When you think about the 1965 Technicolor fever dream that is The Great Race, most folks immediately go to the pie fight. It makes sense. We’re talking over 4,000 real pies, five days of filming, and a bill for pastry alone that hit $18,000—which, in the mid-sixties, was basically the price of a small mansion. But if you look past the custard and the whipped cream, the real reason this movie still has legs is the chemistry. Honestly, the cast of the Great Race movie was a lightning-in-a-bottle moment that probably couldn't happen today.
Director Blake Edwards didn't just want a comedy; he wanted a live-action cartoon tribute to Laurel and Hardy. To pull that off, he needed actors who could handle high-stakes slapstick without losing their dignity. Or, in Jack Lemmon's case, by losing it spectacularly.
Why Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk Are the Real Stars
Most people remember Tony Curtis as the hero, but let’s be real: the movie belongs to the villains. Jack Lemmon, playing Professor Fate, is doing something bordering on genius here. He isn't just "the bad guy." He’s a snorting, mustachioed ball of pure, unadulterated ego.
Lemmon actually played a dual role in the film, though many casual viewers forget the second one. He also portrayed the drunk, foppish Crown Prince Friedrich Hapnick of Pottsdorf. While the movie was the most expensive comedy ever made at the time—costing roughly $12 million—it was Lemmon’s performance that earned the most praise. He was fresh off Some Like It Hot (also with Curtis) and The Apartment, but he famously stated that Professor Fate was his favorite character to play.
Then you’ve got Peter Falk as Maximilian "Max" Meen. Long before he was the rumpled Columbo, Falk was the perfect "useless" henchman. Their dynamic is the heart of the movie. While Fate is screaming "Push the button, Max!" and exploding everything in sight, Falk’s deadpan reactions ground the absurdity. It’s a masterclass in the "straight man" trope, even though Max is just as dim-witted as his boss.
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The Heroic Duo and a Suffragette Force of Nature
Tony Curtis plays Leslie Gallant III, better known as "The Great Leslie." He’s the antithesis of Fate. Dressed in literal blinding white, Curtis used a dry, almost superhuman confidence that makes you want to root for the bad guys just to see him get a smudge on his suit.
But then there’s Natalie Wood.
Playing Maggie DuBois, Wood was the soul of the film. She wasn’t just a "damsel" in a race. She was an intrepid reporter and a suffragette, often the only person on screen who actually knew what was going on. Wood brought a ferocity to the role that balanced out the cartoonish masculinity of the two male leads. Interestingly, she and Curtis had worked together before in Sex and the Single Girl, so that "bickering lovers" vibe was already dialed in.
Supporting Players You Might Have Missed
It wasn't just the big three. The bench was deep.
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- Keenan Wynn: He played Hezekiah Sturdy, Leslie’s faithful mechanic. Wynn was a veteran character actor who knew exactly how to play the "grown-up in the room" while everyone else was losing their minds.
- Arthur O’Connell and Vivian Vance: They played the Goodbodys. Having Vivian Vance (Ethel Mertz from I Love Lucy) brought a specific type of comedic pedigree to the screen. Her scenes as the wife of the newspaper editor added a layer of domestic chaos to the international race.
- Ross Martin: He played Baron Rolfe von Stuppe. If you recognize him, it’s likely from The Wild Wild West. In The Great Race, he’s the genuinely dangerous foil who forces Leslie to engage in a massive, bare-chested saber fight.
The "Greatest Pie Fight" Legend
You can't talk about the cast of the Great Race movie without talking about how they handled the pie fight. It wasn't just fun and games. Natalie Wood reportedly hated the sequence because the fruit filling and cream would sour under the hot studio lights. It smelled. It was sticky. By day three, everyone was miserable.
Jack Lemmon was actually the one who took the first pie to the face, a "gift" from the director to break the ice. The actors were told to stay in character even when they weren't the focus of the shot, which led to some of the most authentic reactions in the film. If you look closely at the background during the chaos, you can see the supporting cast genuinely losing their minds.
Facts That Change How You See the Movie
The film was inspired by the real 1908 New York to Paris Race, but the movie cast made it something entirely different. For instance, did you know that Peter Falk, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon were all obsessed with pool? They had a pool table installed on set so they could play between takes. According to most reports, Falk was the shark of the group.
Also, the costumes were a massive undertaking. Edith Head, the legendary designer, worked with Donfeld to create Wood’s wardrobe. Because of the mess involved in the western saloon brawl and the pie fight, they had to make multiple identical copies of her intricate gowns. If one got ruined, they couldn't just "dry clean" it and keep shooting.
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What to Watch For Next Time
If you’re planning a rewatch, pay attention to the silence. While it’s a loud movie, some of the best moments from the cast of the Great Race movie happen when they aren't speaking.
- Peter Falk’s Eyes: He does so much work just by looking at Jack Lemmon with a mix of fear and resignation.
- Tony Curtis’s Smile: Notice how his teeth literally "ping" with a sparkle in the early scenes. It’s a practical lighting effect, but his timing makes it feel like a natural superpower.
- The Pottsdorf Sequences: Watch Jack Lemmon play against himself (as the Prince). The subtle differences in his physicality between the two characters show why he’s considered one of the greats.
The movie is a relic of a time when studios were willing to dump millions into a three-hour slapstick epic. It’s bloated, it’s loud, and it’s occasionally exhausting, but it works because the actors were fully committed to the bit.
To really appreciate the craft here, your next step should be looking into the behind-the-scenes footage of the car designs. The "Hannibal 8" (Fate's car) and the "Leslie Special" were fully functional vehicles built specifically for the film, and seeing the actors actually operate these machines adds a whole new level of respect for what they pulled off in 1965. Forget the CGI of today; those were real actors in real cars getting hit with real pies.
Actionable Insight: If you're a fan of this ensemble, check out Some Like It Hot (for the Curtis/Lemmon chemistry) or The Pink Panther (to see more of Blake Edwards' directorial style). Seeing the "DNA" of this cast in other projects makes their performances in this specific race feel even more intentional.