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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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    Top Cast35

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    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

    4bkoganbing

    Whaddaya Expect from a Harold Robbin's novel?

    One of the Star Trek sequels has Harold Robbins and Jacqueline Susann referred to as the "Old Masters." Personally, I'm betting that The Carpetbaggers or The Betsy will not be on a high school English class reading list in about 200 years.

    The Betsy, by the way, refers to both Kathleen Beller's character and a newly designed car named for her by her great grandfather the patriarch of an automobile pioneer family. Said patriarch is played by none other than Sir Laurence Olivier, arguably the greatest actor the English speaking world has ever produced.

    He was certainly thought of as that at the time The Betsy was made. He had nothing to prove as a player in 1978, but Olivier was concerned about leaving a nice sizable estate for his children. So he did take on projects like these that were guaranteed box office.

    I have to say Olivier's Loren Hardiman was an offbeat part for him. Prominent in the Olivier bag of thespian tricks is a great ear for accents. Hard to believe that this is the same actor who gave us definitive film versions of Hamlet, Richard III, and Othello.

    In filming one of Harold Robbins empire and scandal novels all you can do is ham it up. And following Lord Olivier's cue the rest of the cast hams it up big time. I'm surprised no one in television thought of this as a Dallas like series.

    The Betsy has the usual business double dealing and sexual peccadilloes that saturate a Robbins epic. If that's your taste you'll love The Betsy.

    An errant thought just struck me. What if someone had thought to hire Sir Laurence Olivier as Jock Ewing in Dallas. I think he'd have done it for the right price and he could have pulled it off.
    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.
    Boyo-2

    Horrible but fun

    This is not the kind of movie you can recommend, but if you are in the mood for trash with a lot of glitter, this is the one for you. There are not many good adaptations from Harold Robbins novels, and this is not one of them. The all-star cast helps immensely but they might have brought a bit of fun to the proceedings, so we could think this wasn't torture for them to make.
    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.
    Scoopy

    So much talent, so little performance

    How can you make a bad movie with Olivier, Duvall, Tommy Lee, Katherine Ross, Jane Alexander, and plenty of other capable people?

    Study this film to find out.

    I felt awful for Olivier. First, let me say that I am a great fan of his, and have worn out my VCR watching him in Wuthering Heights, Rebecca, Spartacus, and other great performances. Having said that, I must now regretfully say that his performance in The Betsy ranks among the worst ever captured on film. He has no clue how to affect an American accent. Worse still, he plays himself in the flashbacks ... and he looks like an old guy on Miami Beach wearing youthful fashions and spray-on hair color. I had to turn away from it at times.

    Oh, I wish I had never seen this movie at all.

    If you have a choice between this and "Manos", plan on a Torgo evening.

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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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