Rating: 
Summary: "The Great Leslie escaped with a CHICKEN??"
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Super comedy!
Review: THE GREAT RACE (1965) is an excellent movie. Interesting to make one about the early 1900's. Jack Lemmon is great in his "Professor Fate" role. Peter Falk does well as Max. This also includes Vivian Vance from I LOVE LUCY in a small role. This includes the biggest pie fight I've ever seen. This movie is more like a cartoon than a live-action film. This movie is 100% recommended. Grade: A+
Rating:
Summary: The greatest pie-throwing scene of all time!
Review: This movie is worth the price just to view the scene in the royal bakery. I won't give away the details, but it is the greatest pie-throwing scene EVER! Through 35 years of watching movies and TV, a pie-in-the-face is still a guaranteed laugh from me! Jack Lemmon steals the movie as Professor Fate, the buffoonishly-evil adversary to The Great Leslie (Tony Curtis). The movie is almost a live-action version of the Roadrunner/Coyote cartoons. At three-hours+, the movie has its slow points, but it always puts me in a good mood, and it's a "keeper" for my DVD library!
Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favorites.....
Review: The long wait is over...this great movie is finally coming to DVD!! This has to be one of the most underrated comedies ever and certainly, the late Jack Lemmon's "Professor Fate" character is arguably one of his most convincing performances. If I'd have to pick one scene from the movie that makes the entire movie worthy to buy, it's the out-of-control pie fight at the castle. Just buy this movie and watch that scene....totally worth it.
Rating:
Summary: Great Comedy
Review: The race is not the only thing great. This is a great comedy on the level of "Mad Mad World"! Great pie fight in the bakery! You gotta get this one! (Note: this refers to the VHS version. I'm still waiting for the DVD to arrive.)
Rating:
Summary: The Great Race -- it's a Winner!
Review: This has to be one of the all time classic comedies -- chock full of yocks. The Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood combination is a real treat which stands the test of time and is as fresh today as when it was first released. Set in the early 20th century, the flick concerns an ongoing competion of two dare-devils who continuously try to top the charts. Tony Curtis is 'The Great Leslie', who always wears white, is superbly competent in every thing he tries, and who's shining white teeth sparkle in the sun. Jack Lemmon portrays the dastardly 'Professor Fate', who is always trying to top (or undermine) the stunts of the Great Leslie ... and who's efforts usually wind up in a farmer's mud pond with his side kick, Max (Peter Falk). "Well, there's another one the Great Leslie can try on for size! ** collapses **" Natalie Wood is Maggie DuBois, an attractive cigar smoking suffrogette who goal in life is to free women of 'the drugery of being either servants or saints'. "Out of the laundry rooms and off the pedestals!" After a number of short skits where we are introduced to the players (and the hilarious results), the three become contestants in a vintage car race from New York to Paris via Alaska. One situation after another develops leaving us laughing as Professor Fate tries to win the race his way -- by cheating. Situations develop in the American West, Alaska, the Bering Sea, Russia, Middle Europe and finally Paris -- and the pie fight has to be on of the best I've ever seen. Timing and situation development is perfect here. The ending comes as a surprise (sort of) so I won't ruin it here -- see the movie. This film will make a great addition to your growing library and is suitable for viewing (and enjoyable) by all ages. It's not a terribly deep movie, but it is very, very entertaining as a number of plots develop at the same time. I haven't seen the DVD yet (as it's not yet released) but look forward to owning it. I do have the VHS version and am wearing it out thru use. Get it. Enjoy it. "Push the button, Max!" ** Highly Recommended ** ~P~
Rating:
Summary: Jack Lemmon steals the movie
Review: Jack Lemmon, Peter Faulk, Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis ... great stuff. Love this movie, so VHS is better than nothing. Would be greater on DVD Widescreen. I mean, this movie cries out for DVD Widescreen. With all the garbage racing off the DVD manufacturing line, one wonders what is the hold up? VHS pan & scan just does not do justice. Jack Lemmon's film work was fantastic. This performance is zanier than most of his roles, and right there with the best of his work.
Rating:
Summary: Family Favorite
Review: Our family has enjoyed this movie for over thirty years. It was our father's favorite and has become part of the family heritage. Everytime someone needs to push a button for something--someone in our family yells, "Push the button Max!" In fact, our lives are now peppered with lines from the movie. If you've ever seen a Melodrama and enjoyed boo-ing and hiss-ing the man in black while you cheer and clap for the man in white, this movie is for you. Of course it is over the top! Its supposed to be! Its hilariously funny and you don't have to worry if the kids are in the room. Buy a copy for posterity. Some rainy afternoon you'll thank me.
Rating:
Summary: The Great Race
Review: I watched this movie and I thought it was really fun.
It's about this man named Leslie (Tony Curtis),
Professor Fate (Jack Lemmon) and Maggie (Natalie Woods).
Leslie and Professor Fate have a race from New York to Paris. And Maggie who is actually a reporter also entered the race. Some parts were really funny, for eg. the pie throwing scene. It was nice to see how New York and Paris looked like long ago. I also like the twinkle in Leslie's sparkling teeth. I would definitely recommend this movie for the whole family to watch!
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best!!!
Review: While my computer was down, I watched this movie one night on TV. Know what? I enjoyed it! :)
This movie is a comedy spoof of the 1920s automobile races, where the heros wore white (like Tony Curtis did in this movie) and the villians wore black (like Jack Lemmon did), on a auto race contest from New York to Paris with pie fights, a royal
mishap, and a beautiful woman for the guys to watch (like Natalie Wood). :)
One interesting thing to me is Peter Falk, who played Max in this movie. I only knew him as "Columbo" (a detective with the tan rumpled trenchcoat on TV), but I never saw him before in any other movies, until now. Peter Falk, in this movie, was younger and he was nice looking then! :)
Of course, I LOVED Jack Lemmon in this movie, and he even played a duel role as Prof. Fate and a drunken prince! I liked his handlebar moustache by the way. :) I never knew he can act so well in both this movie and "Some Like It Hot". :)
If you get bored and needed a laugh, get this movie. :) This movie is one proof that we don't need any crass humor or violence to get belly laughs. :)
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