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