powerful. That's all you really need to know. This family is one sick group. Take for example one scene early on in the movie. A boy (who would grow up to be Robert Duvall) witnesses his father committing suicide. He runs upstairs to be with his mom (Katherine Ross) only to find her in bed shagging grandpa Olivier. All in a matter of moments for this poor kid. And yet he still grows up and goes to work for Olivier. You can't take the story seriously for a second.

    Also on hand are Tommy Lee Jones as a stud race car driver and the beautiful Lesley-Anne Down as his mistress who happens to be Duvall's wife. She is sexy and alluring and almost worth the price of admission. And then there is Duvall's granddaughter who seduces Jones on her 18th birthday. The Carrington family from "Dynasty" almost seem normal next to this clan.

    Trash movie lovers unite. This is a film for you. It's somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me but I still sit there and shake my head at many scenes more then just enjoying the garbage being presented.
    dangermouse0000

    One good reason to watch

    There's only one reason to watch this film. It's not the quality of the acting or the strength - or otherwise - of the plot. Rather, it's a study in excess, and my favourite excess in this film would have to come under L for lust. Kathleen Beller is extremely photogenic and I absolutely love the swimming pool scene !
    5JLRFilmReviews

    The Creation of The Betsy

    Laurence Olivier is the multi-millionaire head of a family, who's rich due to the family business, making cars. Larry wants to make a new car whose engine would be environmentally safe. He needs Tommy Lee Jones' (a race car driver) assistance in creating the engine. And, that begins the present day plot. There are flashbacks that show just how and why things are the way they are today. The presence of Katharine Ross and Kathleen Beller make this feel like Dynasty. And, Robert Duvall is Larry's grandson who'll stop at nothing to stop the development of "The Betsy," which is what Larry named the engine. The movie is nothing like "The Oscar" in that it's not flashy or campy; and, it doesn't have any it's-so-bad-it's good value to it. Instead, you get the impression they tried to take themselves seriously and in doing so, only emphasized the fact these are not nice people and it gives the movie a kind of seedy, mean quality to it. Its love scenes add to its trashy feel to it and not entirely in a good way. The music is so understated, mellow, and refined, it sounds like some "Godfather" copy. All in all, once you've seen the ending, you may want to see it again, knowing what you know. But, it's not much to really write home about.
    susandelavan

    2 hours of my life I'll never get back.

    I bought this film because I LOVE Robert Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones, and it was packed with other great names. The movie misses its mark at every chance. It fails to bring you into caring about the characters, the passion, the evil, etc. I don't know how it could miss with the people involved, but it does. Just the description of the movie was gripping, but the viewing failed to deliver. The era was fascinating. The sets were beautiful. The music was blah. The drama was off center. You should see the chemistry of Jones and Duvall in "Lonesome Dove" to see what is missing in this film. I'm glad I have this chance to comment, as I was dying to tell someone who cares.

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    Related interests

    Naomie Harris, Mahershala Ali, Janelle Monáe, André Holland, Herman Caheej McGloun, Edson Jean, Alex R. Hibbert, and Tanisha Cidel in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      This movie was shot entirely on-location without any filming done on studio soundstages.
    • Goofs
      After Angelo is roughed up, he is taken to "Westside County Hospital." There is no Westside County near Detroit, and there never was a Westside County Hospital. Detroit is in Wayne County.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Loren Hardeman: Don't you worry, son, you got me behind yuh.

      Angelo Perino: What'll I do when you're gone?

      Loren Hardeman: [walking out the door] Oh... oh, yeah...

      [laughs]

      Loren Hardeman: ... yeah. Well...

      [smiling]

      Loren Hardeman: Better learn fast.

    • Connections
      Referenced in The Ecstasy Girls (1979)

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    FAQ16

    • How long is The Betsy?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 9, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Harold Robbins' the Betsy
    • Filming locations
      • Detroit, Michigan, USA
    • Production companies
      • Harold Robbins International Company
      • Allied Artists Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $6,000,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 5m(125 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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