The Great Race (1965)

Director:

Blake Edwards

Writers:

Arthur A. Ross (screenplay)
Blake Edwards (original story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 July 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Musical | Romance | Sport

Tagline:

THE GREAT LAUGH SHOW OF ALL TIME!

Plot:

Comedy about an early 20th century car race across three continents.

Plot Keywords:

Car | Race | Pie Fight | New York | Automobile

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 3 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Jack Lemmon	...	Prof. Fate
Tony Curtis	...	The Great Leslie
Natalie Wood	...	Maggie Dubois
Peter Falk	...	Max
Keenan Wynn	...	Hezekiah
Arthur O'Connell	...	Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance	...	Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine	...	Lily Olay
Larry Storch	...	Texas Jack
Ross Martin	...	Rolfe Von Stuppe
George Macready	...	General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan	...	Frisbee
Hal Smith	...	Mayor of Boracho
Denver Pyle	...	Sheriff
William Bryant	...	Baron's Guard
Ken Wales	...	Baron's Guard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Richard Alexander	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Greg Benedict	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Paul Bryar	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Robert Carson	...	Vice Chairman (uncredited)
Charles E. Fredericks	...	Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Harry Harvey	...	Executive Board Member (uncredited)
Chester Hayes	...	Man in Bear Suit (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Bob Herron	...	Palace guard (uncredited)
Clegg Hoyt	...	Man (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	...	Saloon Fight Extra (uncredited)
Patricia King	...	Woman in West (uncredited)
Frank Kreig	...	Starter (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	(uncredited)
Francis McDonald	...	Russian (uncredited)
J. Edward McKinley	...	Chairman (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	...	Saloon Fight Extra (uncredited)
Richard Mosier	...	Boy Eating Popcorn (uncredited)
Joyce Nizzari	...	Woman in West (uncredited)
Joe Palma	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Cowboy shooting gun in saloon (uncredited)
Raoul Retzer	...	Mayor-Domo (uncredited)
Hal Riddle	...	Baker (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan	...	Cowboy / Dancer (uncredited)
Maria Schroeder	...	Woman in Tobelsk (uncredited)
Charles Seel	...	Freight Agent (uncredited)
Sarah Selby	...	(uncredited)
Johnny Silver	...	Baker (uncredited)
Paul Smith	...	First Employee (uncredited)
Art Stewart	...	Bit Part (uncredited)
Frank D. Strong	...	Trombonist in marching band (uncredited)
John Truax	...	Prison Guard (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	...	Driver-Contestant in Green Car, #3 (uncredited)

Directed by
Blake Edwards

Writing credits
Arthur A. Ross		(screenplay) (as Arthur Ross)
Blake Edwards		(original story) &
Arthur A. Ross		(original story) (as Arthur Ross)

Produced by
Dick Crockett	....	associate producer (as Richard Crockett)
Martin Jurow	....	producer

Original Music by
Henry Mancini

Cinematography by
Russell Harlan		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Ralph E. Winters

Production Design by
Fernando Carrere

Art Direction by
Fernando Carrere		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
George James Hopkins

Costume Design by
Donfeld		(as Don Feld)

Makeup Department
Gordon Bau	....	makeup supervisor
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair styles creator: Miss Wood
Jean Burt Reilly	....	supervising hair stylist

Production Management
Clem Beauchamp	....	unit production manager
Chuck Hansen	....	unit production manager (as Charles Hansen)
Jack McEdward	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jack Cunningham	....	assistant director
Richard Landry	....	assistant director (as Dick Landry)
Mickey McCardle	....	assistant director

Art Department
Reg Allen	....	decorative consultant
Jack Stevens	....	decorative consultant

Sound Department
M.A. Merrick	....	sound
Treg Brown	....	sound effects editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
George Brown	....	special effects (uncredited)
Danny Lee	....	special effects (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Linwood G. Dunn	....	photographic effects (as Linwood Dunn)
James B. Gordon	....	photographic effects (as James Gordon)

Stunts
Odile Astie	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Catching	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Catron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Philip Crawford	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Dick Crockett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Howard Curtis	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Dial	....	stunt actor (uncredited)
Stephanie Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Farnsworth	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Geary	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sol Gorss	....	stunts (uncredited)
Duke Green	....	stunts (uncredited)
Johnny Hagner	....	stunts (uncredited)
Donna Hall	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hayward	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bill Hickman	....	stunts (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks	....	stunts (uncredited)
Charles Horvath	....	stunts (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Hudkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Roy Jenson	....	stunts (uncredited)
Carey Loftin	....	stunts (uncredited)
Sharon Lucas	....	stunts (uncredited)
Troy Melton	....	stunts (uncredited)
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Boyd 'Red' Morgan	....	stunts (uncredited)
Hal Needham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Regis Parton	....	stunts (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Perkins	....	stunts (uncredited)
George Robotham	....	stunts (uncredited)
Ronnie Rondell Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Wally Rose	....	stunts (uncredited)
Alex Sharp	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Sharpe	....	stunt double: Tony Curtis/Ross Martin (uncredited)
Dean Smith	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Stader	....	stunts (uncredited)
Mary Statler	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tom Steele	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jerry Summers	....	stunts (uncredited)
Helen Thurston	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Verbois	....	stunts (uncredited)
Al Wyatt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Joe Yrigoyen	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Harold E. Wellman	....	photographer: second unit (as Harold Wellman)
Richard Doran	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Michael A. Jones	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)
Robert Willoughby	....	special still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head	....	clothes: Miss Wood

Music Department
Bob Bain	....	musician: guitar (uncredited)
Vinton Vernon	....	score mixer (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer (uncredited)
Jackie Ward	....	singing voice: Natalie Wood (uncredited)
John Williams	....	musician: piano (uncredited)

Other crew
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (as Betty Abbott)
Hermes Pan	....	choreographer
Ken Wales	....	dialogue supervisor
Dean Jeffries	....	car designer (uncredited)
Ken Mundie	....	title designer (uncredited)

Thanks
Oliver Hardy	....	dedicatee (as Mr. Hardy)
Stan Laurel	....	dedicatee (as Mr. Laurel)

Production Companies

• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Patricia
• Jalem Productions
• Reynard

Distributors

• Warner Bros. Pictures (1965) (USA) (theatrical) (presents) (as WB)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1970) (USA) (TV) (pan/scan)
• Impulso Records (2009) (Spain) (DVD)
• Pioneer Entertainment (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS) (pan/scan)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood (photographic effects)

Other Companies

• DePatie-Freleng Enterprises (DFE)  titles (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Blake Edwards' The Great Race (UK) (complete title) (USA) (complete title)

Runtime:

160 min | Spain:146 min (DVD edition)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (RCA Sound System) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

South Korea:All | USA:Approved | Spain:T | Norway:7 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Canada:G | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

During the ballroom scene, Jack Lemmon's character as the crown prince can be seen dancing with one of the military officers.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The guide wire is visible on the missile following Professor Fate's car.

Quotes:

Max: Red sky. Gonna be a storm.
Professor Fate: What are you babbling about?
Max: Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning.
Professor Fate: Why, you simple-headed gherkin, do you know the chances of a storm in this part of the world at this time of the year?
Max: No, what?
Professor Fate: Hundred to one.
[a great thunderclap; it begins to pour rain]
Max: Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning!
Professor Fate: Why you idiot!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Behind the Tunes: Crash! Bang! Boom! - The Wild Sounds of Treg Brown (2004) (V)

Soundtrack:

He Shouldn't-A, Hadn't-A, Oughtn't-A Swang on Me!

Some Like It Custard

Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, memorably paired in "Some Like It Hot", tried it again in "The Great Race". Natalie Wood was a reluctant addition, with a new biography of this actress repeating her displeasure with the film and its director. Peter Falk, not yet Columbo, rounded out a globetrotting quartet chasing first prize in the 1908 New York to Paris automobile race.

Much has been made of how the script's "Prisoner of Zenda" subplot slows the action. Yet these scenes shot in Salzburg have contributed several zingers to the stock of movie quotes floating around in general circulation. Someone must have liked the "Potzdorf" episode, as "More brandy!" and "Drat!

I never mix my pies!" remain among Jack Lemmon's most cited lines.

Surviving participants in the real-life 1908 competition did not care for this trashing of their personal history. I loved it on its first release way back when, and it remains a pleasant (if long) watch on cable TV and home video.