Overview
A wild race across continents promises laughter and adventure at every turn.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- breezy
- family movie night
- classic comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, uneven attempt to revive classic slapstick, though its scale and occasional comic set pieces were recognized.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The New York-to-Paris automobile race unfolds across America, the Bering Strait, and Russia in an unusually long, spectacle-driven comedy.
The Great Leslie appears as a white-suited daredevil while Professor Fate is characterized by black attire and a flamboyant mustache.
Professor Fate vows to defeat Leslie in a car of his own invention during the promotional automobile race.
The plot presents turn-of-the-century automobiles as promotional novelties and inventions central to the characters' rivalry.
Films like The Great Race, and why
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines
shared oversized period adventure comedy, slapstick rivalry, and cross-country race spectacle
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
shared mid-century slapstick comedy, theatrical set pieces, and eccentric character rivalry
Around the World in 80 Days
shared lavish period comedy, romance, physical humor, and globe-spanning adventure
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
shared comic antagonists, elaborate contraptions, and playful retro-adventure tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Blake Edwards
- Release Date
- 1965-07-01
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (393)
Cast
- Jack Lemmon
- Tony Curtis
- Natalie Wood
- Peter Falk
- Keenan Wynn
- Arthur O'Connell
- Vivian Vance
- Dorothy Provine
- Larry Storch
- Ross Martin
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Great Race about?
- Rival daredevils turn a turn-of-the-century automobile race into a lavish, globe-spanning battle of slapstick invention and romantic adventure.
- What is The Great Race like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Great Race as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Great Race violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Great Race as mild.
- What did critics think of The Great Race?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an overlong, uneven attempt to revive classic slapstick, though its scale and occasional comic set pieces were recognized.
- Which films are like The Great Race?
- Films with a similar feel include Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Around the World in 80 Days, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
- How long is The Great Race?
- The Great Race runs 160 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Great Race?
- In United States, The Great Race is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
