The Great Race Leaps to My #1 Spot!

I was sitting in an empty Chicago apartment not long ago, when my Friday night was transformed once a friend had let me borrow The Great Race. The very moment it started playing in my VCR there was that magic that happens with certain movies. I knew this was a quality film and sat back to enjoy the ride.

The characters (always an integral part) in the movie are priceless and simply unforgettable. 'The Great Leslie' played by Tony Curtis is the sort of super hero every girl hopes to meet and every guy aspires to be. Natalie Wood is stunning as always and quite comfortable in her role as an assiduous woman reporter (Maggie DuBois) determined to be accepted in her profession often going to great lengths to prove to her society that women could work in the same jobs as men. Jack Lemmon and Peter Faulk (Professor Fate and his partner Max) as the odd duo also go to great lengths to try and humiliate 'The Great Leslie' and win over his stature. What they don't understand, is what Leslie posses is not something that can be won, unlike the frantic international race these characters get themselves into.

The race is supposed to be from New York to Paris, a journey that would prove to be extremely difficult, even today. Professor fate enters the race to challenge Leslie with a few tricks not only up his sleeve, but the sleeve of his friend Max as well. Leslie enters the race as the favorite of the audience, and Maggie enters just to cover it as part of her mission as a woman reporter.

What happens during the coarse of the race cannot be described in any word, paragraph, or page. It is why a picture is worth a thousand words. It is also something that shouldn't really be summed up in words but rather be watched as it was originally intended to be taken in.

I will add that Henry Mancini delivered a mesmerizing score for the film that only highlights the story's messages and brightens the mood. The original songs are even more powerful and the performances (Natalie Wood) are breathtaking.