The Betsy (1978)

Interesting facts

The Betsy is a 1978 American romantic drama film directed by Daniel Petrie, from a screenplay by William Bast and Walter Bernstein, based on the 1971 novel of the same title by Harold Robbins. It stars Laurence Olivier as a retired auto tycoon, with Robert Duvall, Katharine Ross, Tommy Lee Jones, and Jane Alexander in supporting roles.

Production

Harold Robbins formed his own company to make film and television projects, Harold Robbins Productions. He wanted Al Pacino and John Wayne to play the leads. The film was going to be made by Warner Bros but they pulled out. By 1975 the film was set up at Allied Artists. Allied brought in United Artists as partners and they offered the film to Donald Petrie to direct.

Steve McQueen and Ali MacGraw were offered the leads but turned it down. The first draft was done by Walter Bernstein, then William Bast was bought in. Laurence Olivier later had Ivan Moffat work on his dialogue.

Assembly-plant footage was filmed at the American Motors (AMC) Kenosha, Wisconsin factory. It shows construction and painting of 1978 Gremlin, Pacer, and Concord models on AMC's assembly line serving as the factory of the fictitious Bethlehem Motors. For authenticity, the film's producers learned from AMC about how new cars are developed. The titular car is a slightly modified 1974 Lancia Beta coupe.

The Betsy features music composed by John Barry. It was filmed at Rosecliff mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.

A review by automobile industry expert Alex Taylor noted that the filmmakers did not show believable characters and realistic dialogue. Attempts by Hollywood to capture the auto industry on film, such as The Betsy, have "aimed at realistic drama but wound up with suds."

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