GeorgePeppardplaysahard-drivenindustrialistmorethanalittlereminiscentofHowardHughes.Whilehebuildsairplanes,directsmoviesandbreakshearts,hisfriendsandloverstrytoreachhishumanside,andfindthatit’sanuphillbattle.Thefilm’stitleisametaphorforself-promotingtycoonswhoperformquickfinancialtakeovers,imposedictatorialcontrolsforshort-termprofits,thenmoveontogreenerpastures.TheCarpetbaggersisthekindoftrashyclassicmostpeopleweretooembarrassedtoadmittheyenjoyedbackintheearly60s.ButthisHaroldRobbinsadaptationissocheerfullyvulgar,it’shardnottohaveagoodtime-especiallygiventhethinlyveiledportraitofHowardHughesatitscenter.GeorgePeppardplaystheheel-hero,whofoundsanairlinecompanyinthe1920sandbuysamoviestudiointhe1930s,crushingfriendsandmistressesalongtheway.Thehighcheesefactorisaidedbythegood-timecast:CarrollBakerasPeppard’shotstepmom,BobCummings(quitefunny)asacynicalagent,andElizabethAshley,whomarriedPeppard,inherdebut-uncharacteristically,asagoodgirl.OnesadnoteisAlanLadd,lookingandsoundingveryend-of-the-lineinhisfinalrole,asaman’smancowboystar.ElmerBernstein’sswaggeringscorehelpsgoosetheactionalong.
