1965, Film: “The Great Race”

The American comedy "The Great Race" is released on 1 July 1965. The film, written and directed by Blake Edwards, stars Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk. The music was written by Henry Mancini.

Edwards based the film loosely on the 1908 New York to Paris Race. As an admirer of silent comedy films he dedicated "The Great Race" to the comedians Stan Laurel (1890–1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892–1957). The film included several silent era visual gags, slapstick, double entendres, and absurdities.

Tony Curtis as "The Great Leslie"

Jack Lemmon as Prince Friedrich Hapnick

Natalie Wood as Maggie DuBois

Synopsis

The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) are two daredevils at the turn of the 20th century. Leslie, a classic hero, is always dressed in white. He is handsome, courteous, talented and very successful. Fate, a melodramatic villain, is usually dressed in black with a top hat. His great plans are always doomed to fail. Leslie proposes an automobile race from New York to Paris. The Webber Motor Car Company builds a new car for Leslie named "The Leslie Special". Professor Fate builds his own vehicle, the "Hannibal Twin-8", with several hidden devices of sabotage. Other cars enter the race, including a New York City's newspaper car driven by the beautiful journalist Maggie DuBois (Natalie Wood)...

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood and Keenan Wynn

Awards

• Academy Awards, USA: Oscar for Best Effects, Sound Effects: Treg Brown (1966)
• Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA: Golden Reel Award for Best Sound Editing (tie “With Von Ryan's Express” (1966)

Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood and Jack Lemmon

Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis

Keenan Wynn, Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis

Main Cast

• Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Prince Friedrich Hapnick
• Tony Curtis as Leslie Gallant III ("The Great Leslie")
• Natalie Wood as Maggie DuBois
• Peter Falk as Maximillian "Max" Meen
• Keenan Wynn as Hezekiah Sturdy
• Arthur O'Connell as Henry Goodbody
• Vivian Vance as Hester Goodbody
• Dorothy Provine as Lily Olay
• Larry Storch as Texas Jack
• Ross Martin as Baron Rolfe von Stuppe
• Hal Smith as Mayor of Boracho
• Denver Pyle as Sheriff of Boracho
• Marvin Kaplan as Frisbee
• George Macready as General Kuhster

Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood

Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk and Hal Smith

Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk

Natalie Wood

Trivia

• The film features the largest pie fight ever staged, with a running gag that The Great Leslie remains clean while everyone else is covered in pie. It was filmed over five days and 4000 real pies were used.
• When Prof. Fate, Max and Maggie DuBois drive into the Russian town, Maggie speaks a full sentence to the townspeople in Russian. Natalie Wood was of Russian descent and spoke fluent Russian. 
• Six "Hannibal Twin-8" were built powered by a Chevrolet Corvair six-cylinder engine. "The Leslie Special" was designed and built by the studio, Warner Brothers, using parts from several cars. Four cars were build

Natalie Wood

Natalie Wood

 
"The Great Race" Trailer (1965)