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.