Movies To See@The Movie Theater Mall: 08/02/07

Director: Blake Edwards

STARS :
Jack Lemmon ... ……Professor Fate/Prince Hapnik

Tony Curtis ......... Leslie 'The Great Leslie' Gallant III

Natalie Wood ......... Maggie DuBois

Peter Falk ......... Maximillian 'Max' Meen
Keenan Wynn ……... Hezekiah Sturdy
Arthur O'Connell ......... Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance ……... Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine ……... Lily Olay

Larry Storch ... Texas Jack
Ross Martin ……... Baron Rolfe von Stuppe
George Macready ......... General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan ……... Frisbee

Hal Smith ……... Mayor of Boracho

These are what critics said about the movie:

Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.

The Blake Edwards style of slapstick and song originated with this movie. A dedication to Laurel and Hardy appears at the beginning of the film. Edwards' tribute to Stan and Ollie can be seen most clearly in the interaction between Professor Fate and his cohort Max, as well as in the operatic Pottsdorf pie fight.

As the race gets under way, Fate eliminates all the other contestants through nefarious means except for feminist Maggie Dubois. But when her car breaks down, she's forced to ride with Leslie, who has his hands full trying to avoid being obliterated by the artillery-laden Hannibal 8 that carries Fate. After getting into a brawl in the wild West and riding an ice floe across the Bering Strait to Siberia, Fate kidnaps Maggie, and the racing teams make an extended sojourn in Carpania as Edwards parodies THE PRISONER OF ZENDA. Then the dastardly Baron von Shtuppe tries to take advantage of Fate's resemblance to their ruler, Prince Hapnick, to start a revolution. This enjoyable, out-of-control spectacle, loaded with hysterical sight gags and routines from the silent comedy era, features good work from Lemmon, Martin, and Peter Falk as Fate's henchman, Max. The film was the basis for the WACKY RACES animated children's series.

But nothing is more interesting than what the "Great" Mancini and Mercer did.

The Sweetheart Tree
Words & Music by Johnny Mercer & Henry Mancini

Recorded by Henry Mancini, 1965

From the movie "The Great Race"

G7 C Em Dm7 G

They say there's a tree in the forest,

C Am7 Dm7 G

A tree that will give you a sign;

Fdim Am Em F C

Come along with me to the Sweetheart Tree,

C/B Am D7 Dm7/G G7

Come and carve your name next to mine.