Tycoon (1947 film)

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.

Plot
Johnny Munroe (John Wayne) travels to South America to build a mountain railroad tunnel for Frederick Alexander (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), a wealthy industrialist. Complications arise when Alexander insists upon a shorter, more dangerous passage and when his daughter Maura (Laraine Day) 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.