Tycoon is a 1947 American Technicolor romantic drama film directed by Richard Wallace and starring John Wayne, Laraine Day and Cedric Hardwicke. It was produced and distributed by RKO Pictures. It is based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Charles Elbert Scoggins.
Contents
Plot
Johnny Munroe travels to South America to build a mountain railroad tunnel for Frederick Alexander, a wealthy industrialist. Complications arise when Alexander insists upon a shorter, more dangerous passage and when his daughter Maura develops a romantic interest with Johnny.
Cast
John Wayne as Johnny Munroe
Laraine Day as Maura Alexander Munroe
Cedric Hardwicke as Frederick Alexander
Judith Anderson as Miss Braithwaite
James Gleason as Pop Mathews
Anthony Quinn as Ricky Vegas
Grant Withers as Fog Harris
Paul Fix as Joe
Fernando Alvarado as Chico
Harry Woods as Holden
Michael Harvey as Curly Messenger
Charles Trowbridge as Señor Tobar
Martin Garralaga as Chávez
Production
Maureen O'Hara was originally cast as Wayne's leading lady, but RKO put her in Sinbad the Sailor instead. Set in the Andes, the film was originally intended to be filmed at RKO's Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City but at the last minute production was shifted to Lone Pine, California.
Reception
Though successful, the film did not earn back its huge production costs of RKO's most expensive production up to that time. It ended up losing $1,035,000.