The Great Race (1965)

In the early 20th century, two rivals, the heroic Leslie and the despicable Professor Fate, engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Arthur A. Ross (screenplay) (as Arthur Ross), Blake Edwards (original story)

Stars:

Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 14 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jack Lemmon	...	Professor Fate / Crown Prince Frederick Hoepnick
Tony Curtis	...	The Great Leslie
Natalie Wood	...	Maggie Dubois
Peter Falk	...	Maximilian Meen
Keenan Wynn	...	Hezekiah Sturdy
Arthur O'Connell	...	Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance	...	Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine	...	Lily Olay
Larry Storch	...	Texas Jack
Ross Martin	...	Baron Rolfe Von Stuppe
George Macready	...	General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan	...	Frisbee
Hal Smith	...	Mayor of Boracho
Denver Pyle	...	Sheriff of Boracho
William Bryant	...	Baron's Guard (as Bill Bryant)

Storyline

Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.

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Plot Keywords:

race | car | newspaper | new york | reporter | 

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Taglines:

TOTAL LAUGHTER! The funniest motion picture ever made...about the most remarkable auto race ever!

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Romance | Sport | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

Though not specifically stated, this movie takes place between 1901-1909. This was the period Theodore Roosevelt held presidency which in turn is hinted at by Maggie Dubois during her capture in the Potsdorf dungeons.

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Goofs

In the scene on the beach in the tent when Leslie and Maggie DuBois drink champagne, Leslie puts on a phonograph record of "The Desert Song." The film is set in about 1908; "The Desert Song" did not premiere until 1926.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Master of Ceremonies: [addressing the crowd] Ladies and gentlemen, you are about to witness the most spectacular feat ever attempted by the greatest daredevil in the world: The Great Leslie!
[the crowd cheers]
Master of Ceremonies: He will be strapped in a straightjacket before your very eyes and lifted up into the clouds where eagles soar and no sparrow dares to venture!
[the crowd murmurs]

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Bros logo, opening credits, intermission and closing credits all appear in the form of a magic lantern slideshow (an early form of cinema), with each credit having a custom slide.

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Alternate Versions

The Great Race was licensed for showing in the Soviet Union in 1965. However, the whole episode where the race is going through Russia was cut. The Soviet authorities took it as a mockery of the 1908 Russian people.

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Connections

Referenced in Reba: The Great Race (2003)

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Soundtracks

Big Night Tonight
(uncredited)
Sung by the girls in the saloon

User Reviews

The Greatest Epic Comedy

Although "It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" was the first comedy to get the epic film treatment, "The Great Race" is in my opinion the best epic comedy. It's just a much funnier film with so many laughs in its first half that the more serious part dealing with the palace intrigues and the straight sword fight acts more as a breather for the viewer before it revs up again with the funniest pie fight of all time and the smashing (literally) finale. Jack Lemmon shows why he was probably the most versatile comic actor of the 50-60s next to Peter Sellers (this is a long ways from the Lemmon of "The Apartment" or "Irma La Douce"!). Peter Falk, a decade before "Columbo" is hysterical too, while Natalie Wood never looked more sexy (except for the last part of "Gypsy") than she does here.

They don't make this kind of simple comedy devoid of crudity any longer. That's what makes a film like "The Great Race" something to keep coming back to and enjoying again and again.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 December 1965 (USA)

Also Known As:

Blake Edwards' The Great Race

Filming Locations:

Salzburg Cathedral, Salzburg, Austria

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Patricia, Jalem Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

160 min 146 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound System) 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1