The Greek Tycoon (1978)

An aging Greek (Anthony Quinn) is one of the richest men in the world. Although married, he finds himself attracted to the wife (Jacqueline Bisset) of a visiting U.S. Senator (James Franciscus), who will soon become the President of the United States. After the President is assassinated, the tycoon feels free to pursue his widow. Directed by J. Lee Thompson (THE GUNS OF NAVARONE). How could a roman a clef about the "romance" of Aristotle Onassis and Jackie Kennedy be such a bore? Two of the most famous and interesting people of their day and it's all so tiresome. Thompson's direction is flaccid but honestly, there isn't much he could have done with the screenplay he was given. I don't think I expected it to be any good really but it's not even Harold Robbins or Jacqueline Susann trashy fun. As the Onassis stand in, we've all seen Quinn do the bigger than life Greek before from ZORBA THE GREEK to A DREAM OF KINGS but still, when he starts doing the Greek folk dancing, throwing plates and yelling "Opa!", I recoiled in horror. The Greek locales are nice to look at though. With Edward Albert, Raf Vallone, Charles Durning, Luciana Paluzzi (wasted), Camilla Sparv, Marilu Tolo (as the Maria Callas stand in), Kathryn Leigh Scott and Robin Clarke.