❝The Great Race❞

MOVIE REVIEW OF ❝The Great Race❞ (1965) NO RATING

Cast
Director:	blake edwards	Runtime: 2 hrs 40 min (160 min)
professor fate/ crown prince frederick hapnick	.....	jack lemmon
the great leslie	.....	tony curtis
maggie dubois	.....	natalie wood
maximilian meen	.....	peter falk
hezekiah sturdy	.....	keenan wynn
henry goodbody	.....	arthur o'Connell
hester goodbody	.....	vivian vance
lily olay	.....	dorothy provine
texas jack	.....	larry storch
baron rolfe von stuppe	.....	ross martin
general kuhster	.....	george macready
frisbee	.....	marvin kaplan
mayor of boracho	.....	hal smith
sheriff	.....	denver pyle
baron's guard #1	.....	william bryant
baron's guard #2	.....	ken wales

Uncredited
barflies	.....	victor adamson
	.....	frank ellis
	.....	joe ferrante
	.....	silver harr
	.....	al haskell
	.....	rod mcGaughy
	.....	robert robinson
	.....	danny sands
	.....	tom smith
	.....	max wagner
1st man in saloon	.....	richard alexander
2nd man in saloon	.....	clegg hoyt
saloon brawlers	.....	bill catching
	.....	sol gorss
	.....	chuck hicks
	.....	roy jenson
	.....	boyd ‘red’ morgan
	.....	hal needham
	.....	gil perkins
	.....	alex sharp
soldier #1	.....	greg benedict
soldier #2	.....	chuck hayward
townsman #1	.....	bill borzage
townsman #2	.....	kenner g. kemp
townsman #3	.....	philo mcCullough
townsman #4	.....	bert stevens
townswoman	.....	sarah selby
policeman	.....	paul bryar
vice chairman	.....	robert carson
master of ceremonies	.....	charles fredericks
executive board member	.....	harry harvey
man in bear suit	.....	chester hayes
palace guard	.....	bob herron
texas jack's henchman/ baker in pie fight	.....	charles horvath
1st woman in west	.....	patricia king
2nd woman in west	.....	joyce nizzart
starter	.....	frank kreig
bettor	.....	mike lally
russian	.....	francis mcDonald
chairman	.....	j. edward mcKinley
reporter	.....	king mojave
boy eating popcorn	.....	richard mosier
conductor	.....	joe palma
cowboy shooting gun in saloon	.....	harvey parry
texas jack henchman	.....	jack perkins
mayor-Domo	.....	raoul retzer
baker #1	.....	hal riddle
baker #2	.....	johnny silver
cowboy/ dancer	.....	christopher riordan
woman in tobelsk	.....	maria schroeder
auto worker	.....	jerry schumacher
freight agent	.....	charles seel
first employee	.....	paul smith
bishop at coronation	.....	robert r. stephenson
trombonist in marching band	.....	frank d. strong
prison guard	.....	john traux
driver-Contestant in green car, #3	.....	dale van sickel
unknown	.....	art stewart

WARNING: THE NEXT SECTIONS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS…

WHAT I KNOW

In order to summarize this movie, I'd have to describe several other movies in their entirety.That is what The Great Race is in itself. Is it possible to make a parody of a parody? This comes darn close.

You can start with Around the World in Eighty Days (1956)…not funny, but that comes later. Now add It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). There's the ‘funny.’ Then we need some more generic GRS stereotypes such as the literal and conspicuous twinkle in the eye of the dashing hero in the perpetually clean white suit; and the villain dressed in black with the maniacal laugh and the cynically twirlable evil moustache; you know, the one often spotted standing next to the beautiful lady who is tied to the train tracks. We throw in the inevitable Stan Laurel-type ‘Egor’ sidekick, only this one's from New Jersey, and they call him ‘Max.’

The parallels wouldn't be complete, of course, without the ‘princess’ element. So, that's there, too, but she is hardly in distress.

A little more specific to this movie…On the one hand, The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) makes a living as a daredevil-type stuntman during the beginning of the 20^th century. He is popular, always succeeds, and is 100% good-guy.

On the other hand, Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and his sidekick Max (pre-Columbo Peter Falk). Fate is the over-the-top evil villain (is there any other kind?) who is despised, never succeeds, and is 100% evil. Max is his assistant who is often more on top of things and aware, though this is questionable as well.

Leslieis to endorse a car for a major automobile maker, and Fate sees this as opportunity to discredit him and put himself in the limelight.

The race is on…literally. The challenge is a car race from New York, west to Paris. Leslie is to drive the ‘Leslie Special’, while Fate uses his own custom-designed ‘Hannibal Twin 8’ All along their journey of follies, they are accompanied by suffragette reporter Maggie DuBois (Natalie Wood), who proves to be invasive and determined, but also apparently needed by the men.

WHAT I THINK

I consider this one of those movies where you never watch it because you've literally forgotten just how funny it actually is. (I've also said this about Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory(1971).) The cast (although not all original choices–see‘trivia’ below) is perfect. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play evil and good-guy like they were born to do just this one thing. Peter Falk doesn't let in too much of a hint of his later role as the lieutenant without a first name, but that just makes Max better and funnier. Natalie Wood's character is so irritating and nerve-wracking, you just want to throw her overboard…until you realize that…she's right! Superb performances by all.

I especially enjoyed the many special appearances by those such as Larry Storch and Denver Pyle. There's even a special appearance by the one and only Jack Lemmon! (Yes, you read it right, and I did not make a mistake.)

You would think (as I did) that a movie such as this, that I praise so highly, and being one with an actor such as Jack Lemmon, would warrant an entire website full of quotable dialogue…I found that not quite the case. Now wait…it's not that the dialogue is not worth quoting…it's more of the idea that there isn't enough dialogue to quote! A majority of the humor in this movie comes in the form of sight gags and physical phunny stuph! Not to worry, though, what is there to be exploited has been listed below.

A trait also brought forward from other successful ‘villain vs. good-guy’ movies, many of which are not intended at the time of production to be funny, was the hat of the villain, in this case, Professor Fate. Unless he does it himself, his hat NEVER falls off! Even as he slips off the tediously floating disc of ice into a chilly ocean, the top hat of Professor Fate remains firmy atop his crown!

Almost finally,I urge you to take note of the notes. Yes, the music in The Great Race is worth NOTEing, not just as good accompaniment to a great comedy, either. Parts of the music that are meant as background are composed to contribute to the feeling of the silent-movie era when vaudeville was all the rage.

Now, as that was ‘almost finally,’ I arrive here at ‘finally.’ Just one observation of mine to which you may or may not agree (let me know below). When the racers stop in the town of Boracho, the ‘Woman-in-the-Moon’ sure reminds me of Martha Raye! Ya' think? (It's not, though.)🙍

MEMORABLE DIALOGUE & NOTABLE ENCOUNTERS

Finally, a short list of quotes and verbal exchanges I think are worth repeating.
You may recognize some if you've seen the movie, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• professor fate : Push the button, Max!
• maggie duBois : Since it is my job as a reporter to be there when the first car crosses the finish line, it will be necessary for me to win.
• fate : Genius, Max! Positive genius. What's next?
  max : Car number five, the engine falls out.
  fate : [evil laugh] Car number five [evil laugh]…[stops laughing]…Max…we're number five.
• leslie : Are you a native of Boracho?
  lily olay : I ain't no native, I was born here!
• lily : I say…I gotta go up an' git on that thar moon again.
• fate : Bury the hatchet.
  leslie : And you know who has the hatchet.
  max : He doesn't have a hatchet. I promise you. He doesn't even have a whole moustache. Now why can't we settle this whole thing underneath the blanket?
• max : C'mon Professor, rise and shine.
  fate : Rise and shine?!
  max : It's 7:30.
  fate : Then you rise, you shine.
  max : He's always like this in the morning.
  fate : I'm not always like this in the morning. This particular morning I happen to be seasick.
  maggie : Too much champagne.
  fate : I'm not sick from champagne, I'm sick from the sea.
• fate : Why you thimble-headed gherkin.
• leslie :[measuring thickness of the iceberg on which they are floating] Another foot.
  fate : Another foot. Ahhh.
  leslie : Thirty-seven inches to go.
  fate : Ah. Thirty-seven inches to go. Ha-zaaa. At the rate we've been melting that's good for about one more week.
  leslie : You'd better keep it to yourself.
  fate : Oh. Of course I'll keep it to myself…until the water reaches my lower lip. And then I'm gonna mention it to SOMEBODY!
• max : How long does it take to open a can of beans?
  fate : The eternal struggle takes time, Max.
  max : What struggle? She's got a can opener.
  fate : You cork-brain, I'm talking about man-woman, sex, conquest.
• max : Eh, Professor. Up an' at 'em.
  fate : Up an' at 'em?!
  max : It's 7:30. Up an' at 'em.
  fate : Up an' at 'em?!
  maggie : Don't yell.
  max : He always yells like that in the morning.
  fate : You idiot! [mocking Max] Eh, Professor, up an' at 'em! Max. Eh, Professor, up an' at 'em!…It's 7:30.
• fate : Push the button, Max!
• max : You give 'em beads. That makes 'em friendly.
  fate : Obviously, they don't know who I am. [stands up an shouts] I am Professor Fate!
  [Silence…Fate sits back down]
  max : You wanna try the beads?
• fate : Escaped?!
  kuhster : With a small friar.
  fate : Leslie escaped with a chicken?
• max : Here comes the Marines!
• baron :[standing by the window] As a very wise English gentleman once said: ‘He who fights and runs away may live to fight another day.’ So, until another day, Mister Leslie [throws his foil at Leslie]. Please excuse me…I have a boat waiting. [Jumps out the window to a rowboat waiting below. The boat crashes apart upon impact, and the Baron is left floating in the moat below] [Yes, this is more of a sight gag than a quote, but I just couldn't ignore it…I warned you!]
• hapnick :[taking a bite of pie off of his face] Brandy!…[drunken laughter]Throw more Brandy! Throw Brandy! More Brandy! Brandy! Throw more Brandy! [another pie hits him in the face]…mmm…Rum…I never mix my pies! [more laughter]
• hapnick : More pies! More pies! Baker! More pies!

And of course…

• fate : Push the button, Max!

TRIVIA

Here is some interesting trivia from this movie⇒

• Note that the cars entering the race are all built with a right-hand drive system! That's not very American!
• Here's something to keep you up at night: Charlton Heston was originally offered the part of ‘The Great Leslie’! If that had happened, we wouldn't be having this conversation!BACK TO CRITIQUE
• Natalie Wood's voice was dubbed by Jackie Ward for her performance of The Sweetheart Tree.
• In exempli of the versatile acting talent of Jack Lemmon, I refer you to the part of this movie where he plays the drunken Hapnick. He is very funny as the swaveling (I just made that word up) drunk character who runs the country. Compare this to the character he portrayed in Days of Wine and Roses. He plays a drunk in that movie, too, but a completely different kind with a completely different attitude and character. Both performed with perfection.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.

¹⁰/₁₀

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