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.