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)
