The Great Race

"Bury the hatchet."
"And you know who has the hatchet."
"He doesn't have a hatchet, he doesn't even have a whole mustache"

At the turn of the 20th century, automobile races are considered passe and women are demanding equality. "The Great Leslie" (Curtis), a highly successful daredevil, proposes a way to change the first: a race from New York to Paris. The second is pushed forward by reporter, Maggie Dubois (Wood), who forces her editor to enter a car in the race (after she forces him to hire her). They are joined in the race by Leslie's arch rival, Professor Fate (Lemmon) and his assistant Max (Falk), who sabotage the other cars in the race,

"What's next?"
"Car number five, the engine falls out!"
"Car number five! Ha ha ha ha! [pause] Max... we're number five"

With everyone else out of the race, Leslie and Fate battle to stay out front, which is further complicated by Maggie, who vows to finish the race even though her car died along the way. The competitors cross paths several times: at the midwest town of Boracho to get gas and engage in a saloon hall brawl, trying to stay warm and away from the polar bears in the Alaskan wild, and trying to survive the journey across the ocean on a block of ice. As Paris draws nearer how far will they go to be named the winner?


I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it (I was 7)... While the entire film is funny and quotable, there are two standout scenes. The first occurs early in the race, in the town of Boracho. The party scene is stolen by singer Lily Olay (Provine),

"Are you a native of Boracho?"
"I ain't no native, I was born here!"

and outlaw Texas Jack (Storch), "NOWWWWW will you gimme some FIGHTIN room?!?", who turn the party into a fist fight that literally tears the room apart.

The second standout scene occurs in the fictious country of Pottsdorf. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but Pottsdorf gives Jack Lemmon a second role as the happily intoxicated Prince Hapnik (think the polar opposite of the perpetually angry Professor Fate). This section of the film also includes the great pie fight... which involves all the main characters, and is the largest pie fight on film. You can't help but laugh at the crazy antics of the characters,

[gets hit with a pie] "Mmmm... brandy! Throw more brandy! More brandy! [gets hit with a second pie] Ugh, rum! I never mix my pies"

The actors look like they are having a blast, and by the end of the scene all are covered in pie filling. Love it!

Jack Lemmon is phenomenal in both roles, giving each character a distinct laugh and mannerisms, and easily becomes a highlight. While Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood are good as well, they don't to play characters as interesting as Lemmon. Curtis is convincing as the charming and clean "Leslie" who always wears white (and doesn't get dirty) and frequently gets kissed by random women. Wood has some funny lines and moments as feminist Maggie. Peter Falk is a great as Max, and plays well off of Lemmon's Professor Fate. I can't think of anything that I don't enjoy about the film... although I do wish the scenes at the newspaper in New York were shorter (it gives the audience a chance to see how far the cars have gone). Some parts are funny, but overall you keep waiting for the action to return to the race.

Dude, it's quotable!: There are great conversations, especially anything said by Jack Lemmon's characters.
Rent it: It might not be the most popular of famous film to feature these actors/actresses (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon starred in "Some Like It Hot" six years prior to making this film), but it is a gem!

The Great Race (1965) 160 minutes
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate / Prince Hapnik
Tony Curtis as The Great Leslie
Natalie Wood as Maggie Dubois
Peter Falk as Max
Keenan Wynn as Hezekiah
Arthur O'Connell as Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance as Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine as Lily Olay
Larry Storch as Texas Jack
Ross Martin as Rolfe Von Stuppe
George Macready as General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan as Frisbee