The Great Race
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Movie Reviews of The Great Race
Movie Review: the lavish classic comes to DVD!
Summary: 5 Stars
THE GREAT RACE is a lavishly-filmed comedy on the grandest scale. Director Blake Edwards' unmistakeable touch is all over this sprawling comedy about a long-winded race from New York to Paris, and is highlighted by Henry Mancini's delightful score.The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) challenge each other to win 'the great race', a foolish flight of fancy that will take them through the Wild West, fighting off polar bears in the Artic and thwarting Royal imposters in Europe.
Coming along for the ride is feisty sufragette Maggie DuBois (Natalie Wood at her loveliest), and Fate's dimwitted assistant Max (Peter Falk). Watch the hopeless quartet as they attempt to win the greatest race of the century - with hilarious results!
Featuring Vivian Vance and Dorothy Provine (as the sexy saloon singer Lily Olay). Henry Mancini's score includes "The Sweetheart Tree" and "He Shouldn't-a, Hadn't-a, Oughn't-a Swang on Me".
The DVD presents the film in a wonderfully clean print, in its 2:35:1 cinema ratio, complete with the Overture, Intermission and Exit Music sequences. The soundtrack has been newly-remastered in dynamic 5.1 from the original session tapes.
The DVD also includes a Making-of featurette and the trailer. (Single-sided, dual-layer disc).
Movie Review: "The Great Leslie escaped with a CHICKEN??"
Summary: 5 Stars
Jack Lemmon made many other, and better, movies. He even managed to be funnier in some of them. But no other movie gave him as much freedom to go so madly, joyously, deliriously over the top - and not just in one role, but two. The structure of this Blake Edwards celebration of slapstick gives the actors plenty of breathing room, and no one breathes more deeply than Lemmon. Whether chortling Dr. Fate's signature line ("PUSSSHH ... the button, Max!"), looking down in cross-eyed vexation after Peter Falk removes half his mustache, blowing chicken feathers out of his mouth in dizzy triumph moments before he falls flat on his face, pontificating in the most ridiculous Scots burr since James Finlayson read the riot act to Laurel & Hardy, hanging onto a flagpole above a New York city street and cackling with mad abandon, mincing around as a bibulous fey potentate, or just mugging with his trademark gesture - chin down, put-upon grimace on his face, brow cocked, lids at half-mast, eyes staring disgustedly up at an angle - Jack Lemmon is protean: a one-man traveling carnival of comic invention. Is it broad? Absolutely. Subtle? Not much. Funny? No one funnier. This was the first Jack Lemmon movie I ever saw, around the age of 11; I thought he was the cat's meow. I still do.Movie Review: Hooray For Fate!
Summary: 5 Stars
This flick originally hit the streets about the same time as Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines. A local critic here in Minneapolis compared Race with Magnificent Men in a somewhat unfavorable vein. One evening I found myself casting about for a movie to see and found nothing more interesting than The Great Race available; I went in with that review somewhat souring my attitude. When I left the theatre almost 3 hours later my ribs literally ached from having laughed so hard and often. All I can ask today is, "So who watches Those Magnificent Men . . . once or twice a month?" A few years back I got the VHS and introduced my then 5 year old daughter to The Great Leslie, Maggie DuBois, Professor Fate, and Max. She laughed about as much I had the first time and the pie fight nearly finished her off. Recently my 3-year-old son saw it for the first time and watched enraptured. Now he understands "Push the button, Max."-Before this he'd always respond with "I'm not Max!"
One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned in any other reviews is the uncanny impression of Richard Nixon that Jack Lemon seems to be doing in his portrayal of Professor Fate--and this before we got to see [him] at his best during his presidential reign.
Movie Review: Buy this film!
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Great Race" is one of my absolute favorites. I've watched this movie probably a hundred times and it never fails to make me laugh. How can you not enjoy a Blake Edwards film with a cast including Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Peter Falk, Natalie Wood, Larry Storch and Denver Pyle?
Tony Curtis plays "The Great Leslie," a daredevil who escapes every stunt unscathed. His foe, played magnificantly by Jack Lemmon, is "Professor Fate," also a daredevil, but always plagued by misfortune. They embark on a race around the world (New York to Paris) accompanied by their assistants (Peter Falk and Keenan Wynn) and a beautiful female reporter played by Natalie Wood.
Watch for the fabulous costumes that Natalie Wood wears. In particular, the endless selection of furs that she wears during the winter scenes in Alaska. This film also includes one of the greatest pie fights ever filmed. You can only imagine how many times they had to stop shooting to allow Tony Curtis to change into clean clothes.
"The Great Race" is a masterpiece that all should see at least once. I'd be willing to bet that if you watch it once, you'll watch it again and again.
Movie Review: Great Race DVD -It's about time!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been waiting for this movie to come out on DVD. I've even written to Blake Edwards asking, "What is the hold up?"Get ready, citizens of Boracho! Finally it's coming out!
Every time I saw Jack Lemmon in interviews I was always curious and disappointed that 'The Great Race' was never mentioned among his favorite films. Of course he made many other wonderful classic movies and I enjoyed his performance in all of them...but 'The Great Race' has been my favorite comedy for a long time. I practically can recite it along with the characters. I enjoyed some of the other reviewer's (here) favorite lines from the movie. They are my favorites too.
If you haven't seen this movie or if you haven't seen it in a long time...do yourself a favor and grab it. The laughs never stop. The casting is perfect...Tony Curtis with Keenan Wynn as his sidekick...Jack Lemmon with Peter Falk as his...Natalie Wood...Ross Martin...Vivian Vance...Larry Storch ("Now will you give me some fightin' room?!")...and many others. It doesn't get any better or funnier than this.
Hurray for the DVD. Believe me, you'll enjoy it.