Movie review: The Great Race

Year:1965
Director: Blake Edwards
Country: USA
Studio: WB
Run Time:160m

Stars:  Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn

Melodramatic adventure at its best! 

The Great  Race is pure melodrama in the true sense.  There's a villain, Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate, Tony Curtis is the dashing, manly hero The Great Leslie, and Natalie Wood, as Maggie Dubois, is the emancipated damsel, who won't give in to distress.  Set these characters in a colorful 1900's back drop and you have the makings of classic comedy.  From the slap stick interactions of Professor Fate and his henchman Max, effortlessly handled by Peter Falk (10 years before he hit it big with Colombo) to clever word play, it's all there.

This movie would be on my desert island list. As many times as I've seen it, it's still fresh, funny, and entertaining.
And, for me, that's saying something.  Cuz I can't really remember the first time I saw it.  This is one of those movies I must have seen for the first time when I was very young.  It's always been there for me.  It's always been a movie I was re-watching.
And I've re-watched it many times.  Staying up late on a summer night to catch it on the late show back in the days when stations left the air at the end of the programing day.  Renting it on VHS on movie nights.  Getting a copy of it on DVD.



The costumes and sets are beautiful.  The music is enjoyable.  It's funny.
It's got the largest pie fight ever staged.  How can you go wrong?
Natalie Wood is wonderful and gorgeous as Maggie Dubois.  One of my all time favorite scenes is her entrance into the film, handcuffed to the door of the men's room.  Tony Curtis is the perfect clean-cut, all American hero.  Jack Lemmon plays Prof. Fate with just the right amount of sinister panache.  Falk as the put upon Max is my favorite.  Arthur O'Connell is excellent as the hapless editor.  Vivian Vance is delightful as his suffragette wife.  Larry Storch, of F Troop fame, does a funny turn as a bandit.
When my 13 year old friend said she wanted to see an adventure comedy this was the first movie I thought of.  She stayed with me yesterday while her parents were out and about and we hung out with the animals, ate junk food, and watched movies.  It was a great day!
And I'm happy to say she enjoyed it as much as I did.  This movie holds up well.  If you're looking for a fun, clean movie for family night I would recommend The Great Race.  If you're looking to relax and have a good laugh, this is your movie.



With Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood this movie gets extra points for eye candy for all sexes.