The Great Race
“The movie with 20,000-miles or one-million-laughs guarantee!”
Synopsis
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.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
The Great Race - Original Theatrical TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2014-07-08
Top Cast
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Jack Lemmon
Professor Fate
Tony Curtis
The Great Leslie
Natalie Wood
Maggie Dubois
Peter Falk
Max
Keenan Wynn
Hezekiah
Arthur O'Connell
Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance
Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine
Lily Olay
Larry Storch
Texas Jack
Ross Martin
Rolfe Von Stuppe
George Macready
General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan
Frisbee
Hal Smith
Mayor of Boracho
Denver Pyle
Sheriff
William Bryant
Baron's Guard
Ken Wales
Baron's Guard
Hal Needham
Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
Raoul Retzer
Mayor-Domo (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
Moscow Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
July 1, 1965
Wide Cinema Exhibition
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$12M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$25.3M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
2.11x
+$13.3M net gain
Theatrical Status
Profitable
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Blake Edwards
- Screenplay & Story
- Arthur A. Ross
- Original Score
- Henry Mancini
- Original Title
- The Great Race
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- English, Italian
- Runtime
- 2h 40m
- Production Budget
- $12M
- Worldwide Gross
- $25.3M
- Production Studios
- Jalem Productions, Patricia Productions, Reynard Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Blake Edwards
Arthur A. Ross, Blake Edwards, Johnny Mercer
Henry Mancini
Russell Harlan, Harold E. Wellman
Ralph E. Winters
Martin Jurow
Department Leadership Roster
Blake Edwards
Director
Arthur A. Ross
Screenplay
Martin Jurow
Producer
Henry Mancini
Original Music Composer
Russell Harlan
Director of Photography
Ralph E. Winters
Editor
Fernando Carrere
Production Design
Donfeld
Costume Design
Edith Head
Costume Design
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for The Great Race.
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Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring The Great Race.
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Great Race
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is The Great Race about?
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.
Who directed The Great Race?
The Great Race was directed by Blake Edwards.
Who stars in The Great Race?
The principal cast of The Great Race includes Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, Natalie Wood, Peter Falk, Keenan Wynn.
When was The Great Race released and how long is it?
The Great Race was released in 1965 with a total runtime of 2h 40m.
What was the box office and production budget of The Great Race?
The Great Race had a reported production budget of $12M and grossed $25.3M at the worldwide box office (2.11 return on budget, classified as a commercial hit).
Who composed the musical score for The Great Race?
The original motion picture soundtrack for The Great Race was composed by Henry Mancini.
What is the age rating and content advisory for The Great Race?
The Great Race holds official age classifications: DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).