Porfirio Rubirosa was a man of many parts, part time diplomat, part time polo player, part time race car driver, and most definitely full time lover. He's the man on which lead Bekim Fehmiu's part is based. In that lies the tale of The Adventurers.Harold Robbins up to this point had done reasonably well on the screen with successful adaptions of novels like The Carpetbaggers, Where Love Has Gone, King Creole, etc. But Paramount spent a fortune on this film with a few name players in supporting roles, but came up real short with Yugoslavian actor Bekim Fehmiu in the lead. Sometimes casting an unknown works, the best examples being Peter O'Toole in Lawrence Of Arabia and Errol Flynn in Captain Blood. But here the distinctly uncharismatic Fehmiu just had no chemistry with any of the women he was to wed and/or bed. When you're basing the lead character on a notorious lover of the flesh, that's kind of essential.Rubirosa in real life had an on again off again relationship with Rafael Trujillo dictator of his native Dominican Republic. Alan Badel plays the Trujillo figure who did not come to as glorious an end as he does here. Badel was certainly as treacherous as Trujillo in real life.Rubirosa was married 5 times in real life and one of those wives was Barbara Hutton who got around herself pretty good as another of her husbands was Cary Grant. Here her role is played by Candice Bergen who likes a good time, but also wants a family.The girl from Fehmiu's mythical country of Corteguay is Leigh Taylor-Young. Anna Moffo stands in for fellow opera singer Maria Callas. You'll recognize a few other players on the international scene.The climax is the revolution against the duplicitous Badel and the battle scenes are staged well, a lot of the film's budget certainly went there.As for Bekim Fehmiu international stardom was not to be, but it looks like he had a respectable career in his native Yugoslavia.If you like to stargaze and note some of the names that are present in the cast or if you are devoted to the novels of Harold Robbins then I would recommend The Adventurers. Otherwise it's pretty mediocre.

Having read the book by Harold Robbins, I was looking forward to the film. But, oh dear, what happened to the main points of the plot? The principal point of the plot is the relationship between Dax and Fat Cat. As a boy, Dax is taken to safety by the guerrilla, and on the first night out on their journey Fat Cat cuddles the shivering boy to him, and says, "Take my hand and I will guide you safely through the mountains." In the final scene, when Dax has overthrown the despotic President helped to power by Dax's father, an embittered rival with a score to settle, shoots both Dax and Fat Cat in the gardens of the Presidential palace, and as they are lying on the ground dying, Fat cat reaches out his hand and says ... (you've guessed it!).But it's missing from the film, the famous "scabbard" quote is transfered between two differing characters, Marcel's nefarious activities in Macau are totally displaced, and there is an unnecessary time-shift in the entire film.Oh dear! It could have been so good, but it was fairly mediocre.Robbins must have been very disappointed.

After many years in the exile, marrying and having affairs with wealthy and beautiful women, the son of a former revolutionary and futile play-boy Dax Xenos (Bekim Fehmiu) returns to his country invited by the corrupt president to a homage to his father. He finds that he has a son living in the country, and decides to raise funds to help the life of the people of his country. However, the money is used to buy weapons, and he decides to fight together with the revolutionary El Lobo against the corrupt president.I saw this movie many years ago, and at that time I liked it. However, I have just watched it on VHS, and now I found it a corny soap-opera. The story is a complete mess, and it is difficult to understand the motivations of the lead character. The contact of a few moments with an unknown son would be enough to change the behavior of a futile person to a revolutionary? Is the intention of the novel of the writer Harold Robbins to say that South American countries are supposed to live with successive revolutions and corrupt president and leaders? The beauty of Candice Bergman is one of the worthy parts of this forgettable movie. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): "O Mundo dos Aventureiros" ("The World of the Adventurers")

Bekim Fehmiu's acting career has not flourished in America; nor should it have. This man couldn't act his way out of a wet paper bag. He should never have been selected to play the lead in a film of this magnitude. Dax Xenos was a powerful role and he blew it badly. On another front, I was surprised at the amount of nudity in the film, given it's vintage (1970). There is also a lot of violence. The basic yarn is about an exiled playboy (Dax Xenos) from the poor Central American country of Corteguay. The country is in constant turmoil since it is run by despots. Our playboy ultimately becomes involved in a revolution. Also starring are Candice Bergen, Ernest Borgnine, Olivia DeHavilland and Leigh Taylor-Young. The story line is plausible and well-written. The rest of the cast all give decent performances. But due to the star's poor performance, I gave this film only a 4.