In the early 20th century, two rivals, the heroic Leslie and the despicable Professor Fate, engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.In the early 20th century, two rivals, the heroic Leslie and the despicable Professor Fate, engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.In the early 20th century, two rivals, the heroic Leslie and the despicable Professor Fate, engage in an epic automobile race from New York to Paris.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 14 nominations total
- Baron's Guard
- (as Bill Bryant)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
- Barfly
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe pie fight scene lasts four minutes and was shot in five days. It is the longest pie fight sequence in movie history. At first, the cast had fun filming the pie fight scene, but eventually the process grew wearisome and dangerous. Natalie Wood choked briefly on a pie which hit her open mouth. Jack Lemmon got knocked out a few times: "a pie hitting you in the face feels like a ton of cement". At the end of shooting the fight, when Blake Edwards called "Cut!" he was barraged with several hundred pies that members of the cast had hidden, waiting for that moment.
- GoofsSet in 1908, TV antennae visible on the Eiffel Tower.
- Quotes
[On a melting iceberg]
Leslie: [measures the base] 37 inches to go.
Fate: Oh, 37 inches to go. Huzzah! At the rate we've been melting, that's good for about one more week!
Leslie: You'd better keep it to yourself.
Fate: Oh, of course I'll keep it to myself.
[Leslie walks away]
Fate: [muttering] Until the water reaches my lower lip, and then I'm gonna mention it to SOMEBODY!
- Crazy creditsJack Lemmon is only credited as Professor Fate and not for his second role as Crown Prince Hapnik.
- Alternate versionsThe Great Race has been re-released in France in 1996. However, after the race starts, all scenes involving people from the newspaper in New York have been cut. The French authorities or distributors took them as a mockery of the French suffragette's, feminist's and women's lib movements.
- ConnectionsEdited into Lo schermo a tre punte (1995)
- SoundtracksThe Sweetheart Tree
Words by Johnny Mercer
Music by Henry Mancini
Performed by Natalie Wood (dubbed by Jackie Ward) (uncredited)
Robert Bain guitar accompanist (uncredited)
They don't make this kind of simple comedy devoid of crudity any longer. That's what makes a film like "The Great Race" something to keep coming back to and enjoying again and again.
- Eric-62-2
- Sep 4, 1999
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Blake Edwards' The Great Race
- Filming locations
- Anif Palace, Anif, Salzburg, Austria(Baron von Stuppe's castle)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $12,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime2 hours 40 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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