A biopic about Robert R. Young from 1910 to 1958 during which time the scrapper from Texas battles banks, railroads, the government and depression in his crusade for modern coast-to-coast rail passenger service.

SYNOPSIS:

ROBERT YOUNG uses his wit and imagination to dominate others and is always looking for an opportunity and willing to take a chance. When his mother dies and his domineering father can’t control him, he is sent away to a military school. He’s an excellent student, but he spends more time shooting craps and playing pool. After he drops out of college and gets married, he quits a job in the family owned bank and strikes out to make it on his own.

Young moves to New York and loses everything in the stock market, but he’s a quick study and makes a fortune before the market crashes. He buys failing companies and turns them around, waging bitter battles against bankers over the C&O Railroad. Young takes his fight directly to the people with clever ad campaigns and almost always finds a way to win. The railroad tycoon, millionaire, business giant and social success has it all in spades, but he suffers from depression and is devastated by the death of his only child.

When it looks like the bankers might force Young out of railroading, he makes a bid for the Pullman Company because it fits into his plans for coast-to-coast railroad passenger service. The New York Central leads the fight to stop Young, and he wins the Central in a proxy fight. But the public is sold on cars and planes and the price of Central stock drops. Young loses his battle with depression and takes his own life. His modernization of the rail system still benefits the nation today.

Awards: Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival - Bronze, Cannes Screenplay Contest - 1st Place Capital Fund Screenplay Competition - Hot 100 (Writer Interview at https://capitalfundscreenplaycompetition.com/carol-hoffman)