The Great Race (1965)

In a tribute to films of a bygone era, Director Blake Edwards pays homage to silent film farces of the 1920's - even dedicating this film to "Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy" - with the slapstick comedy THE GREAT RACE - and succeeds, mostly.Reteaming Tony Curtis (as the brave, virtuous and good "The Great Leslie") and Jack Lemmon (as the sinister, dastardly and evil "Professor Fate"), The Great Race is great fun watching these two cartoon characters spar and parry with each other throughout the course of this 2 hour and 40 minute farce.Lemmon, in particular, relishes in dual roles as the menacing Fate, always dressed in black, twirling his mustache and coming up with scheme after scheme to derail Leslie (think the Coyote in the RoadRunner cartoons). His overacting and hammyness in the character is perfect for the tone that this film has set. And his maniacal laugh is one to remember - unless you are remembering the childlike guffaws of the other character Lemmon portrays, the doppelganger of Fate, Crown Prince Frederick. Both these characters are fun to watch and Fate, especially, plays well against his bumbling assistant and foil, "Max", played in utter buffoonishness by the great Peter Falk.Joining Curtis for the "good guys" is Natalie Wood as Suffragette and Newspaper Reporter Maggie DuBois (obviously tailored after real life Suffragette and Newspaper Reporter Nellie Bly). It is said that Curtis and Wood did not get along on set (they had worked together in 2 other films and grew to dislike each other), but their on-screen chemistry cannot be ignored and they are fun together. As is the great Keenan Wynn as Leslie's mechanic and friend Hezekiah Sturdy.But it is not the characters that makes this film go it is the set pieces and frenetic pacing that Director Edwards put before us. From thrilling chase scenes to a Western barroom brawl, to a trip through a blizzard with a polar bear to the "largest pie fight ever put on screen", this film delivers the goods in a wholesome, 1960's way that makes me truly say..."They don't make 'em like this anymore".8 out 10 stars and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)

I love slapstick. Laurel and Hardy and Inspector Clouseau. My wife cannot stand either but will tolerate some Stan and Ollie on occasion so here I have a personal note. I am a 10 year old fan of this film, saw it in 1965 and in later years since. BluRay now. Such is time. Now at the age of 61, I watch it with my wife every September 11 as I am also a survivor of the South Tower, 101st floor, so my hand is on the selection button for that night. I enjoy it immensely - Fate under the Curtiss pusher, the torpedo, race, the saloon fight and all. Right back to Laurel and Hardy in WAY OUT WEST. So here is a personal note for me here for this group - it has flaws but immensely entertaining. Watch it, laugh and enjoy fine performances from a time long ago.

Directed by Blake Edwards THE GREAT RACE is a comic movie that is interesting & entertaining but makes little or no sense whatsoever. The car race ostensibly sets out from Paris to New York but manages to meander just about everywhere including somewhere near the South Pole where a polar bear jumps into a car. Along the way we encounter Cossack soldiers, a monastery & God knows what else, (but not a nunnery!) There are some very entertaining cameo appearances the best of which, for my money, was Dorothy Provine playing saloon singer Lily Olay singing a song called, "They Shouldn'ta Hadn'ta Ought'na Swang On Me". The movie is chock-full of slapstick humour & towards the end features a multi-coloured custard pie fight in which the number of people involved & the number of custard pies thrown in people's faces is absolutely astounding. The main characters are played by Jack Lemmon & his sidekick Peter Falk (aka Columbo),Tony Curtis & Natalie Wood. Jack Lemmon was always great to watch & the other three principal stars are also excellent. As I say it is definitely worth watching but this is altogether a crazy movie.

An international road race centres around white-clad goodie The Great Leslie and black-clad baddie Professor Fate.Appearing very soon after the similar Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines (the two films must have been in production at the same time, what a coincidence, eh?), The Great Race is to my mind the more enjoyable movie.Tony Curtis' Leslie has just enough twinkle (in Curtis' performance, as well as animated) to avoid being insufferable, and Jack Lemmon's Professor Fate, clearly the inspiration for Wacky Races' Dick Dastardly, is hysterical (Peter Falk as henchman Maximilian is every bit as funny). Natalie Wood was never more gorgeous. Professor Fate's car is wonderful, the movie is packed full of gags and, as is well known, the film contains the best custard fight sequence of all time - never subsequently equalled - during the Prisoner Of Zenda spoof.