The Great Race - actors, characters and roles
All actors and their roles in the film "The Great Race"
The Great Race (1965)
Timing:
2:40 (160 min)
7.12/10
305
305
7.996/10
25826
25826
7.2/10
21000
21000
Actors and characters
Marvin Kaplan
Character Frisbee
William Bryant
Character Baron's Guard
Ken Wales
Character Baron's Guard
Leslie Sketchley
Character Executive Board Member (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp
Character Townsman
Chuck Hayward
Character Soldier
George Boyce
Character Executive Board Member
Jerry Schumacher
Character Auto Worker
Charles Fredericks
Character Master of Ceremonies
Paul Bryar
Character Policeman (uncredited)
Jack Gordon
Character Observer at Start (uncredited)
Chuck Hicks
Character Saloon Brawler (uncredited)
Christopher Riordan
Character Cowboy / Dancer (uncredited)
Paul Smith
Character First Employee (uncredited)
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is preceded by a six-minute overture. A three-minute musical interlude is placed between episodes. Both the overture and the interlude were cut in Soviet distribution. Also, two scenes were cut from the film in Soviet distribution: a long journey on an ice floe from Alaska to Kamchatka – to reduce screen time, and a visit to Tobolsk by the travelers – for ideological reasons.
- During the journey from Alaska to Kamchatka, the ice floe enters fog, and Max signals with the car horn. Unexpectedly, he plays the musical theme from the film "West Side Story" (1961) on the horn.
- Despite its comedic plot, the film was inspired by a real event – the 1908 New York to Paris Great Race.
- It ranks 55th in attendance among foreign films in Soviet cinema distribution.
- The full name of Tony Curtis’s character (The Great Leslie) was Leslie Gallant III.
- Preparing for filming, Natalie Wood took fencing and horseback riding lessons and learned to smoke cigars, but the most difficult thing for the actress was learning to drive a steam car.
- Work on the film quickly exceeded the budget allocated to the project, and as a result, the film became the most expensive comedy production of its time, as well as one of the longest, with a running time of 160 minutes.
- During the pie-throwing scene, Tony Curtis, as the Great Leslie, remained impeccably dressed, while all other characters involved in the scene were covered in pie. Curtis had to change into clean clothes several times, as pieces of pie occasionally hit him.
- For the participants themselves, the 1908 New York to Paris auto race was by no means a leisurely drive. Paved roads were scarce during that historical period, and in some parts of the world, they didn't exist at all. The most challenging parts of the competition were in Siberia and Alaska, and not all participants reached the finish line.
Did you like the film?
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
