In 1978, '20/20' made its television debut; Martina Navratilova won her first Grand Slam championship at Wimbledon; Neil Diamond and Barbra Streisand's duet, 'You Don't Bring Me Flowers' was one of that year most popular songs and on the big screen, 'The Greek Tycoon' premiered.
'The Greek Tycoon' was based on the real-life marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis. But Jacqueline Bisset insisted, "I don't know how similar the script is to the real events because I never followed the real people. I don't know what the true story was. All I know is that I was moved by the story." Shot on location in Athens, New York, Washington, England and on the islands of Corfu and Mykonos, Anthony Quinn revealed Ari told him in 1974, "Tony, promise me one thing. If anybody does do my life in a film, you will do it...because you'll be nice to me." In the movie, Anthony acknowledged, "I did not play just Onassis but 'a lot of Onassises.'" In May 1961, Jackie accompanied President John F Kennedy on a visit to Paris. At one State dinner Jackie wore a Givenchy white satin gown, with the upper part sparkling in red, white and blue colors. André Malraux took note of her savoir faire and made a comment to President Charles de Gaulle, "She is unique for the wife of an American president, sir." He agreed, "Yes, she's unique. I can see her in about 10 years on the yatch of a Greek petrol millionaire." Charles de Gaulle's prediction wasn't far-fetched. 'The Greek Tycoon' primarily focused on the time of Jackie and Ari's wedding on the 350-acre Greek island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea on October 20, 1968 until his death in Paris in March 1975. It was noted Jackie wore a Valentino dress at the wedding. Away from the limelight, Maria Callas was heard crying at the time, "First I lost my weight, then I lost my voice, now I've lost Onassis!"
Marilu Tolo's character on 'The Greek Tycoon' was based on Maria Callas. She shared, "You can't snap fingers to be a star. You must have talent and desire. It's not easy. Nothing in life is easy. Stardom comes with hard work...I am taking English lessons all the time. And soon I will be able to play an American girl with a funny accent...I am very fine at French and Spanish. But English is hard for all Italians." When news broke of Ari's death, Jackie told the press, "I'll answer with something my husband often told me. 'Throughout the world people love fairy tales and especially those related to the lives of the rich. You must learn to understand this and accept it.'" Before his death Ari mentioned, "If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning." After he passed away, one commentator observed, "Luck and fate have interfered again and again in the unfinished story of Jackie Onassis." Although Ari's hand-written will dated January 3, 1974 stated Jackie would receive $250,000 a year in allowances, under Greek law, in the event of his death, his daughter Christina would inherit 75% of his estate with the 25% left over to go to his widow, Jackie - which Jackie fought for and won. One New York socialite described Jackie as "gracious but there is always that reserve. She might ask you to dinner but if she doesn’t, you hesitate to ask her. She suffers from pedestal complex."
'20/20' bombed when it debut on June 8, 1978. Determined to save TV's first weeknight newsmagazine, Roone Arledge approached Hugh Downs and offered him the sole anchor role. Initially Hugh was hesitant, "I was terrified that ABC just wanted to bring me in to help paper over a disaster that they would quietly fold in a few weeks." However he noted in 1999, "I had no idea when it started that it would last for 21 years and be cloned into several '20/20s.'" Hugh also made the observation when he stepped down as host, "The internet is not going to destroy television, it's going to absorb it." Barbara Walters began co-hosting '20/20' in 1984. A role she held until she too stepped down in 2004. She said, "We have been very long-time partners. I would not be on the air without Hugh." Her interview with General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in 1991 was one of the most-watched on television. So too was Barbara's 1999 interview with Monica Lewinsky. That special attracted a whopping 48.5 million viewers. Producer Victor Neufeld made the comment, "We are an appointment program. They tell us we bring ABC a whole new audience at 10 o'clock." Those audiences stood by the program even when ABC caused anxiety by moving '20/20' to Friday nights in 1987, after 8 years on Thursday nights. Within a year though, '20/20' established itself as the mainstay of ABC, even beating rival 'Dallas' frequently in the ratings.
In sport, Chris Evert described the rivalry between her and Martina, "I think the greatest rivalries are because of the contrasts and styles...With Martina and I, you know, once again we were in the same era. She was a serve and volleyer. I was a baseliner. She was very emotional, involved on the court. I was cool and unemotional on the court." Martina traveled to Moscow in November 2003 to play in the International Tennis Federation Cup. She told the Britain's Guardian at the time, "It all comes flooding back whenever I am there. I was there only last month, when I played doubles in the Kremlin Cup and it was still difficult for me...When I walked around Moscow I kept glimpsing these haunting images...I remembered myself then as a little girl, living under that oppression. I think this week, with me making my comeback for America, will bring up those days even more strongly." Frank Deford remarked, "When she came into the game, she was the European among Americans; she leaves as the American among Europeans - and the only grown-up left in the tennis crib."
'The Greek Tycoon' was based on the real-life marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy and Aristotle Onassis. But Jacqueline Bisset insisted, "I don't know how similar the script is to the real events because I never followed the real people. I don't know what the true story was. All I know is that I was moved by the story." Shot on location in Athens, New York, Washington, England and on the islands of Corfu and Mykonos, Anthony Quinn revealed Ari told him in 1974, "Tony, promise me one thing. If anybody does do my life in a film, you will do it...because you'll be nice to me." In the movie, Anthony acknowledged, "I did not play just Onassis but 'a lot of Onassises.'" In May 1961, Jackie accompanied President John F Kennedy on a visit to Paris. At one State dinner Jackie wore a Givenchy white satin gown, with the upper part sparkling in red, white and blue colors. André Malraux took note of her savoir faire and made a comment to President Charles de Gaulle, "She is unique for the wife of an American president, sir." He agreed, "Yes, she's unique. I can see her in about 10 years on the yatch of a Greek petrol millionaire." Charles de Gaulle's prediction wasn't far-fetched. 'The Greek Tycoon' primarily focused on the time of Jackie and Ari's wedding on the 350-acre Greek island of Skorpios in the Ionian Sea on October 20, 1968 until his death in Paris in March 1975. It was noted Jackie wore a Valentino dress at the wedding. Away from the limelight, Maria Callas was heard crying at the time, "First I lost my weight, then I lost my voice, now I've lost Onassis!"
Marilu Tolo's character on 'The Greek Tycoon' was based on Maria Callas. She shared, "You can't snap fingers to be a star. You must have talent and desire. It's not easy. Nothing in life is easy. Stardom comes with hard work...I am taking English lessons all the time. And soon I will be able to play an American girl with a funny accent...I am very fine at French and Spanish. But English is hard for all Italians." When news broke of Ari's death, Jackie told the press, "I'll answer with something my husband often told me. 'Throughout the world people love fairy tales and especially those related to the lives of the rich. You must learn to understand this and accept it.'" Before his death Ari mentioned, "If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning." After he passed away, one commentator observed, "Luck and fate have interfered again and again in the unfinished story of Jackie Onassis." Although Ari's hand-written will dated January 3, 1974 stated Jackie would receive $250,000 a year in allowances, under Greek law, in the event of his death, his daughter Christina would inherit 75% of his estate with the 25% left over to go to his widow, Jackie - which Jackie fought for and won. One New York socialite described Jackie as "gracious but there is always that reserve. She might ask you to dinner but if she doesn’t, you hesitate to ask her. She suffers from pedestal complex."
'20/20' bombed when it debut on June 8, 1978. Determined to save TV's first weeknight newsmagazine, Roone Arledge approached Hugh Downs and offered him the sole anchor role. Initially Hugh was hesitant, "I was terrified that ABC just wanted to bring me in to help paper over a disaster that they would quietly fold in a few weeks." However he noted in 1999, "I had no idea when it started that it would last for 21 years and be cloned into several '20/20s.'" Hugh also made the observation when he stepped down as host, "The internet is not going to destroy television, it's going to absorb it." Barbara Walters began co-hosting '20/20' in 1984. A role she held until she too stepped down in 2004. She said, "We have been very long-time partners. I would not be on the air without Hugh." Her interview with General H. Norman Schwarzkopf in 1991 was one of the most-watched on television. So too was Barbara's 1999 interview with Monica Lewinsky. That special attracted a whopping 48.5 million viewers. Producer Victor Neufeld made the comment, "We are an appointment program. They tell us we bring ABC a whole new audience at 10 o'clock." Those audiences stood by the program even when ABC caused anxiety by moving '20/20' to Friday nights in 1987, after 8 years on Thursday nights. Within a year though, '20/20' established itself as the mainstay of ABC, even beating rival 'Dallas' frequently in the ratings.
In sport, Chris Evert described the rivalry between her and Martina, "I think the greatest rivalries are because of the contrasts and styles...With Martina and I, you know, once again we were in the same era. She was a serve and volleyer. I was a baseliner. She was very emotional, involved on the court. I was cool and unemotional on the court." Martina traveled to Moscow in November 2003 to play in the International Tennis Federation Cup. She told the Britain's Guardian at the time, "It all comes flooding back whenever I am there. I was there only last month, when I played doubles in the Kremlin Cup and it was still difficult for me...When I walked around Moscow I kept glimpsing these haunting images...I remembered myself then as a little girl, living under that oppression. I think this week, with me making my comeback for America, will bring up those days even more strongly." Frank Deford remarked, "When she came into the game, she was the European among Americans; she leaves as the American among Europeans - and the only grown-up left in the tennis crib."
