MovieChat Forums > The Great Race (1965) Discussion > TV Almost Killed this Film for Me

TV Almost Killed this Film for Me

posted 13 years ago by odo5435
10 replies | jump to latest

I hesitated over it, but finally got a copy of "The Great Race" on DVD and I was suddenly reminded of why the movie had so impressed me when I saw it in the theater at 11 years old.

When the film was first shown on TV a good 10 or 15 years later I was excited at the prospect. The viewing, however, was very disappointing. I didn't realise it at the time, but the film had been cut to ribbons making the plot difficult to follow. This was exacerbated by the medium's incessant need for constant advertising interruptions. Good scenes were removed for expediency which made a mish mash of what was left and reduced the iconic scenes to sometimes odd events within the story.

The deletion of the haunting lakeside song sung by Ms Wood (I particularly missed the 'follow the bouncing ball lyrics' which I'd been looking forward to as a nostalgic reminder of happier times) was the final straw. I hate to admit it but watching the film had become a chore.

After several attempts at trying to recapture the magic whenever I caught it on TV I'd pretty much written the movie off as just an entertaining childish memory.

I'm so glad I went through with the purchase. I've just seen TGR again in its full glory (including the 'bouncing ball' I'm happy to say). This was Blake Edwards at his peak and it showed. It might not be the greatest film ever made, but it does what it sets out to do (be an homage to the great films of Laurel and Hardy) brilliantly.

Thank you Warner Bros for finally releasing this movie in a format that allows "The Great Race" to be enjoyed in its entirety. I will savour many viewings in the future.

Episodes like this are a reminder of why good films should never be watched on television.

That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets.

[–] babyfir77 13 years ago

Impressive review and I sure agree with you. Gotta be seen letterboxed. Saw it with my boys again last night. Big Professor Fate fans!

[–] Blueghost 13 years ago

Unfortunately that happens (or used to happen) when popular theatrically released films hit the small screen. There's lots of editing for time, particularly for commercials since this is how stations pay for those films.

[–] odo5435 12 years ago

I don't object to TV stations earning a buck (after all, the poorly paid executives need to fund their impoverished lifestyle somehow), but I get angry at the frequency of the interruptions to films. In Australian prime time, commercial breaks occur at least every ten minutes, sometimes only showing one or two adverts. It makes it very difficult to follow films with involved plots, particularly when the breaks sometimes occur at climactic points.

I suppose with the current proliferation of action driven films that have no plot the problem will disappear with time (along with the current generation's appreciation of what constitutes a quality film).

That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets.

[–] seahawk3133 12 years ago

Thats why I will never watch a movie on AMC or any regular TV channel ever again.
If the movie is not shown in its entirity, there is little reason to watch it

[–] teeport-1 12 years ago

And how! I dislike most modern films in comparison with older ones, but give thanks daily for living in such an enlightened age of available, affordable media. We don't have to settle for butchered, pan-&-scan telecasts anymore, we can bring a favorite home for very little money on DVD (laser discs left some beautiful collectibles for posterity, but proved cumbersome & expensive.) Even a 3-hour slot couldn't accomodate the entire GREAT RACE, so obviously the first scenes to be sacrificed were the two musical numbers. They shouldn't'a, hadn't'a, ought'n'a done that.

[–] nycruise-1 12 years ago

Are you talking about its showing on the "CBS Thursday Night Movie" and the "CBS Friday Night Movie"?

I remember it being shown in two parts. Given that each slot was 2 hours and the movie is 3 hours, I thought the movie was shown "complete" - only horribly interrupted for/by commercials.

I distinctly remember hearing Dorothy Provine sing her song and the lyric "all the men are hairy chested and the women double-breasted."

I also remember subsequent repeat showings in two parts on CBS.

What network do you remember broadcasting it? I could swear it premiered on TV on CBS in the late 60s or early 70s.

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] odo5435 11 years ago

You might have missed my (somewhat obscure) reference to being Australian. At the time we were less aligned with the U.S. network system but, to answer your query, I honestly can't remember which channel showed the film. Cable/satellite TV did not exist in Aus. in the '70s so it would have been one of the free-to-air channels.

It's possible there was a 'Premiere' Sunday evening airing that may have been more complete but, if so, I missed it. I only ever caught the Saturday/Sunday 'Matinée' showings. Nonetheless, my disappointment at the experience is vivid.

That wasn't very sporting, using real bullets.

[–] vinidici 11 years ago

Just saw it this evening after some 40 years since my last viewing. One thing I didn't remember at all was the lengthy sequence parodying The Prisoner of Zenda. When I came across this thread I thought I should ask, was this entire part of the story deleted from the 1970's broadcast?

Okay folks, show's over, nothing to see here!

[–] odo5435 11 years ago

You gotta remember it was forty-odd years ago!

I do remember that the pie fight scene, the logically implausible climax to 'The Prisoner of Zenda' chapter, had me wondering "what the h@!! is that all about? How does this fit into the plot?". So, in all likelihood, there was only a token lead-up (if any) to the scene.

Without the set-up, however, the fight is simply out of context and very unfunny.

It was this particular adulteration that was in mind in my original post. "Good scenes were removed for expediency which made a mish mash of what was left and reduced the iconic scenes to sometimes odd events within the story."

That wasn't vethery sporting, using real bullets.

[–] aimsusie 11 years ago

I never saw this movie in the theater. I discovered it on TV and enjoyed whatever I saw of it, including the pie fight. I don't remember when I finally saw it in its entirety, uninterrupted by commercials. I now have the DVD and can enjoy it the way it's supposed to be seen any time I want. Thank goodness for DVD! I can never watch it or any other movie on commercial TV. People who criticize the movie as being unfunny or boring have probably never seen it in its entirety and don't know what they're missing.

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