Ruritanian romance is a genre of literature, film and theatre comprising novels, stories, plays and films set in a fictional country , usually in Central or Eastern Europe , such as the " Ruritania " that gave the genre its name.
68-450: Such stories are typically swashbuckling adventure novels , tales of high romance and intrigue, centered on the ruling classes, almost always aristocracy and royalty, although (for instance) Winston Churchill 's novel Savrola , in every other way a typical example of the genre, concerns a revolution to restore rightful parliamentary government in the republican country of Laurania. The themes of honor, loyalty and love predominate, and
136-477: A Stanley Steamer by herself, and Fate and Max. The steamer car breaks down and Maggie accepts a lift in the Leslie Special. Fate arrives first at a refueling point, the small Western frontier town of Boracho . "Texas Jack", a local outlaw, becomes jealous of the attraction to Leslie shown by showgirl Lily Olay and a saloon brawl ensues. Fate sneaks outside amidst the chaos, steals the fuel he needs, and destroys
204-626: A historical fiction genre, it is often set in the Renaissance or Cavalier era. The stock character also became common in the film genre , which extended the genre to the Golden Age of Piracy . As swashbuckler stories are often mixed with the romance genre, there will often be a beautiful, aristocratic female love interest to whom the hero expresses a refined, courtly love . At the same time, since swashbuckler plots are often based on intrigues involving corrupt religious figures or scheming monarchs,
272-419: A 1934 Ruritanian novel, The Prince Commands . Although "Ruritania" originally referred to a contemporary country, the idea has been adapted for use in historical fiction . A subgenre of this is historical romance , such as Jennifer Blake 's Royal Seduction and its sequel Royal Passion ; both are set in the nineteenth century and feature Prince Rolfe (later King) and his son Prince Roderic respectively, of
340-421: A barroom brawl, the tent of the desert sheik, a sword fight, and the laboratory of the mad scientist . The unintended consequences of Professor Fate's order, "Push the button, Max!" is a running gag, along with the spotless invulnerability of The Great Leslie. Edwards poked fun at later films and literature as well. The saloon brawl scene was a parody of the western film genre, and a plot detour launched during
408-707: A first variation of the classic swashbuckler there have also been female swashbucklers. Maureen O'Hara in Against All Flags and Jean Peters in Anne of the Indies were very early action film heroines. Eventually the typical swashbuckler motifs were used up because they had so often been shown on TV screens. Later films such as The Princess Bride , the Pirates of the Caribbean series and The Mask of Zorro include modern takes on
476-447: A formidable comics supervillain . The Grand Budapest Hotel , a 2014 comedy film written and directed by Wes Anderson , is set in the fictional nation of Zubrowka, a central European alpine state teetering on the outbreak of war. The Peacher Series by Michael Arram is 16 novels published online which occur largely in modern day Ruritania, renamed Ruthenia. The Crown of Tassilo is a second series of five more novels which occur in
544-460: A local noblewoman. The pie fight is missing, and the drivers are chased by cowboys (rather than native Americans) before arriving in Boracho. A few minor changes concern Leslie's courting of Maggie Dubois: in the novelization, it's she who suggests sharing the blanket in the snowstorm, and she also gets to drive the Leslie Special when Leslie has his arm in a sling. Scenes not included in the film include:
612-455: A number of short stories and a novel in the fictitious Eastern European land of "Orsinia", which has been identified as being simultaneously Ruritanian and naturalistic. Hayao Miyazaki 's animated film The Castle of Cagliostro is set in the fictional country of Cagliostro, inspired by Riviera and Monaco. The Student Prince , an operetta by Sigmund Romberg and Dorothy Donnelly , also adapted several times to film, has as its protagonist
680-519: A polar bear in Fate's car, compel all four racers to warm themselves in Leslie's car. They awaken on a small ice floe which drifts into their intended Russian port, where Hezekiah is waiting for Leslie, who casts off Maggie for deceiving him. Maggie is snatched by Fate, who drives off in the lead. After driving across Asia, both cars enter the tiny kingdom of Carpania, whose alcoholic Crown Prince Friedrich Hapnick
748-464: A rainstorm, Fate's car sinking in a river, and a more extended stay in Russia (mirroring the Boracho episode). The film was a major influence on Wacky Races , a Hanna-Barbera cartoon series. The film's characterizations were rather cartoonish. Furthermore, film editor and sound-effects man Treg Brown , who worked on many classic Warner Brothers cartoons, worked on this film. Brown's sound design won
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#1733085355618816-641: A rematch: a race back to New York. The return race commences, with newlyweds Leslie and Maggie now a team. Fate lets them start first, then orders Max to destroy their car with a cannon. The shot misses the Leslie Special, instead knocking down the Eiffel Tower. Director Blake Edwards based the film on the 1908 New York to Paris Race , very loosely interpreted. On February 12, 1908, the "Greatest Auto Race" began with six entrants, starting in New York City and racing westward across three continents. The destination
884-421: A role she greatly wished to have. Wood agreed, thinking that filming would be brief on Edwards' movie. Shooting began on June 15, 1964. Many of the sight gags for The Great Race were expensive to create, and the costs ballooned to US$ 12 million by the time the film was finished. Edwards, sometimes with Wood in tow, repeatedly visited Warner in his office to ask for more money. Warner approved nearly all of
952-403: A story by Edwards and Ross), and with music by Henry Mancini and cinematography by Russell Harlan . The supporting cast includes Peter Falk , Keenan Wynn , Arthur O'Connell and Vivian Vance . The movie cost US$ 12 million (equivalent to $ 98.36 million in 2020), making it the most expensive comedy film at the time. The story was inspired by the actual 1908 New York to Paris Race . It
1020-549: A sword fight with Leslie, Von Stuppe attempts escape by leaping to a waiting boat, but bursts the hull and sinks it. Leslie and Max return the real Prince to the capital in time to defeat Kuhster's plan for a military coup. Fate, still masquerading as Prince Hapnick, takes refuge in a bakery but falls into a huge cake. A pie fight ensues involving the racers, the Prince's men and the conspirators. The five racers, covered in pie filling, depart Carpania with King Friedrich's best wishes. As
1088-413: A waltz released as a single. The song plays on along the film as the main theme without chorus (except in the entr' acte) and it was performed onscreen by Natalie Wood with the voice dubbed by Jackie Ward (uncredited). It was nominated for but did not win an Oscar for best song. The full track listing is: Slightly in advance of the film's release, as was the custom of the era, a paperback novelization of
1156-489: Is an adventure about foiling a plot to depose the king of Syldavia . Literary critic John Sutherland says Eric Ambler brought the Ruritanian romance to "its highest pitch" with his 1939 novel The Mask of Dimitrios . An earlier venture into Ruritanian themes was Ambler's very first novel, The Dark Frontier (1936), set in the fictional Balkan country of Ixania . George MacDonald Fraser 's 1970 novel Royal Flash and
1224-456: Is known for one scene that was promoted as "the greatest pie fight ever". It was nominated for five Academy Awards , winning the Academy Award for Best Sound Effects . The Great Leslie and Professor Fate are competing daredevils at the turn of the 20th century. Leslie is the classic hero archetype – always dressed in white, ever-courteous, talented and successful. Leslie's nemesis, Fate, is
1292-410: Is the spitting image of Professor Fate. Plotters under the leadership of Baron Rolfe von Stuppe and General Kuhster kidnap the Prince, Fate, Max, and Maggie. Max escapes and joins Leslie to rescue the others. Fate is forced to masquerade as the Prince during the coronation so that the rebels can gain control of the kingdom. Leslie and Max overcome Von Stuppe's henchmen and confront Von Stuppe. Following
1360-526: Is typically characterized as a dastardly villain . While the hero may face down a number of henchmen to the villain during a story, the climax is a dramatic one-on-one sword battle between the protagonist and the villain. There is a long list of swashbucklers who combine courage, skill, resourcefulness, and a distinctive sense of honor and justice, as for example Cyrano de Bergerac , The Three Musketeers , The Scarlet Pimpernel , Robin Hood , and Zorro . As
1428-587: The chivalry tales of Medieval Europe, such as the legends of Robin Hood and King Arthur . It soon created its own drafts based on classic examples like The Mark of Zorro (1920) , The Three Musketeers (1921) , Scaramouche (1923) and The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) . Some films did also use motifs of pirate stories. Often these films were adaptations of classic historic novels published by well-known authors such as Alexandre Dumas , Rafael Sabatini , Baroness Emma Orczy , Sir Walter Scott , Johnston McCulley , and Edmond Rostand . Swashbucklers are one of
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#17330853556181496-490: The 1975 film Royal Flash based on it are set in the fictional Duchy of Strackenz, and its plot freely borrows many elements of Anthony Hope 's book; indeed, Fraser's protagonist Harry Flashman audaciously claims that Hope had plagiarised his own exploits. The genre was widely spoofed and mocked. George Bernard Shaw 's Arms and the Man (1894) parodied many elements. Dorothy Sayers 's Have His Carcase (1932) featured as
1564-564: The Curtis contract, Lazar reasoned that Edwards and Lemmon should make US$ 125,000, and Warner upped its compensation to match Curtis. Julie Andrews was first approached for the role of Maggie DuBois. Andrews having admired the work of Edwards wanted to work on the film, but was forced to bow out due to delays on The Sound of Music . Andrews would eventually marry Edwards and act in several of his films afterward. Natalie Wood did not want to make The Great Race , but Warner talked her into it. Wood
1632-584: The Hannibal Twin-8 as built by Warner Brothers at a cost of US$ 150,000 ($ 1,450,264 in 2023 dollars ), powered by a Corvair six-cylinder engine with three-speed manual transmission and six wheels. All four rear wheels are powered by a chain drive. Both vehicles were first on display at Movie World's Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Buena Park, California until the museum closed in the late 1970s. It
1700-696: The Screen (1916) with Charlie Chaplin ; The Battle of the Century (1927) starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy ; and In the Sweet Pie and Pie (1941) with the Three Stooges . In his script for The Great Race , Edwards called for a " Battle of the Century –style pie fight". Although Edwards used 4,000 pies over five days, many of these were used as set dressing for continuity. Laurel and Hardy used 3,000 pies in only one day of shooting, so more are seen flying through
1768-516: The United States and Canada, due to its high cost, it caused a loss to the studio. Before the film was released, the soundtrack was re-recorded in Hollywood by RCA Victor Records for release on vinyl LP. Henry Mancini spent six weeks composing the score, and the recording involved some 80 musicians. Mancini collaborated with lyricist Johnny Mercer on several songs including "The Sweetheart Tree",
1836-412: The air. Leonard Maltin compared The Great Race pie fight to The Battle of the Century and determined that Laurel and Hardy's pacing was far superior, that the more modern film suffered from an "incomplete understanding of slapstick" while the 1927 pie fight remains "one of the great scenes in all of screen comedy." The Great Race was generally not well-received upon release and critical assessment
1904-435: The building required a thorough cleaning and large fans to blow out the sour air. The missing pie residue was recreated carefully with more pies, and shooting resumed. At first, the actors had fun with the pie fight assignment, but eventually the process grew wearisome and dangerous. Wood choked briefly on pie filling which hit her open mouth. Lemmon exaggerated that he got knocked out a few times; he said "a pie hitting you in
1972-429: The chance to present their accordant skills on the screen. Since silent movies were no proper medium for long dialogues, the classic stories about heroes who would defend their honour with sword in hand were simplified and sheer action would gain priority. This was the birth of a new kind of film hero: the swashbuckler. For Hollywood actors to depict these skilled sword fighters, they needed advanced sword training. Four of
2040-406: The change in literary taste, the royalist elements of Ruritanian romances became less plausible as many European monarchies receded even from memory, and their restorations grew less likely. Many elements of the genre have been transplanted into fantasy worlds , particularly those of fantasy of manners and alternate history . The science fiction writer Andre Norton first reached success with
2108-409: The day after Thanksgiving, Wood wrapped the last bit of dialog work, then went home and swallowed a bottle of prescription pills. Groggy from the drugs, she called her friend Mart Crowley who took her to the hospital for emergency treatment. Music for the film was by Henry Mancini , and the costumes were designed by Edith Head . Production design, setting the period and augmenting the visual humor,
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2176-613: The downtrodden, and uses duels to defend his honor or that of a lady or to avenge a comrade. Swashbucklers often engage in daring and romantic adventures with bravado or flamboyance. Swashbuckler heroes are typically gentleman adventurers who dress elegantly and flamboyantly in coats, waistcoats, tight breeches, large feathered hats, and high leather boots, and they are armed with the thin rapiers that were commonly used by aristocrats Swashbucklers are not usually unrepentant brigands or pirates , although some may rise from such disreputable stations and achieve redemption. His opponent
2244-401: The face feels like a ton of cement". At the end of shooting, when Edwards called "cut!", he was barraged with several hundred pies that members of the cast had hidden, waiting for the moment. The pie fight scene paid homage to the early Mack Sennett practice of using a single thrown pie as comedic punctuation, but to a greater degree, it was a celebration of movie pie fights such as Behind
2312-583: The fictional Balkan country of Ruthenia. ( Ruthenia is a genuine geographic name, identifying an area of eastern Europe somewhat to the north of the Balkan Peninsula , in the Carpathian Mountains , but is not an independent country.) Marvel Comics created the character Victor Von Doom , absolute monarch of Latveria in the Balkans, who combines recognizable elements of a Ruritanian monarch with being
2380-399: The fictional Central European country of Razkavia. Swashbuckler A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship , acrobatics, and guile , and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, and idealistic: he rescues damsels in distress , protects
2448-542: The film for United Artists . The film's escalating costs led UA to drop the film, but the project was picked up by Warner Brothers. Edwards wanted Robert Wagner to play the leading man, but studio executive Jack L. Warner insisted on Tony Curtis, possibly because of Wood's recent divorce from Wagner. ( Burt Lancaster was announced at one stage.) Working with Warner, Curtis's new agent Irving "Swifty" Lazar negotiated US$ 125,000 for Curtis—more than Edwards and Lemmon, who were to receive US$ 100,000 each. After Warner signed
2516-536: The film was published by Dell Books . The author was renowned crime and western novelist Marvin H. Albert . The novelization, based on the screenplay rather than the finished film, differs from the film in various aspects. In the novel, the country of Carpania is called Ruritania (as in Hope's Prisoner of Zenda ), Keenan Wynn's character is called Jebediah (not Hezekiah) and stays behind in Ruritania, having fallen in love with
2584-463: The final third of the film was a direct parody of the novel The Prisoner of Zenda and of the 1937 film version of the story , where a traveler is a lookalike for the king and stands in for him. Because of the success of Edwards' previous films Breakfast at Tiffany's , The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark , the film's budget started at $ 6 million. Mirisch Productions initially financed
2652-404: The following: Actors notable for their portrayals of swashbucklers include: Fiction writers whose novels and stories have been adapted for swashbuckler films include: The Great Race The Great Race is a 1965 American Technicolor epic slapstick comedy film directed by Blake Edwards , starring Jack Lemmon , Tony Curtis , and Natalie Wood , written by Arthur A. Ross (from
2720-515: The four is at the Tupelo Automobile Museum in Tupelo, Mississippi, listed as a 1963 Leslie Special Convertible. Another of the four appears painted dark green in the 1970 Warner Brothers film The Ballad of Cable Hogue —the grille can be seen bearing the words Leslie Special, with the wheels and tires remaining their original white color. This vehicle shows up during the last 30 minutes of
2788-526: The heir apparent to the fictitious kingdom of Karlsberg who is sent away to the University of Heidelberg where he falls in love with a barmaid. The affair is doomed by his royal responsibilities when he is recalled to attend his dying grandfather, the king. Subsequent to his succession he is forced by duty to marry a well- dowered princess. The Tin Princess is a 1994 children's novel by Philip Pullman set in
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2856-404: The hero, dressed all in white, fail to get hit with any pies. He said "The audience will start yearning for him to get it". Finally, the hero was to take a (white) pie in the face at "just the right moment". Shooting was halted while the actors took the weekend off. Over the weekend, the pie residue spoiled all over the scenery. When the actors returned Monday morning, the set stank so badly that
2924-422: The heroes may be tempted by alluring femmes fatales or vampish courtesans. "Swashbuckler" is a compound of "swash" (archaic: to swagger with a drawn sword) and " buckler " (a small shield gripped in the fist) dating from the 16th century . While man-at-arms and sellswords of the era usually wore armor of necessity, their counterparts in later romantic literature and film (see below) often did not, and
2992-507: The historical novel, particularly those of Sir Walter Scott , "... medieval tales of chivalry, love and adventure rediscovered in the eighteenth century". This type of historical novel was further developed by Alexandre Dumas . John Galsworthy said of Robert Louis Stevenson 's 1888 swashbuckling romance, The Black Arrow , that it was "a livelier picture of medieval times than I remember elsewhere in fiction." Anthony Hope 's 1894 The Prisoner of Zenda initiated an additional subset of
3060-562: The life of an ordinary person. Similarly, Charlie Chaplin 's A King in New York (1957) starts with King Igor Shahdov being overthrown by a revolution in his Eastern European country Estrovia and coming to live in exile in New York. In the satire The Mouse That Roared (1955), the Duchy of Grand Fenwick attempts to avoid bankruptcy by declaring war on the United States as a ploy for gaining American aid. In Vladimir Nabokov 's Pale Fire (1962),
3128-465: The main narrator has the delusion of being the incognito king of a "distant northern land" who romantically escaped a Soviet -backed revolution. In the comic film The Great Race (1965), rally driver Professor Fate (played by Jack Lemmon ) is the double of the Crown Prince of the tiny kingdom of Carpania. The popularity of the genre declined after the first part of the twentieth century. Aside from
3196-473: The most famous instructors for swashbuckling swordplay are William Hobbs , Anthony De Longis , Bob Anderson and Peter Diamond . The larger-than-life heroics portrayed in some film franchise adventures (most notably the Indiana Jones movies) set in the modern era have been described as swashbuckling. The genre has, apart from swordplay, always been characterized by influences that can be traced back to
3264-466: The most flamboyant Hollywood film genres, unlike cinema verite or modern realistic filmmaking. The genre attracted large audiences who relished the blend of escapist adventure, historic romance, and daring stunts in cinemas before it became a fixture on TV screens. With the focus on action, adventure, and, to a lesser degree, romance, there is little concern for historical accuracy. Filmmakers may mix incidents and events from different historical eras. As
3332-585: The movie carrying a lead character, and has a pivotal role at the end of the movie. The villain's black car was named the Hannibal Twin-8; five were constructed. One is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, powered by a Volkswagen industrial engine. Another is at the Volo Auto Museum in Volo, Illinois. This model includes a prop "cannon" and a working smoke generator. The Volo museum describes
3400-403: The murder victim a man deceived by his murderers because of his foolish belief in his royal ancestry, fed by endless reading of Ruritanian romances. The Marx Brothers film Duck Soup (1933) is set in a bankrupt Freedonia . Antal Szerb 's Oliver VII (1943) features a monarch of a fictional Central European state who plots a coup against himself and then flees to Venice in order to experience
3468-446: The pastry. Colorful cream pies with fillings such as raspberry, strawberry, blueberry and lemon were used. For continuity between days of shooting, the actors were photographed at the end of each day and then made up the following morning to have the same colorful appearance, the same smears of pie crust and filling. Edwards told the cast that a pie fight by itself is not funny, so to make it funny they would build tension by having
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#17330853556183536-558: The period between Anthony Hope's novels (late 1880s) and modern day. The linked novels cover a wide range of genres but cover topics including the restoration of the Ruthenian monarchy, aristocratic intrigue, commoners, love, christianity, history of the fictional country, the Ruthenian language, and gay eroticism. Avram Davidson 's Doctor Eszterhazy stories are set in a fictitious ramshackle Balkan empire resembling Austria-Hungary, but with Ruritanian characteristics. Ursula K. Le Guin set
3604-401: The race, including one owned by New York's most prominent newspaper. Driving the newspaper's car is photojournalist Maggie DuBois, a vocal suffragist . A seven-car race begins, but Fate's sidekick Maximilian Meen has sabotaged four other cars (and his own, by mistake), leaving just three cars in the race. The surviving teams are Leslie with his loyal valet Hezekiah Sturdy, Maggie DuBois driving
3672-528: The racers leave Pottsdorf (with Maggie now back in Leslie's car), it becomes a straight road race to Paris. Nearing Paris, Leslie and Maggie have an argument regarding the roles of men, women and sex in relationships. Leslie stops his car just short of the finish line under the Eiffel Tower to prove that he loves Maggie more than he cares about winning the race. Fate drives past to claim the winner's mantle, but becomes indignant that Leslie let him win. Fate demands
3740-480: The requests. When it was released, it was the most expensive comedy ever filmed. Shooting ended in November 1964. During the five months of filming, Wood's unhappiness was not visible to the cast and crew, and her characterization of Maggie DuBois was playful. Her sister Lana Wood thought that Wood looked the prettiest she ever had, but Lana sensed that the film "was physically taxing" for Wood. On Friday, November 27,
3808-498: The rest. Leslie uses mules to pull his car to another refueling point, where Maggie tricks Hezekiah into boarding a train and handcuffs him to a seat, lying to Leslie that Hezekiah had quit and "wanted to go back to New York". The two remaining cars reach the Bering Strait and park side by side in a blinding snowstorm. Keeping warm during the storm, Leslie and Maggie begin to see each other as more than competitors. Mishaps, including
3876-410: The rightful king to the throne, and resulted in a burst of similar popular fiction , such as George Barr McCutcheon 's Graustark novels (1901–27) and Frances Hodgson Burnett 's The Lost Prince (1915), Edgar Rice Burrough 's The Mad King (1914), and other homages . In children's literature, the 1938–39 Adventures of Tintin comic King Ottokar's Sceptre eschewed literal romance, but
3944-518: The slapstick atmosphere of a Laurel and Hardy comedy. Schickel felt that Wood was "hopelessly miscast", and that the energies of Lemmon and Curtis did not quite make the slapstick work. Maltin wrote that Wood "never looked better" and that the film's comedy sometimes worked but was otherwise forced: "a mixed bag". On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , the film has an approval rating of 72% based on 25 reviews, with an average score of 6.00/10. Despite earning theatrical rentals of over $ 11.4 million in
4012-560: The swashbuckler archetype. Television followed the films, especially in the UK, with The Adventures of Robin Hood , Sword of Freedom , The Buccaneers , and Willam Tell between 1955 and 1960. US TV produced two series of Zorro in 1957 and 1990 . Following the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro , a TV series about a female swashbuckler, the Queen of Swords , aired in 2000. Famous swashbuckler characters from literature and other media include
4080-596: The swashbuckling novel, the Ruritanian romance . The perceived significant and widespread role of swordsmanship in civilian society as well as warfare in the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods led to fencing being performed on theatre stages as part of plays. Soon actors were taught to fence in an entertaining, dramatic manner. Eventually fencing became an established part of a classical formation for actors. Consequently, when movie theaters mushroomed, ambitious actors took
4148-640: The term evolved to denote a daring, devil-may-care demeanor rather than brandishment of accoutrements of war. Swashbuckling adventures and romances are generally set in Europe from the late Renaissance up through the Age of Reason and the Napoleonic Wars , extending into the colonial era with pirate tales in the Caribbean . Jeffrey Richards traces the swashbuckling novel to the rise of Romanticism , and an outgrowth of
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#17330853556184216-617: The traditional villain – usually dressed in black, sporting a black moustache and top hat, glowering at almost everyone, possessing a maniacal laugh, filled with plans to thwart the hero, and dogged by failure. Leslie proposes an automobile race from New York City to Paris and offers the Webber Motor Car Company the opportunity to build an automobile to make the journey. They design and build a new car for him, "The Leslie Special". Fate builds his own car, "The Hannibal Twin-8", complete with hidden devices of sabotage. Other car owners enter
4284-407: The works frequently feature the restoration of legitimate government after a period of usurpation or dictatorship. Romantic stories about the royalty of a fictional kingdom were common, for instance Robert Louis Stevenson 's Prince Otto (1885). But it was the great popularity of Anthony Hope 's The Prisoner of Zenda (1894) which set the type, with its handsome political decoy restoring
4352-484: Was Paris, making it the first around-the-world automobile race. Only the approximate race route and the general time period were borrowed by Edwards in his effort to make "the funniest comedy ever". Edwards, a studious admirer of silent film , dedicated the film to film comedians Laurel and Hardy . The Great Race incorporated a great many silent era visual gags, along with slapstick, double entendres, parodies, and absurdities. The film includes such time-worn scenes as
4420-481: Was by Fernando Carrere who had designed The Great Escape and The Pink Panther for Blake Edwards. The unique slideshow-style title design was by Ken Mundie. The hero's white car, the Leslie Special, was built by Warner Brothers to resemble a Thomas Flyer , the car that won the 1908 New York to Paris Race . According to the Petersen Automotive Museum , four "Leslie Specials" were built. One of
4488-520: Was located adjacent to the Planes of Fame Museum . The Technicolor scene for the pie fight in the royal bakery was filmed over five days. The first pastry thrown was part of a large cake decorated for the king's coronation. Following this was the throwing of 4,000 pies, the most pies ever filmed in a pie fight. The scene lasts four minutes and 20 seconds and cost US$ 200,000 ($ 1,930,000 in 2023 dollars ) to shoot; US$ 18,000 ($ 170,000 in 2023 dollars ) just for
4556-518: Was mostly negative, making it the first notable failure for director Edwards. Most critics attacked its blatant and overdone slapstick humor and its lack of substance. It also suffered from comparisons with another race-themed "epic comedy" of 1965, Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines . Film critic Richard Schickel wrote that, although the film "bumps along very pleasantly for the most part", Edwards failed at his attempt to recreate
4624-551: Was unhappy with her career and her personal life, having been divorced from Robert Wagner in April 1962. Warner asked Curtis if he would give a percentage of his film royalties to Wood as an enticement, but Curtis refused. He said "I couldn't give her anything to make her want to do the movie." Instead of more money, Warner promised Wood that if she completed The Great Race , she could star in Gavin Lambert 's drama Inside Daisy Clover ,
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