The Betsy Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

The Betsy Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 10, 2025

Daniel Petrie's "The Betsy" (1978) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Harold Robbins and exclusive new audio commentary by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

One does not need intimate knowledge of the complicated histories of the Ford, Chrysler, and Dodge families to realize that Daniel Petrie’s film The Betsy, which was inspired by Harold Robbins’ novel of the same name, tells their story. This story is deeply flawed, full of half-truths and lies that make the few big truths in it practically irrelevant, but this happens to be the main reason to see The Betsy. How is this possible? Because perception can be everything, and if one begins to understand why certain perceptions exist, one will inevitably begin uncovering some or all truths they were created to hide or destroy.

The majority of the material that The Betsy works with is easier to link to the Ford family. Number One (Laurence Olivier), the man at the very top of Bethlehem Motors Company, reaches out to professional racer Angelo Perino (Tommy Lee Jones) with an offer. Number One wants Perino to help him make a lifelong dream come true -- designing and building an efficient new car that will permanently transform the American auto industry. If Perino agrees, he will have to manage the entire project in secrecy because Number One’s grandson, Loren Hardeman (Robert Duval), who runs Bethlehem Motors Company, has repeatedly opposed it. After much soul-searching and assurances that he will have the freedom and proper financial support to succeed, Perino agrees and begins work while pretending to manage a completely different project on behalf of Bethlehem Motors Company. The precious new car is called The Betsy. But as progress is made, Hardeman discovers the true nature of Perino’s work and fires him, instantly unleashing an all-out war against Number One. In the ensuing chaos, a most unlikely winner emerges.

The Betsy has a terrible reputation for several very good reasons. However, these reasons are legitimate only if one evaluates The Betsy as a historically accurate film. The Betsy is, as mentioned earlier, an unapologetically manipulative film. It is also a trashy melodrama of the kind that only Robbins could have envisioned. (It is hardly a coincidence that a little over a decade earlier, another Robbins novel inspired The Carpetbaggers). So, if The Betsy does not pursue the truth -- about the Ford family, or Chrysler and Dodge families -- why would one want to see it? It is worth seeing because it points one’s attention in the right direction, on many fascinating and controversial topics, and from there, it is not at all difficult to begin reconstructing or uncovering the complete truths that a proper, historically accurate film would.

One of the truths that emerges from The Betsy is that the powerful people who ran the American auto industry from Detroit were not powerful enough to withstand external pressure from the government and criminal figures. In other words, innovation was not the only catalyst behind their success. The Betsy goes even a step further. Once Perino’s secretive work is exposed, it speculates that, for the right reasons, the same powerful people intentionally stalled innovation. Is this another truth? Research Ford’s history with the electric car and you will get your answer.

The trashy melodrama, virtually all of which is, contrary to old reports, very entertaining, reveals several other truths. One of them is that big money can reshape anyone -- the idealist, the visionary, the loyal family member. Another is that sex can be almost as effective in accomplishing the same.

The cast also includes a young Kathleen Beller, Lesley-Anne Down, Jane Alexander, Ed Herrmann, Joseph Wiseman, and Roy Poole.

The Betsy Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Betsy arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint Films.

According to Imprint Films, the release is sourced from an exclusive new 2K master. If I had to guess, I would say that this 2K master was sourced from an interpositive because it retains some very small source limitations and a near-perfect color balance, ensuring that the film has a proper period appearance. So, while there is some room for small yet meaningful improvements, I liked what I saw on my system a lot.

Delineation, clarity, and depth range from good to very good, in a few areas even excellent. Some density fluctuations appear in areas with inherited source limitations, but none of them are distracting. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections, so grain exposure is good, but some encoding optimizations could have been introduced. In a few areas, the grain does become a bit too loose, though I have to acknowledge that the inherited source limitations contribute as well. I like color balance a lot. Some meaningful improvements can be made so that saturation levels are even more convincing and certain supporting nuances expanded, but the color temperature and balance are convincing. Image stability is good. I noticed a few blemishes and tiny nicks, but there are no distracting large cuts, debris, marks, warped or torn frames to report. All in all, this release offers a very nice organic presentation of The Betsy. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Betsy Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The lossless track is good. All dialog is clear and easy to follow. However, in some areas minor unevenness can be spotted, and while it is never even remotely distracting, I think that if the audio is fully restored, it will sound more balanced, better rounded too. Its fullness I think is fine because the lovely music sounds pretty good, though some minor tweaks probably can strengthen it as well. The audio is free of distracting hiss, pops, cracks, distortions, etc.

The Betsy Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Harold Robbins - in this archival program, Harold Robbins reveals how he feels about The Betsy, a cinematic adaptation of his novel of the same name, and quickly comments on what it attempts to convey and why. In English, not subtitled. (9 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by critics Howard S. Berger and Nathaniel Thompson.

The Betsy Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The complete and unfiltered histories of the most powerful and famous are a lot like the material you will see in The Betsy and The Carpetbaggers, not as 'serious' and 'historically accurate' films reconstruct and present them. A lot of people are simply conditioned to believe that the so-called 'trash' that supposedly make The Betsy and The Carpetbaggers deeply flawed films is incompatible with the truth, whatever it may be. The Betsy is neither as glamorous nor well-directed and acted as The Carpetbaggers, but despite its undeniable flaws, it remains a fascinating film. It produces so many half-truths and outrageous lies that eventually it becomes quite easy to figure out where to look for the truths and how to extract them. Imprint Films' Blu-ray release offers an imperfect but very nice presentation of The Betsy. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.