As a retired fencing coach I can tell you this, the fencing was quite believable and well staged. The two actors must have recieved many hours of instruction and practice, both performed very well!
Agreed! I fenced a long time ago, but immediately recognized legitimate attacks and parries. Tightly choreographed, but had to be for a couple of actors without safety gear.
Kind of. Part of what made old move is like this "cheesy" is that they had not yet developed combat stage craft t remotely the level we have today. So, instead, they used sport style fencing. Sport fencing. Stage fencing Combat fencing Are three VERY different styles, of which I have thus far done two.
@MrGreensweightHist let me guess you've done stage fencing and combat fencing? Hahajah because what you fail to understand is that this isn't sport fencing, this is actual fencing with hints of theatrical. Probably considered classical fencing. I've done all three, and I'll tell you this, I beat every so called "combat" fencer by just fecing sport epee. Unfortunately you are incorrect in your assessment.
@@MrGreensweightHist Absolutely! I have a friend who teaches stage fighting (his son fences with us at our club). No doubt. There are some great movie staged fights from before this, though, right? There are some amazing stage fights in the old Douglas Fairbanks Zorro movies, for example, where the whole point is to develop the characters through the fight.
@@JacksonC62 From what source did you glean this bit of knowledge? I've read many comments that make this claim and my requests for the source have always gone unanswered.
@@ronveri2838 Robin Hood (Errol Flynn dueling Basil Rathbone) is a serious classic. Never saw Prince Valiant but The Vikings (Tony Curtis & Kirk Douglas) isn't bad for the era.
@@ronveri2838 I remember it well. I was 7 years old and already in an ecstasy of hero-worship over the Hal Foster comic strip so when the movie was released I HAD to see it and my parents took me. In subsequent viewings I've been disappointed at how badly the script weakened Aleta's character but that first time when I was a second-grader was magical.
I fenced competitively in college and earned a credential to teach Italian foil, epee and sabre; this is an exceptional scene with both actors displaying classic form and movement very well indeed. Fencing isn’t a practical form of defense, but rather a sport. However it is very theatrical, combined with two charming actors, an incredible set, it is wonderfully entertaining
Far from cheesy, it was a brilliant and exciting duel. The fact that it occurred in the middle of an hilarious comedy makes it’s very unique… 6 years after this film was made Tony Curtis starred alongside Roger Moore in a tv series called the Persuaders. Though it was only 6 years later Tony Curtis looked 20 years older than he did in the Great Race…
It's so hilarious because it doesn't fit to the serious swordfight before. It's more an ending we are used to at the end of a coyote vs roadrunner episode. Maybe it is even a reference to the series because at the end the coyote mostly becomes victim of his own tricks and of gravity.
@@fjccommish Not so much awful, as just fairly basic. The cut'n'thrust of what they were doing was pretty standard for film at the time. What was good about it was the speed (as well as the change of sound going from foil to saber); I don't recall another screen sword fight done at the speed they display here until "The Princess Bride", some 25 years later.
@@Travlr013 Not only basic, but awful. I had this discussion with an "expert" on swords and medieval weapons. I asked him how many times he had fought with a sword when death was on the line. Answer - never. Then he's not an expert with a sword.
@@fjccommish Keep in mind that this is "stage-fighting", and the idea is to NOT hurt the other person, if at all possible (cue notation about Kevin Nash in "The Punisher"). To the general audience, this will look just fine. Better than fine, in fact, given the speed of the execution. As someone who has practised medieval rapier combat (yes, I have studied my Agrippa, although I prefer DeGrassi and learned lots from Silver and Marozzo) I note the more Olympic style in the fight here. They make the correct point about many more slashing attacks with the saber, which was correct due to the style of blade. It's one of the reasons why I liked the Rathbone/Power fight in "The Mark of Zorro" due to its heavy use of thrusting attacks. Again, this wasn't master-class stage-fighting, but due to the speed of the basic forms being done, it was a more than passable show. And very entertaining. Almost as much fun as "The Court Jester", which was a much worse technical performance, but an awful lot of fun to watch....
This duel is far more realistic than the cgi stuff being used now that actually looks more & more unrealistic. It looks more like animation than real life. I’m not sure why but todays cgi is very poor compared to when I first saw it being used in the film The Matrix over 20 years ago.
@@NelsonStJames ...yes!... ...this scene is a benchmark for students of stage combat... ...and for how you film and present a movie swordfight... ...intense acting in an intense action scene, intended as contrast and dramatic counterpoint to the comedy of this film...
The Great Race had it all, witty dialogue, amazing props and costume, a star cast and expertly well-timed comedy and action. It's easily one of the best performances of Jack Lemmon (IIRC it was his favourite). In the third act they manage to have a full-on slapstick rescue mission, a duel filled with tension ending with a punchline (and a superb stunt btw -the stuntman manages to believably wreck the boat and miss the boatman), and end it all with an astonishingly well-choreographed pie fight. My brother and I have watched this movie dozens of times, it always delivers.
@@Ross-e9o I agree wholeheartedly. Not to take anything away from the great comedies that came after, but this is like a Rembrandt or a Michelangelo, an old masterpiece from a golden age of cinema.
Great sword fight even though it was from a comedy. I'm sure original audiences didn't expect to see a foil/sabre duel in a comedy epic. Of course the greatest duel ever filmed and THE one that all others are to be measured against is the great foil duel between Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer in Scaramouch!
...the climactic duel scene in Scaramouch is considered a benchmark for students of stage combat... ...this scene from "The Great Race" is another such benchmark...
I have to disagree about the Scaramouche. It was too reliant upon sound effects and overly theatrical. Oh and they weren't foils in that fight; they were small swords. A much better fight was the climactic exchange in The Mark of Zorro between Tyrone Power (though mostly a double who just happened to be the fight choreographer's son 😏) and Basil Rathbone. It had just enough dramatic flair and all the moves made sense to the moment. In the aforementioned fight, movements were put in obviously for spectacle with no other explanation or reason. That is a fight choreographer's hazard which needs to be avoided. As I always tell my actor/combatants, the fight must tell a story! The Scaramouche fight meandered from its tale too much. Now the fencing lesson scenes earlier in that film were excellent!
@@maxbrazil3712 I just added "Scaramouche", to my RUclips movies & TV collection! Now, I have to get my Android equipped 99.5 Sony Bravia XBR-100Z9D, to watch it on!
I was 7 or so when I saw this in the theater with my parents. It was a _long_ movie for somebody that young, a _lot_ of it went over my head. But there's 2 scenes I always remembered. Jack Lemmon losing half of his frozen mustache, and this scene when Ross dives into the boat. The whole audience lost their sh*t, after such a "serious" long and scary swordfight.
@@maxbrazil3712 Let me guess. After watching Miss Natalie Wood's pond bathing scene, you left the Theater thinking, "That's why I want to be a Cavalryman!" LOL
@Odysseus Rex We'd better be very, VERY, careful! Both of those ladies, had one thing in common. They had one Robert Wagner in their lives! I personally don't want that guy going all "Prince Valiant", and coming after ME with a "Singing Sword" in his hands!
Can we take a serious moment and appreciate Ross Martin's acting here? He starts cocky and sleazy. Then he shifts into serious mode when it becomes clear Mr. Leslie is an accomplished swordsman. Then he gets pissed when Leslie matches him with not only the foil but the saber as well. Then he gets shaken up as he realizes he's slowly losing the fight.
Totally agree. One of the best duels in cinema history. Right up there with Basil Rathbone vs Tyrone Power in The Mark of Zorro, and Basil Rathbone vs Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood!
I saw it new in 1965 & loved it! Can you believe this 4 star movie's rating was reduced to 2 l/2 stars, 10 years later, but has since been upgraded to 3 l/2 stars?
That's because Hollywood believes that comedies now need to be " raunchy " bordering into the obscene. They forget how successful comedians like Charles Chaplin , Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Jerry Lewis , Chevy Chase and Jim Carrey doing slapstick comedy. I'm not a betting person , but if l were , l would bet that a lot of people would "die" from laughing out loud from watching a Jerry Lewis movie The Bellboy, The ( original ) Nutty Proffesor, and The Big Mouth.
Absolutely loved the 'tip of the hat' to the great WB swashbuckling films featuring the likes of Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone- (shadows on the wall) BRAVO !
Strangely one of the best true fencing scenes in the movies. Much more authentic than the truly cheesy display in the Princess Bride and many other swashbucklers. The clash of sabers after they discard foils says it all!
I grew up on "The Wild Wild West" reruns and have been a fan of Ross Martin since. I found out later in life that by the time I became a fan of his Artemus Gordon character, Ross Martin had already passed. I had not seen any of his work nor thought of him for a very long time. Seeing him again made me smile so thanks for posting this. You've inspired me to try to find "The Great Race" on some streaming platform somewhere so that I can enjoy Ross' work again.
If you haven't already seen it, I invite you to catch his excellent villainy aside Peter Falk (his boyhood friend and costar here) in the Columbo episode "Suitable for Framing." The ending is to KILL for.
Cheesy, yes, but its an homage to the Prisoner of Zenda fight between Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks jr -- the shadow scenes, the window leap, all copied. And it has that wonderful line "I prefer a man's weapon, how are you with a sabre?" That's worth a million bucks right there!
No cheese here. Classy, exciting, very disciplined duelling, which doesn't break down into mock improvisation and brawling, but maintains form, speed and accuracy, which more recent fight choreography casts to the winds. . Bravo
I'm speaking as someone that has been sword fighting for 18 years. And honestly, for a film that came out in 1965, this is remarkably well done. Even today, sans the dialogue, the fencing itself would hold up quite nicely.
I really like the part when they used a foil and were testing each other out. The way they did it is often seen in professional fights and it makes even more sense in a fight to the death when a single opening can mean life or death.
I always enjoyed this fencing scene. I used to fence and always thought their technique was the most realistic I ever saw in a movie but nobody, not nobody, is that good and no two people are that evenly matched. Fantastic Scene though!!!
This was still back during the studio days of Hollywood and Tony Curtis and many other studio Actors were required to do other things than acting. But in those days the Studios trained their stable of Actors in Dance, Gun Handling, Sword fighting, Horseback riding, and other skills. Curtis proved to be agile and athletic thus he was an natural. He had starred in a few other action type movies prior to this so he was just not a petty face. He was around 40 when he did this movie and he is in petty good shape.
I have probably watched this movie more than a hundred times. Yet today is the day I noticed Tony Curtis suddenly acquires a glove when he picks up the saber.
I've loved this movie for years and watched it many times. Wonderful, lighthearted entertainment. Given the content of most of the movies we are presented with in this day and age, watching a movie like the Great Race is a breath of fresh air.
I saw this movie as a child and loved it. Saw it a few times later and thought Natalie Wood was beautiful, with a figure to match. The sword fight scene was entertaining, and hilarious at the end. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." He made a good point there, but wanting to live another day is not the way to do it, by diving off a ledge, head first into a waiting boat....😅
This was actually a very good fencing scene.. I'm from the school of "The best sword fight in movie history was The Mark of Zorro 1940", but this was very good.....right up until he jumped out the window and crashed into the boat!
One of the best adventure comedies of all time. Great script, fantastic director and wonderful set of star actors. Too bad we dont have those any more.
It was written with humor and everlasting love, although the dive into the boat is a moment of outrageous & delicious cheesiness. This was one of the first movies I remember seeing at a very young age. Natalie Wood bathing in the pond was a profound moment of sexual awakening. "The Great Race" is in my Top 10 Favorite movies.
I remember fondly watching this as a kid. That fencing scene is right up there with the best of Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. But then the boat scene...LOL !! I look at this film now as "Princess Bride" as directed by Mel Brooks.
honestly the cheesiness is all in the character acting but the fencing is actually quite good xD Love to see it. And the cheesiness is honestly just perfect. I dream of playing this character in a DnD game xD
nothing cheesy about this sword fight I don’t know about Curtis but I heard Ross Martin was an accomplished swordsman the end was hilarious I was on the floor laughing!
@@odysseusrex5908 The danger come slipping too close or too back and getting hit in the face or equipment failure. The tip of one blade gets broken on a thrust and it will go right in the other person.
I'd like to see an update of the original "Wacky Races" with some additional racers. There has been a new Wacky Races show that has been shown outside the U. S. but it only features Dick Dastardly, Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect, and one new racer (I don't remember his name) but it just wasn't the same as the original. There was also a pilot for "Wacky Races Forever" featuring the sons and daughters of the original racers (such as Penelope Pitstop and Peter Perfect), and some of the classics such as Professor Pat Pending (who has gone from an eccentric scientist to a mad scientist). The pilot was available on RUclips and I liked it.
That wasn't too cheesy, that's how real sword fighting mostly is with little subtleties and nuances. The most ridiculous thing was the boat at the end.
@@samsignorelli Shut up dummy! At the point which you are talking about it it is Hollywood and is fine and yet is still realistic. Dont try and create other smaller sub arguments within what I said when my comment was already the sub argument. Anything beyond that just becomes ridiculous.
@@steveklick dude...I AM a fencer (mostly sabre, but I've fenced all three weapons, and currently teach sabre), and no fight ever goes that long without a hit being landed (unless you're an epeeist playing the non-combativity game). You claimed this is how most sword fighting goes on....I am telling you, no...it isn't...not even in a REAL fight to the death or 1st blood. Further, I worked around stage combatants for 2 decades...I have seen good stage combat (which this is....both actors knew how to handle their weapons AND act at the same time), and this DOES serve the prime purpose of such actions...to help tell the story through the fight. Is this a good stage combat scene? Yes. Is it a realistic fight? No. The most realistic stage fight in terms of what would happen in real life is the first fight in The Duelkists. Now go unwind your knickers and sit down.
@@samsignorelli First of all I'm not responding to most of what you said because its completely ridiculous and unnecessary. I will leave you with this last little thing which is all that matters at this point and covers the entire scope of what's relevant whether you are a sword fighter or not. So I suppose you have real duals to the death with other fencing masters in castle mansions all the time then? You are an idiot and cannot properly assess things.
@@steveklick And you clearly have no understanding of stage combat. As for the fighting part...I Have fenced competitively and have held a national ranking in sabre, so I DO know what can happen in an actual trading of steel (although no one today would take the chances in a real fight with sharp weapons the way we do in a competitive environment)...an on occasion, that fencing HAS been against Olympians (which didn't end well for me at all). And your experience is....???
"Cheesy" wasn't an apt characterization here. As you can see by the other fencer's comments below, this was an exceptionally well-done bout. It was much more akin to a real fencing bout than the stage fencing one usually sees: the footwork was crisp, the bladework was on point, not avoiding the torso the way most stage duels are shown. It's mind-boggling that such an exceptional bout would be filmed for a silly comedy, albeit an enjoyable one.
This duel, and of Miss Natalie Wood, being abducted during her 'swim', by a very, very, lucky(?) Cavalryman, was the main reason I bought "The Great Race", on blu-ray!
@@mikegrossberg8624 The Prisoner of Zenda parody vignet (only one of many parodies in that film) was put in and to honor it, they needed a swordfight. Leslie was the one who had to fight the villain to fit the format. I bear the scene, the parody and of course, the entire movie no ill will! In fact, I loved it!!! I have been fencing for nearly 42 years, most of those as a classical fencer. I have also choreographed fights for the stage for about 36 years. I understand the proper marriage of the two. This film really pulled it off!
Interesting how tactics with arms change over the centuries. In the days of metal armor there was more power and the methods depended on that. When armor was largely or entirely absent from the battlefield the sword was the gentlemen's weapon used in something of a game of wits. And of course: "He didn't fall? INCONCEIVABLE!!!" "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Saw this in a theater when young and of course I loved the entire movie. This scene stands out as great Hollywood swordplay - choreographed drama punctuated with a header into a rowboat! Buster Keaton likely saw this film and probably smiled at that point.
How have I lived my life so far without knowing that this existed? Fantastic! I miss the time when movies used real stunts and skilled performances to entertain. CGI today and AI video tomorrow makes everything look like a cartoon
The boat... The poor boat lol. Man that was funny.
It’s almost-water
As a retired fencing coach I can tell you this, the fencing was quite believable and well staged. The two actors must have recieved many hours of instruction and practice, both performed very well!
Those "Sabres" look an awful lot like foils with basket hilts instead of cup hilts.
@@paulpeterson4216 Nope. Those were standard fencing sabers circa 1965.
Agreed! I fenced a long time ago, but immediately recognized legitimate attacks and parries. Tightly choreographed, but had to be for a couple of actors without safety gear.
@@Hammerli280 So, what you're saying is that standard fencing sabers circa 1965 were foils with basket hilts.
@@paulpeterson4216 Hahaha....I really hope that is self-deprecating sarcasm.
This is actual fencing in a movie, its wonderful. Both actors can actually fence.
DID you SEE Tony Curtis footwork?!?! Did you SEE that?!?! Actual jump lunges, feet aligned correctly, AMAZING for stage fighting!
Kind of.
Part of what made old move is like this "cheesy" is that they had not yet developed combat stage craft t remotely the level we have today.
So, instead, they used sport style fencing.
Sport fencing.
Stage fencing
Combat fencing
Are three VERY different styles, of which I have thus far done two.
@MrGreensweightHist let me guess you've done stage fencing and combat fencing? Hahajah because what you fail to understand is that this isn't sport fencing, this is actual fencing with hints of theatrical. Probably considered classical fencing. I've done all three, and I'll tell you this, I beat every so called "combat" fencer by just fecing sport epee. Unfortunately you are incorrect in your assessment.
@@MrGreensweightHist Absolutely! I have a friend who teaches stage fighting (his son fences with us at our club). No doubt. There are some great movie staged fights from before this, though, right? There are some amazing stage fights in the old Douglas Fairbanks Zorro movies, for example, where the whole point is to develop the characters through the fight.
It's Stage Fencing rather actually trying to score hits, but very good all the same.
This was not cheesy at all. It was exciting, tense and well acted. Ross was such an underutilized talent. He carries this whole scene.
I love cheese and this movie, so you misunderstood my sentiment.
@@maxbrazil3712 The only 'cheesy' part of the scene, was Von Stuppe's 'fleeing' swan dive into the waiting boat!
It wasn't cheesy it was realistic
@@ΠαναγιωτηςΑγγελ No it wasn't actual duels last a matter of seconds
@@JacksonC62 From what source did you glean this bit of knowledge? I've read many comments that make this claim and my requests for the source have always gone unanswered.
This is one of the better cinema sword fights and a classic.
Robin Hood was pretty good, and so was Prince Valiant, and the Vikings.
@@ronveri2838 Robin Hood (Errol Flynn dueling Basil Rathbone) is a serious classic. Never saw Prince Valiant but The Vikings (Tony Curtis & Kirk Douglas) isn't bad for the era.
@@jkorshak Prince Valiant.....James Mason and Robert Wagner. 1954....with Janet Leigh.
@@ronveri2838 I remember it well. I was 7 years old and already in an ecstasy of hero-worship over the Hal Foster comic strip so when the movie was released I HAD to see it and my parents took me. In subsequent viewings I've been disappointed at how badly the script weakened Aleta's character but that first time when I was a second-grader was magical.
My all-time favorite swords-on-screen moment is the duel between Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone in the 1940 remake of The Mark of Zorro.
I fenced competitively in college and earned a credential to teach Italian foil, epee and sabre; this is an exceptional scene with both actors displaying classic form and movement very well indeed. Fencing isn’t a practical form of defense, but rather a sport. However it is very theatrical, combined with two charming actors, an incredible set, it is wonderfully entertaining
The ending is perfect! It's a comedy.
Far from cheesy, it was a brilliant and exciting duel.
The fact that it occurred in the middle of an hilarious comedy makes it’s very unique…
6 years after this film was made Tony Curtis starred alongside Roger Moore in a tv series called the Persuaders. Though it was only 6 years later
Tony Curtis looked 20 years older than he did in the Great Race…
Was that a matter of makeup, or riotous living?
@@odysseusrex5908 The latter. Tony admitted in an interview that he was once a heavy cocaine user. That definitely would take its toll.
That ending tho hahaha
Best part. 😂😂😂
I must admit that I laughed when he hit the boat, which, of course, led to his death 💀. According to his autopsy, he died of a “serious head trauma”.
Should of broke his whole dame back😂
It's so hilarious because it doesn't fit to the serious swordfight before. It's more an ending we are used to at the end of a coyote vs roadrunner episode. Maybe it is even a reference to the series because at the end the coyote mostly becomes victim of his own tricks and of gravity.
it was so out of the blue i laughed
Ross Martin and Tony Curtis were both expert swordsman as well as fine actors.
Their sword work was awful.
@@fjccommish *meh
@@fjccommish Not so much awful, as just fairly basic. The cut'n'thrust of what they were doing was pretty standard for film at the time. What was good about it was the speed (as well as the change of sound going from foil to saber); I don't recall another screen sword fight done at the speed they display here until "The Princess Bride", some 25 years later.
@@Travlr013 Not only basic, but awful. I had this discussion with an "expert" on swords and medieval weapons. I asked him how many times he had fought with a sword when death was on the line.
Answer - never.
Then he's not an expert with a sword.
@@fjccommish Keep in mind that this is "stage-fighting", and the idea is to NOT hurt the other person, if at all possible (cue notation about Kevin Nash in "The Punisher"). To the general audience, this will look just fine. Better than fine, in fact, given the speed of the execution.
As someone who has practised medieval rapier combat (yes, I have studied my Agrippa, although I prefer DeGrassi and learned lots from Silver and Marozzo) I note the more Olympic style in the fight here. They make the correct point about many more slashing attacks with the saber, which was correct due to the style of blade. It's one of the reasons why I liked the Rathbone/Power fight in "The Mark of Zorro" due to its heavy use of thrusting attacks.
Again, this wasn't master-class stage-fighting, but due to the speed of the basic forms being done, it was a more than passable show. And very entertaining. Almost as much fun as "The Court Jester", which was a much worse technical performance, but an awful lot of fun to watch....
Aww, i love old movies.
I miss those times when movies wheren't super realistic and/or gritty, but entertaining and fun to watch.
This duel is far more realistic than the cgi stuff being used now that actually looks more & more unrealistic. It looks more like animation than real life.
I’m not sure why but todays cgi is very poor compared to when I first saw it being used in the film
The Matrix over 20 years ago.
This was one of my favorite movies when i was a child.
It's still one of my favorites. For me this movie still holds up.
@@NelsonStJames ...yes!...
...this scene is a benchmark for students of stage combat...
...and for how you film and present a movie swordfight...
...intense acting in an intense action scene, intended as contrast and dramatic counterpoint to the comedy of this film...
The Great Race had it all, witty dialogue, amazing props and costume, a star cast and expertly well-timed comedy and action. It's easily one of the best performances of Jack Lemmon (IIRC it was his favourite). In the third act they manage to have a full-on slapstick rescue mission, a duel filled with tension ending with a punchline (and a superb stunt btw -the stuntman manages to believably wreck the boat and miss the boatman), and end it all with an astonishingly well-choreographed pie fight. My brother and I have watched this movie dozens of times, it always delivers.
Personally, I think it’s the best comedy motion picture ever made. Jack Lemmon’s performance is a masterpiece of comedy. Push the button Max😂😂😂
@@Ross-e9o I agree wholeheartedly. Not to take anything away from the great comedies that came after, but this is like a Rembrandt or a Michelangelo, an old masterpiece from a golden age of cinema.
It was a great comedy flick, loved it.
Cheesy? Nope. Curtis and Martin were both trained and experienced swordsmen with great skills.
Great sword fight even though it was from a comedy. I'm sure original audiences didn't expect to see a foil/sabre duel in a comedy epic. Of course the greatest duel ever filmed and THE one that all others are to be measured against is the great foil duel between Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer in Scaramouch!
AMEN BROTHER! Not only a spectacular sword fight but a truly awesome film. I tried to post the sword fight but RUclips says no.
...the climactic duel scene in Scaramouch is considered a benchmark for students of stage combat...
...this scene from "The Great Race" is another such benchmark...
I have to disagree about the Scaramouche. It was too reliant upon sound effects and overly theatrical. Oh and they weren't foils in that fight; they were small swords. A much better fight was the climactic exchange in The Mark of Zorro between Tyrone Power (though mostly a double who just happened to be the fight choreographer's son 😏) and Basil Rathbone. It had just enough dramatic flair and all the moves made sense to the moment. In the aforementioned fight, movements were put in obviously for spectacle with no other explanation or reason. That is a fight choreographer's hazard which needs to be avoided. As I always tell my actor/combatants, the fight must tell a story! The Scaramouche fight meandered from its tale too much. Now the fencing lesson scenes earlier in that film were excellent!
@@maxbrazil3712 I just added "Scaramouche", to my RUclips movies & TV collection!
Now, I have to get my Android equipped 99.5 Sony Bravia XBR-100Z9D, to watch it on!
@@robertmcpherson1617 Sometimes you just have to let brainless and wonderful entertainment flow over you.
That was actually an excellent sword fight but then the ending what outrageous. I almost fell off the couch.
I will say this the Baron wasn't lying when he said he had a boat waiting.
Ross Martin was always one of my favorite actors. : )
Nothing cheesy about this swordplay. It is excellently and technically precise smallsword and saber work. Foot work and everything.
I was 7 or so when I saw this in the theater with my parents. It was a _long_ movie for somebody that young, a _lot_ of it went over my head. But there's 2 scenes I always remembered. Jack Lemmon losing half of his frozen mustache, and this scene when Ross dives into the boat. The whole audience lost their sh*t, after such a "serious" long and scary swordfight.
Nathalie Wood bathing in the pond was my favorite when I was 10. The sword fight was a close second.
@@maxbrazil3712 Let me guess. After watching Miss Natalie Wood's pond bathing scene, you left the Theater thinking, "That's why I want to be a Cavalryman!" LOL
@@WalterDWormack214 LOL. For me, it was Jill St. John in *Diamonds are Forever.*
@Odysseus Rex We'd better be very, VERY, careful! Both of those ladies, had one thing in common. They had one Robert Wagner in their lives!
I personally don't want that guy going all "Prince Valiant", and coming after ME with a "Singing Sword" in his hands!
@@WalterDWormack214 Well, he's 93 years old, so I'm not worried.
Can we take a serious moment and appreciate Ross Martin's acting here? He starts cocky and sleazy. Then he shifts into serious mode when it becomes clear Mr. Leslie is an accomplished swordsman. Then he gets pissed when Leslie matches him with not only the foil but the saber as well. Then he gets shaken up as he realizes he's slowly losing the fight.
Just imagine if they got to Broadswords. 🤔
Then he plunges into a boat from a few storeys high.
Thank you for explaining that.
@@mortimerlivan557 This is on par with 'I have to go, my planet needs me'.
lmao! That ending! Way to ruin an awesome get away. lol!
A perfect homage to _Prisoner of Zenda_...and then he went headfirst into the rowboat...wa-waa--waaa. Tudum-tish!
This isn't cheesy its actually a good fight compared to todays movies.
Totally agree. One of the best duels in cinema history. Right up there with Basil Rathbone vs Tyrone Power in The Mark of Zorro, and Basil Rathbone vs Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood!
And the stunt of jumping on the boat wasn’t bad either …… no CGI… !
@@brucerestau7716 Wait....what about Basil Rathbone and Danny Kaye in "The Court Jester"? 🤣
exactly my thoughts.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Delightful in every moment, especially those with Jack Lemmon. Thanks for the post
The Great Race. The best " slapstick " comedy ever made by Blake Edwards. My favorite comedy movie EVER!!!!!!!!
I saw it new in 1965 & loved it! Can you believe this 4 star movie's rating was reduced to 2 l/2 stars, 10 years
later, but has since been upgraded to 3 l/2 stars?
That's because Hollywood believes that comedies now need to be " raunchy " bordering into the obscene. They forget how successful comedians like Charles Chaplin , Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, Jerry Lewis , Chevy Chase and Jim Carrey doing slapstick comedy. I'm not a betting person , but if l were , l would bet that a lot of people would "die" from laughing out loud from watching a Jerry Lewis movie The Bellboy, The ( original ) Nutty Proffesor, and The Big Mouth.
Brilliant sword fight. One of the best in filmdom. And displays Tony Curtis excellence in the skill.
Ross Martin wasn’t too shabby, either, jcalberta.
That ending lmfao xD Of all the shit I did NOT expect!
"Please excuse me...I have a boat waiting", LOL!!
The Sword fight between Danny Kaye and Basil Rathbone in The Court Jester is classic swordsmanship and comedy together
Basil Is Rathbone and Tyrone Power in Zorro was excellent too
@@55Quirll Rathbone/Power is the greatest movie fight ever.
@@samsignorelli Agreed 👍!
The pallet with the poison is in the vessel with the pestle?
@@MarkGoding " The vessel with the pestle has the potion with the lotion, The flagon with the Dragon has the brew that is true" " Get it got it good"
Absolutely loved the 'tip of the hat' to the great WB swashbuckling films featuring the likes of Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone- (shadows on the wall) BRAVO !
Strangely one of the best true fencing scenes in the movies. Much more authentic than the truly cheesy display in the Princess Bride and many other swashbucklers. The clash of sabers after they discard foils says it all!
Ross Martin? Tony Curtis? This is Hollywood GOLD!
Ross Martin .. great actor.
I grew up on "The Wild Wild West" reruns and have been a fan of Ross Martin since. I found out later in life that by the time I became a fan of his Artemus Gordon character, Ross Martin had already passed. I had not seen any of his work nor thought of him for a very long time. Seeing him again made me smile so thanks for posting this. You've inspired me to try to find "The Great Race" on some streaming platform somewhere so that I can enjoy Ross' work again.
If you haven't already seen it, I invite you to catch his excellent villainy aside Peter Falk (his boyhood friend and costar here) in the Columbo episode "Suitable for Framing." The ending is to KILL for.
Thanks for the suggestion, @@wbcjr17106, I will seek it out and give it a watch!
I’m in,@@wbcjr17106! I’ll look for it. Thanks for the tip.
How many times did Arty save Jim's ass?
Artie was the best, @@maxbrazil3712
Under appreciated sword play showing the skills of Martin and Curtis....and all those pies and cakes lollol
Cheesy, yes, but its an homage to the Prisoner of Zenda fight between Ronald Colman and Douglas Fairbanks jr -- the shadow scenes, the window leap, all copied. And it has that wonderful line "I prefer a man's weapon, how are you with a sabre?" That's worth a million bucks right there!
& also the version with Granger & Mason.
Greatest Sword Fight Ever Filmed. Perfect.
This scene has no right to go so hard, it looks so epic and tense, but then the ending does a total 180
A parody of the sword fight scene in “The Prisoner Of Zenda”(1952) but tops it with the dive into almost-water.
A nice mix of comedy, drama, and a little bit over the top
No cheese here. Classy, exciting, very disciplined duelling, which doesn't break down into mock improvisation and brawling, but maintains form, speed and accuracy, which more recent fight choreography casts to the winds. . Bravo
Impressed that the actors did the fighting themselves, rather than cutting to a stand-in expert with his back to the camera...
And that's why "look before you leap" is solid advice.
missed it by that much
Yet another great display of swordsmanship.
I'm speaking as someone that has been sword fighting for 18 years. And honestly, for a film that came out in 1965, this is remarkably well done. Even today, sans the dialogue, the fencing itself would hold up quite nicely.
Back then, horsemanship and swordsmanship were assets in an actors potential career. Curtis was a highly skilled actor.
real skill no CGI
Nice that Blake Edwards resisted the urge to inject comedy into this well-staged fencing scene...until, of course, the final plunge 😂
I really like the part when they used a foil and were testing each other out. The way they did it is often seen in professional fights and it makes even more sense in a fight to the death when a single opening can mean life or death.
I always enjoyed this fencing scene. I used to fence and always thought their technique was the most realistic I ever saw in a movie but nobody, not nobody, is that good and no two people are that evenly matched. Fantastic Scene though!!!
This was still back during the studio days of Hollywood and Tony Curtis and many other studio Actors were required to do other things than acting. But in those days the Studios trained their stable of Actors in Dance, Gun Handling, Sword fighting, Horseback riding, and other skills. Curtis proved to be agile and athletic thus he was an natural. He had starred in a few other action type movies prior to this so he was just not a petty face. He was around 40 when he did this movie and he is in petty good shape.
"The Black Shield of Falworth", "The Son of Ali Baba", "The Vikings". Etc.
I have probably watched this movie more than a hundred times. Yet today is the day I noticed Tony Curtis suddenly acquires a glove when he picks up the saber.
Me too. I hate it when sharp eyed people notice something I missed. Bravo!
I just noticed where he got the glove . When he takes the sabre from the rack you can see a leather glove tucked in the hand guard of each blade.
@@maxbrazil3712 Omg you’re right!
This was absolutely brilliant!
I've loved this movie for years and watched it many times. Wonderful, lighthearted entertainment. Given the content of most of the movies we are presented with in this day and age, watching a movie like the Great Race is a breath of fresh air.
That’s one way of getting in a boat. I do like that shirt the Baron is wearing.
Great stage fighting. And he jumped in time to catch the boat. Hilarious.
I read somewhere that Ross Martin and Tony Curtis were champion swordsmen in real life. It looked realistic to me.
I saw this movie as a child and loved it. Saw it a few times later and thought Natalie Wood was beautiful, with a figure to match. The sword fight scene was entertaining, and hilarious at the end. "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day." He made a good point there, but wanting to live another day is not the way to do it, by diving off a ledge, head first into a waiting boat....😅
This was actually a very good fencing scene.. I'm from the school of "The best sword fight in movie history was The Mark of Zorro 1940", but this was very good.....right up until he jumped out the window and crashed into the boat!
Is there anything more delicious than a lump of well aged cheese?
One of the best adventure comedies of all time. Great script, fantastic director and wonderful set of star actors. Too bad we dont have those any more.
The Last Duel and its box office (or lack thereof) has probably killed the chances of any new ones for a few decades.
Basil Rathbone and Tyrone Power was a classic scene, very realistic
Not cheesy not brainless this is awesome
It was written with humor and everlasting love, although the dive into the boat is a moment of outrageous & delicious cheesiness. This was one of the first movies I remember seeing at a very young age. Natalie Wood bathing in the pond was a profound moment of sexual awakening. "The Great Race" is in my Top 10 Favorite movies.
The Great Race had it all. A bar fight, a sword fight, and even a pie fight.
Classic movie.
Fate loves Fate
Fate is fink
Push the button, Max!
Brandy! Throw more brandy!
Word has it that the log in that fireplace is still burning.
Great scene from a great movie.
I remember fondly watching this as a kid. That fencing scene is right up there with the best of Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone. But then the boat scene...LOL !! I look at this film now as "Princess Bride" as directed by Mel Brooks.
honestly the cheesiness is all in the character acting but the fencing is actually quite good xD Love to see it. And the cheesiness is honestly just perfect. I dream of playing this character in a DnD game xD
"Deliciously Cheesy Sword Fight"?? Those are two VERY skilled fencers actually performing that fight scene. No stunt doubles.
I remember watching this film with my cousins. Naturally, we all loved it and tried fencing with tree branches. Great movie!
Imagine if this came up on people’s recommendations one day 😂
It came up on mine.
Done xD
@@vtrvr511 no way no no no way what
nothing cheesy about this sword fight I don’t know about Curtis but I heard Ross Martin was an accomplished swordsman the end was hilarious I was on the floor laughing!
Great fight, increadibly dangerous thing to film.
Shawn Swigart Ross Martin was actually trained as a swordsman prior - it was one of his many talents 👍
The blades were not sharp.
@@odysseusrex5908 The danger come slipping too close or too back and getting hit in the face or equipment failure. The tip of one blade gets broken on a thrust and it will go right in the other person.
@@odysseusrex5908 A dull blade point in the eye is still going to sting a bit.
The more I watch it, the more I like it.
Better than anything I saw in the Olympics
Actually the basis of Wacky Races, Penelope Pitstop, Snidely Whiplash and all the rest... I love, love, LOVE this movie.
I'd like to see an update of the original "Wacky Races" with some additional racers. There has been a new Wacky Races show that has been shown outside the U. S. but it only features Dick Dastardly, Penelope Pitstop, Peter Perfect, and one new racer (I don't remember his name) but it just wasn't the same as the original. There was also a pilot for "Wacky Races Forever" featuring the sons and daughters of the original racers (such as Penelope Pitstop and Peter Perfect), and some of the classics such as Professor Pat Pending (who has gone from an eccentric scientist to a mad scientist). The pilot was available on RUclips and I liked it.
This is the sound of my local Chinese restaurant making a Fried Rice on a Wok
That wasn't too cheesy, that's how real sword fighting mostly is with little subtleties and nuances. The most ridiculous thing was the boat at the end.
Not really....NO fight ever goes on that long. The actions were pretty good, and props to both actors for using Italian grips on the foils.
@@samsignorelli Shut up dummy! At the point which you are talking about it it is Hollywood and is fine and yet is still realistic. Dont try and create other smaller sub arguments within what I said when my comment was already the sub argument. Anything beyond that just becomes ridiculous.
@@steveklick dude...I AM a fencer (mostly sabre, but I've fenced all three weapons, and currently teach sabre), and no fight ever goes that long without a hit being landed (unless you're an epeeist playing the non-combativity game). You claimed this is how most sword fighting goes on....I am telling you, no...it isn't...not even in a REAL fight to the death or 1st blood.
Further, I worked around stage combatants for 2 decades...I have seen good stage combat (which this is....both actors knew how to handle their weapons AND act at the same time), and this DOES serve the prime purpose of such actions...to help tell the story through the fight.
Is this a good stage combat scene? Yes. Is it a realistic fight? No. The most realistic stage fight in terms of what would happen in real life is the first fight in The Duelkists.
Now go unwind your knickers and sit down.
@@samsignorelli First of all I'm not responding to most of what you said because its completely ridiculous and unnecessary. I will leave you with this last little thing which is all that matters at this point and covers the entire scope of what's relevant whether you are a sword fighter or not.
So I suppose you have real duals to the death with other fencing masters in castle mansions all the time then? You are an idiot and cannot properly assess things.
@@steveklick And you clearly have no understanding of stage combat. As for the fighting part...I Have fenced competitively and have held a national ranking in sabre, so I DO know what can happen in an actual trading of steel (although no one today would take the chances in a real fight with sharp weapons the way we do in a competitive environment)...an on occasion, that fencing HAS been against Olympians (which didn't end well for me at all).
And your experience is....???
Two exceptional actors.
Awesome! Two memorable legendary actors
"Cheesy" wasn't an apt characterization here. As you can see by the other fencer's comments below, this was an exceptionally well-done bout. It was much more akin to a real fencing bout than the stage fencing one usually sees: the footwork was crisp, the bladework was on point, not avoiding the torso the way most stage duels are shown. It's mind-boggling that such an exceptional bout would be filmed for a silly comedy, albeit an enjoyable one.
As a former saber fencer, this is quite good.
This duel, and of Miss Natalie Wood, being abducted during her 'swim', by a very, very, lucky(?) Cavalryman, was the main reason I bought "The Great Race", on blu-ray!
I think the "cheesy" comment is aimed at the dialog and the way the fight was forced into the film. The action though, was SUPERB!
Since the whole thing was "The Prisoner Of Zenda", HOW can you say the swordfight was FORCED into the film?
@@mikegrossberg8624 The Prisoner of Zenda parody vignet (only one of many parodies in that film) was put in and to honor it, they needed a swordfight. Leslie was the one who had to fight the villain to fit the format. I bear the scene, the parody and of course, the entire movie no ill will! In fact, I loved it!!! I have been fencing for nearly 42 years, most of those as a classical fencer. I have also choreographed fights for the stage for about 36 years. I understand the proper marriage of the two. This film really pulled it off!
Cheesy? That was amazing! That ending too, it was completely unexpected.
Yes. It's a comedy. Find the whole movie, it's hilarious.
This is not cheesy, this actors are real good sword fighters.
ross martin and tony curtis great swordfight
Tony Curtis and Ross Martin. All we need now is Robert Conrad!
There was a third genius in this scene, perhaps the best of all - Blake Edwards! Crashing into the boat was his signature touch.
A fitting ending for a show'boat'er who got reincarnated as a u.s. secret service agent.
Great punchline. Was not expecting that.
Interesting how tactics with arms change over the centuries. In the days of metal armor there was more power and the methods depended on that. When armor was largely or entirely absent from the battlefield the sword was the gentlemen's weapon used in something of a game of wits. And of course:
"He didn't fall? INCONCEIVABLE!!!"
"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Tony Curtis and Ross Martin practiced this scene for 8 months prior to filming.
P.S. Notice the size of that fireplace! 🔥
it doesn't show
That's something I just noticed. The Baron is attempting to force Leslie into the Fireplace.
Brilliant Tony Curtis and Ross Martin 👏👏
Bonus points to Ross for the "et la."
I was wondering what a legitimate Japanese samurai would think when he saw this fight ...
Not much, I assume. They were not skilled in foil a d European sabre fencing.
man just dives straight thru the boat
Magnífica escena de esgrima.....Un final Grandioso....Excelentes Tony Curtis y Ross Martin...!!!!
Saw this in a theater when young and of course I loved the entire movie. This scene stands out as great Hollywood swordplay - choreographed drama punctuated with a header into a rowboat! Buster Keaton likely saw this film and probably smiled at that point.
Curtis all glistened up for the scene.
The fencing was great. It was the escape that was cheesy.😂
How have I lived my life so far without knowing that this existed? Fantastic! I miss the time when movies used real stunts and skilled performances to entertain. CGI today and AI video tomorrow makes everything look like a cartoon