Antonius Block
I just love this movie. I've seen it many times over my life, and it never gets old. The contrast between squeaky-clean Tony Curtis and dastardly Jack Lemmon is wonderful, and Lemmon in particular delivers a hilarious performance, both in his main role as Professor Fate, as well as the Crown Prince of Pottsdorf later in the movie. The laughs and mannerisms of both characters are memorable. The scene in the Arctic snowstorm always cracks me up, Fate's mustache being snapped off by his henchman (Peter Falk, who's also great), and him showing he's not exactly a 'morning person' when he's asked to 'rise and shine'. Professor Fate is so bothered by everything that he'll even snarl at cute little pugs in a lavish bed. Natalie Wood is in a deceptively tricky role, needing at the same time to be funny, serious as a suffragette, and secretly attracted to Curtis as a love interest – and she absolutely shines. She's also incredibly beautiful, simply a dream, as always. The 'big' moments of slapstick in the film are done very well, including an epic pie fight and barroom brawl, but there are also a large number of 'small' moments – little lines of dialogue, inflections, and facial expressions – that keep me smiling throughout, even when I know it's silliness that would appeal to children. The film is 160 minutes but Director Blake Edwards keeps it lively, and it never drags. Great film.
SnoopyStyle
It's the turn of the century America. The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) are competing daredevils performing for the crowds. The Great Leslie convinces the new car-makers to sponsor a race from New York to Paris. Maggie DuBois (Natalie Wood) is a suffragette. Maximilian Meen (Peter Falk) is Fate's assistant. These and many others set off westward towards the Bering Strait and Russia in their automobiles.Director Blake Edwards tries his hand at a road race movie. A few of these comedies got made during this era. It's got some slapstick but it's not that funny. The characters tend to be very wacky especially Jack Lemmon. The production is big and no expense is spared. Despite its pedigree, I do not find enough laughs in this screwball comedy.
Joseph Kearny
Blake Edwards has one of the most overblown reputations among critics and film buffs, and this lavishly produced, star and cameo studded, box office smash is long, loud and tedious. Seemingly inspired by the success of Kramer's It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963), The Great Race, 2 hours and 40 minutes long, is a seemingly endless series of elaborate set pieces populated by annoying characters played by Curtis, Wood, Lemon and Falk who are one-note and overbearing. Since the outcome of the race doesn't matter, the race lacks any excitement; there's no one to root for and it becomes sidetracked with songs and an elaborate pie throwing fight while all of the other participants in the race apparently fall off the map. Edwards' films The Days of Wine and Roses, Experiment in Terror, S.O.B. and Ten are all over rated and Darling Lili like The Great Race is almost impossible to underrate. Breakfast at Tiffany's is probably his best film even though it turns sentimental in the last third.
Hitchcoc
Some of the hottest stars of 1965 combine to produce a wonderful, comedic adventure movie in the tradition of "Around the World in Eighty Days" and "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World." Jack Lemmon is at his very best as Professor Fate, who tries to stop the irrepressible Tony Curtis (he of the sparkling teeth, the ultimate goody-two-shoes). Throw in Natalie Wood and a lot of incredible cliffhanging events, good versus evil, and you have an adventure that surpasses the aforementioned pair of movies. In this one the chemistry is excellent. While it is ridiculously outrageous, we are quickly taken into the realm of the film and it never lets up for a minute. It hearkens to the classic melodrama. At times I thought that while the sixties were one of the most explosive times in history, the movie industry was pretty sterile, especially when it came to the comedy. This one needs to be seen.
AD
