This movie came out scarcely one month after "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines," so it would unfair to say absolutely that "The Great Race" was a complete rip-off on "Flying Machines." I will say that the two movies share a great deal of jokes, plot devices, and even some dialog. For all I know "Flying Machines" could have stolen them from "The Great Race." In any event, the jokes are funnier in "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines." "The Great Race" is about two rival daredevils, The Amazing Leslie (Tony Curtis) and Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon), who engage in an auto race from New York to Paris. Allegedly, this movie suffered huge delays and budget over-runs due to heavy partying by the cast and crew. Judging from the condition which Tony Curtis is in throughout most of the movie, I can believe it. He often stares blearily at the camera in a pose meant to be dashing, but which instead comes off as vaguely hung-over, and he reads his lines with all the verve and skill of a third-grader reciting from a history text-book.
Natalie Wood stated that she was not pleased with her performance in this movie, and I'd say she was justified. Her character is grating, and too frenetic.
Jack Lemmon is actually pretty good as Professor Fate, the villain of the piece. He portrays a stereotypically cartoony bad-guy, but he does it well, and you can tell that he is having fun with the part. The only problem is that the rest of the movie is so flat and lifeless, he never gets any situations to react to that are as fun as his character.
Another movie that "The Great Race" borrows heavily from is "Around the World in Eighty Days," using the automobile race as an excuse to show a variety of exotic locations (filmed in glorious Panavision), and trot out special guest stars. The trouble is, Blake Edwards, as director, fails to capture anything special in the exotic locales, and the guest stars also fall well short of the mark. To put things in perspective, one of the guest stars in Larry Storch. When one of your big guns in Agarn, from "F-Troop," your production is in trouble.
Its not really a bad movie, its just a poorly acted movie that isn't nearly as funny as it thinks it is. Its definitely a distant second to "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines." Hanna-Barbera based their short-lived cartoon "Wacky Races" on this movie. The cartoon was more enjoyable.
Natalie Wood stated that she was not pleased with her performance in this movie, and I'd say she was justified. Her character is grating, and too frenetic.
Jack Lemmon is actually pretty good as Professor Fate, the villain of the piece. He portrays a stereotypically cartoony bad-guy, but he does it well, and you can tell that he is having fun with the part. The only problem is that the rest of the movie is so flat and lifeless, he never gets any situations to react to that are as fun as his character.
Another movie that "The Great Race" borrows heavily from is "Around the World in Eighty Days," using the automobile race as an excuse to show a variety of exotic locations (filmed in glorious Panavision), and trot out special guest stars. The trouble is, Blake Edwards, as director, fails to capture anything special in the exotic locales, and the guest stars also fall well short of the mark. To put things in perspective, one of the guest stars in Larry Storch. When one of your big guns in Agarn, from "F-Troop," your production is in trouble.
Its not really a bad movie, its just a poorly acted movie that isn't nearly as funny as it thinks it is. Its definitely a distant second to "Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines." Hanna-Barbera based their short-lived cartoon "Wacky Races" on this movie. The cartoon was more enjoyable.