Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Crosswicking from a new trope
Added DiffLines:
* CooperationGambit: After Professor Fate and Maggie [=DuBois=] are kidnapped by some bad guys, Fate's minion Max joins forces with the Great Leslie to rescue them. Of course, being a villain Max betrays the heroes during the rescue.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* CanonSue: Leslie is very much this. PlayedForLaughs, as the movie is very aware of it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* GoodColorsEvilColors: Not evil, per se, but Fate's colour scheme is all blacks and greys, whereas valiant Leslie's is wholly white.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: The Professor's speciality. He gets gassed by his own security system, nearly mauled by his own attack dogs, blown-up repeatedly by his car's own cannon and is sidelined early in the race by his and Max's own mechanical sabotages.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Professor Fate to Leslie, naturally. He sabotages all the other cars in the race to keep between between the two of them, and suffers a major breakdown when Leslie deliberately and gracefully forfeits at the end instead of being beaten by the Professor.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 97 (click to see context) from:
* LaughWithMe: When The Great Leslie and Hezekiah meet Crown Prince Hoepnick. The prince makes several jokes, each time gesturing for the crowd to laugh, which they dutifully do. At one point Hezekiah keeps laughing after every one else stops, until The Great Leslie [[BeQuietNudge elbows him in the ribs]]. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z81NmslTo4#t=0m20 here]].
to:
* LaughWithMe: When The Great Leslie and Hezekiah meet Crown Prince Hoepnick.Hapnik. The prince makes several jokes, each time gesturing for the crowd to laugh, which they dutifully do. At one point Hezekiah keeps laughing after every one else stops, until The Great Leslie [[BeQuietNudge elbows him in the ribs]]. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z81NmslTo4#t=0m20 here]].
Changed line(s) 157 (click to see context) from:
* UndyingLoyalty: Hezekiah and Max.
to:
* UndyingLoyalty: Hezekiah and Max.Max, to Leslie and the Professor respectively.
Changed line(s) 162 (click to see context) from:
* VillainousBreakdown: The Professor, upon finding out he [[spoiler: only won because Leslie chose to lose in order to prove a point]]
to:
* VillainousBreakdown: The Professor, Professor suffers an incredible breakdown, upon finding out he [[spoiler: only won because Leslie chose to lose in order to prove a point]]
Changed line(s) 166 (click to see context) from:
* WorldTour
to:
* WorldTourWorldTour: New York City to Paris, via the American Midwest, the Bering Strait, and eastern and central Europe.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 13,14 (click to see context) from:
* TheAce: Leslie.
* ActingForTwo: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Prince Hoepnick.
* ActingForTwo: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Prince Hoepnick.
to:
* TheAce: Leslie.
The Great Leslie, as the name suggests.
* ActingForTwo: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and PrinceHoepnick.Hapnik.
* ActingForTwo: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Prince
Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
* AnnoyingLaugh: Prince Hoepnick, which Fate must soon imitate.
to:
* AnnoyingLaugh: Prince Hoepnick, Hapnik, which Fate must soon imitate.
* BadassMoustache: Hezekiah has a prominent one. He pairs this with...
* BaldOfAwesome: Hezekiah, again. His baldness is how he identifies himself to Leslie at some distance during the film's second-act.
* BaldOfAwesome: Hezekiah, again. His baldness is how he identifies himself to Leslie at some distance during the film's second-act.
** This trope is played with in the scene where General Kuhster gives Fate an impromptu lesson on laughing like Prince Hapnik. It doesn't appear to have any effect.
Changed line(s) 73 (click to see context) from:
* HeelFaceTurn: Max does one very briefly when working with Leslie to free the others.
to:
* HeelFaceTurn: Max does one very briefly when working with Leslie to free the others. It turns out to be an EnemyMine when Max quickly resumes his villainous tendencies once the Professor is free.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* LotsOfLuggage: Maggie [=DuBois=] takes along a large amount of luggage when she takes part in the title car race. When her car breaks down and the Great Leslie rescues her, she insists that he take her luggage along.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 98 (click to see context) from:
--> Lily: If by now, you haven't mastered
to:
--> Lily: '''Lily:''' If by now, you haven't mastered
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
* CatchPhrase: Professor Fate's "Push the button, Max!" (It even has its own {{Leitmotif}}: [[http://www.last.fm/music/Henry+Mancini/_/Push+The+Button,+Max! sample here]].)
to:
* CatchPhrase: Professor Fate's "Push the button, Max!" (It even has its own {{Leitmotif}}: [[http://www.last.fm/music/Henry+Mancini/_/Push+The+Button,+Max! youtube.com/watch?v=RtoD6FiCmFQ sample here]].)
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 161 (click to see context) from:
* WeWillMeetAgain: Von Stuppe: "The man who fights and runs away will live to fight another day" before escaping.
to:
* WeWillMeetAgain: Von Stuppe: "The man "He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day" before escaping.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 85 (click to see context) from:
* InformedAbility: Texas Jack is described as the toughest man in the area and everyone is scared of him when he first shows up at the bar, and even the sherrif backs down from his threats, but once the fight starts he's not any better than Leslie, Hezekiah, or his own goons for that matter.
to:
* InformedAbility: Texas Jack is described as the toughest man in the area and everyone is scared of him when he first shows up at the bar, and even the sherrif sheriff backs down from his threats, but once the fight starts he's not any better than Leslie, Hezekiah, or his own goons for that matter.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 76 (click to see context) from:
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied. After Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. Unfortunately the (small, wooden) boat is right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
to:
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied. After Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. window into the lake. Unfortunately the (small, wooden) for him, his escape boat is small, wooden, and located right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 76 (click to see context) from:
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied: after the evil Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. Unfortunately the boat is right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
to:
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied: after the evil Parodied. After Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. Unfortunately the (small, wooden) boat is right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* AshFace: Happens to the Professor and Max a couple of times.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 38 (click to see context) from:
** Maggie mentions in passing her ability to speak, read and write in Russian, French and Arabic. Then, she, the Professor and Max end up in Russia and the two men are both comically unable to get anything whatsoever across to the stoic populace until Maggie intervenes.
to:
** Maggie mentions in passing her ability to speak, read and write in Russian, French and Arabic. Then, Much later she, the Professor Professor, and Max end up in Russia and the two men are both comically unable to get anything whatsoever across to the stoic populace until Maggie intervenes.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 155 (click to see context) from:
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: There actually was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908_New_York_to_Paris_Race NY to Paris Automobile Race in 1908]], and some of the more nonsensical aspects of the movie (crossing the Bering Strait on an ice floes, for instance) were actually considered for the actual race before common sense prevailed. Three cars finished and all still survive today in museums.
to:
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: There actually was a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908_New_York_to_Paris_Race NY to Paris Automobile Race in 1908]], and some of the more nonsensical aspects of the movie (crossing the Bering Strait on an ice floes, for instance) were actually considered for the actual race before common sense prevailed. Three cars finished and all still survive today in museums.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* ItsPronouncedTropay: Leslie doesn't exactly mispronounce the word "automobile", but he over-enunciates it so badly that it counts, ending up sounding like there are four separate words instead of one longer one.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
** Apparently, they had to stop the fight several times during filming so that Tony Curtis could change clothes - he was constantly getting hit by bits of flying pastry.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 46 (click to see context) from:
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him. And he resembles Snidely Whiplash, as well, though that is likely a coincidence.
to:
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate.Fate is quite possibly the TropeCodifier. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him. And he resembles Snidely Whiplash, as well, though that is likely a coincidence.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Link (red)
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, NatalieWood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
to:
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, Creator/BlakeEdwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, NatalieWood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
* ActingForTwo: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate and Prince Hoepnick.
* AnnoyingLaugh: Prince Hoepnick, which Fate must soon imitate.
Changed line(s) 44 (click to see context) from:
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him.
to:
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him. And he resembles Snidely Whiplash, as well, though that is likely a coincidence.
Added DiffLines:
* RunningGag: "Push the button, Max," which inevitably leads to "MAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXX!!!"
Added DiffLines:
* UndyingLoyalty: Hezekiah and Max.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* HilarityEnsues: Professor Fate's attempts to outdo or sabotage Leslie.
Added DiffLines:
* LargeHam: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate. His laugh takes this UpToEleven - and it's ''awesome''.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 16 (click to see context) from:
* {{Asexuality}}: Possibly Professor Fate. Nowhere does he show ''any'' interest in anything other than inventing ridiculous artillery / machinery to outdo Leslie. Examples include how ''all'' the men in the bar were going ga-ga over [[HelloNurse Lily]]... except him. He seemed to find her extremely annoying, and kept avoiding her - she had to actually ''pull'' him over to her in order for her to act like he was trying to put the moves on her (to go in sync with her song). And then there's how he shows no interest in peeking on [[MsFanservice Maggie]] bathing in the lake, and even gets disgusted at Max for peeking. This could be because of [[ManChild his profound childishness]].
to:
* {{Asexuality}}: Possibly Professor Fate. Nowhere does he show ''any'' interest in anything other than inventing ridiculous artillery / machinery to outdo Leslie. Examples include how ''all'' the men in the bar were going ga-ga over [[HelloNurse Lily]]... except him. He seemed to find her extremely annoying, and kept avoiding her - she had to actually ''pull'' him over to her in order for her to act like he was trying to put the moves on her (to go in sync with her song). And then there's how he shows no interest in peeking on [[MsFanservice Maggie]] bathing in the lake, and even gets disgusted frustrated at Max for peeking. peeking.
** Thiscould might be because of [[ManChild his profound childishness]].childishness]], however.
** This
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
* BeardOfEvil: Baron Von Stuppe rocks a villainous goatee, and both secondary antagonists General Kuhster and Texas Jack have prominent moustaches.
** Leslie, as the hero, is constantly clean-shaven.
** Leslie, as the hero, is constantly clean-shaven.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
Added reference.
Added DiffLines:
** Which was appropriated by a certain team of scientists down in Deep 13.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
change to more specific sub trope
Changed line(s) 34 (click to see context) from:
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Leslie wears white and all his gear is white. Professor Fate wears black and his car is black.
to:
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: ColourCodedCharacters: Leslie wears white and all his gear is white. Professor Fate wears black and his car is black.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Changed line(s) 3,4 (click to see context) from:
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
to:
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood NatalieWood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
Is there an issue? Send a MessageReason:
None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:194:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/greatrace.JPG]]
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
The film is (very) loosely based on the 1908 New York to Paris automobile race. The protagonist is The Great Leslie (Curtis), a dashing and wealthy daredevil known for setting speed records and other dangerous stunts. His nemesis, Professor Fate (Lemmon) and his sidekick, Max (Falk) try to outdo him, but [[HilarityEnsues always fail hilariously]]. When Leslie enters a race from New York to Paris to promote a new car, Professor Fate promptly joins the race as well, hoping to finally defeat his hated rival. Photojournalist and suffragette Maggie [=DuBois=] (Wood), intent on covering the story, enters the race too. Shortly after the start, Fate's dirty tricks eliminate all contestants except Leslie and Maggie. Later, Maggie's car breaks down and she's forced to ride with Leslie -- not long after that, Leslie's mechanic gets "conveniently" sidetracked. Should anyone be surprised that a relationship starts forming between the two of them?
''The Great Race'' contains many silent movie-era slapstick and visual gags and parodies. While not a big success in its own time it has since become something of a CultClassic. It was also a major influence on the cartoon series ''WackyRaces''.
Not to be confused with Creator/HPLovecraft's StarfishAliens.
----
!'''Contains examples of:'''
* TheAce: Leslie.
* AndAnotherThing: Maggie attempts this but never gets to finish it as Hezekiah drags her from the tent. She does manage to get in a nice air-kick though.
* ArtisticTitle: The opening credits are presented in the form of a turn-of-the-century slideshow.
* {{Asexuality}}: Possibly Professor Fate. Nowhere does he show ''any'' interest in anything other than inventing ridiculous artillery / machinery to outdo Leslie. Examples include how ''all'' the men in the bar were going ga-ga over [[HelloNurse Lily]]... except him. He seemed to find her extremely annoying, and kept avoiding her - she had to actually ''pull'' him over to her in order for her to act like he was trying to put the moves on her (to go in sync with her song). And then there's how he shows no interest in peeking on [[MsFanservice Maggie]] bathing in the lake, and even gets disgusted at Max for peeking. This could be because of [[ManChild his profound childishness]].
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Played for laughs; when Fate impersonates the prince and is about to be crowned, he abruptly leaves in the middle of the ceremony.
* BarBrawl: One of the greatest. "Now who's gonna give a man some FIGHTIN' ROOM?"
* BattleButler: Max and Hezekiah both act as domestic servants to their employers, in addition to their duties as bodyguards and assistants in their daredevil acts.
* BedsheetLadder: When Maggie is imprisoned, she makes one out of her clothes. Though her escape attempt was unsuccessful, it certainly wasn't [[{{Fanservice}} pointless]].
* BelligerentSexualTension: Maggie and Leslie [[spoiler:To the point where he ''throws the race'' just to make a point to her.]]
* BeQuietNudge: Done by Leslie to Hezekiah during the LaughWithMe moment mentioned below.
* TheBigRace: Obviously.
* BulletproofFashionPlate: The Great Leslie's clothes never get stained. Lampshaded continually throughout the movie, culminating in a very funny rant by the Professor.
** They do at one point - during the massive pie fight. [[spoiler:Even then, he makes it mostly through clean. Then Maggie hits him with one completely by accident. And that one pie is the same color as his outfit - quite possibly the only pie in the entire pie fight that ''didn't'' have a colorful filling.]]
* CarFu: Max storms the Baron's castle using the Hannibal 8; he rams down the main gates and uses the car's cannon and smoke dispenser to take on the Carpanian infantry.
* CatchPhrase: Professor Fate's "Push the button, Max!" (It even has its own {{Leitmotif}}: [[http://www.last.fm/music/Henry+Mancini/_/Push+The+Button,+Max! sample here]].)
** That music (more strictly a "theme" than a motif) is associated rather with Professor Fate himself than with the button. If you listen to the track called "A Royal Waltz," you'll hear the same theme transformed into a Viennese style waltz-tune, reflecting how Prince Hapnick is the ''mitteleuropäisch'' version of Professor Fate, in a context where there is no button and no Max.
** As well as his other catch phrase he screams whenever something goes wrong: '''[[SayMyName "MAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXX!!!"]]'''
* ChekhovsSkill: The film early on sets Leslie up to be a master swordsman. Baron Von Stuppe as well is introduced as being a proficient duelist. A duel is imminent.
** Maggie mentions in passing her ability to speak, read and write in Russian, French and Arabic. Then, she, the Professor and Max end up in Russia and the two men are both comically unable to get anything whatsoever across to the stoic populace until Maggie intervenes.
* ChewingTheScenery: Pretty much every scene with the Professor. Best example, though, is probably his [[VillainousBreakdown rant]] at the end of the film.
* ChivalrousPervert: Leslie, who can't resist the good will of any woman.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Leslie wears white and all his gear is white. Professor Fate wears black and his car is black.
* ConservationOfCompetence: Max is completely ineffectual as Professor Fate's sidekick. Though when he isn't by the Professor's side, he actually ''does'' display competence: namely, during the rescue mission for Professor Fate (and the others), he actually manages to effectively disguise himself as a [[strike: fryer]] friar, go ninja on everyone, and defeat / distract 99% of the guards, thereby aiding the escape immensely.
* CoolAirship: Professor Fate has an exceptionally small one - two-person, pedal-powered. It works pretty well, except that the bomb-releasing mechanism is [[StuffBlowingUp slightly misplaced.]]
* CoolCar: The Hannibal 8 and the Leslie Special. Both were built for the movie.
* CoveredInGunge: Everybody (except, of course, Leslie) after a large pie fight.
** Even Leslie gets this by the end. Not as bad as everyone else, but still...
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him.
* DeadpanSnarker: Professor Fate, yet again (though he's far from deadpan).
** On being told the iceberg he's stranded on is sinking: "Of course I'll keep it to myself... until the water reaches my bottom lip and then I'M GONNA MENTION IT TO SOMEBODY!!!"
* DecoyDamsel: When her car breaks down, Maggie lies down on the ground as if she had fainted, so Leslie would stop and help her.
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Professor Fate in ''spades.''
** In point of fact, Dick Dastardly was clearly ''based on'' Professor Fate, so this is fact the trope's origin.
* DirtyCoward: The Sheriff of Boracho. Once the saloon fight starts, he pins his badge on a semi-conscious cowboy and quickly runs out the door.
* DrivenByEnvy: Professor Fate's jealousy towards Leslie is his main motivation. He's driven to drive.
* TheEdwardianEra
* EpicRace
* EscalatingBrawl:
** In the town of Borracho, a fight between The Great Leslie and Texas Jack quickly turns into an all-out BarBrawl.
** The pie fight scene in develops this way; people walk in to the bakery, see what's going on, get hit by a missile intended for someone else and join the scrum--except, of course, for The Great Leslie, who walks through the crossfire unscathed until Maggie gets him in the face at close quarters purely by accident. Obviously, this is PlayedForLaughs.
* EvilChancellor: General Kuhster and Baron von Stuppe
* EvilLaugh: Professor Fate has a particularly memorable one.
* FakeKing: In a subplot, parodying ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'', Prince Hapnik, crown prince of a fictional kingdom is replaced by Fate, who looks exactly like him.
* {{Flynning}}: The sword duel. Lampshaded when the Count suggests they switch to sabers and they trade their fencing foils for movie foils; still foils, only with elaborate, saber-like hilts.
* FollowTheBouncingBall: When Maggie sings "The Sweetheart Tree".
* FoodFight: Contains the largest pie fight in cinematic history. The scene used '''4000 pies''' and took five days to shoot.
* FrankensteinsMonster: Professor Fate's marvelous Hannibal-8 racer is a variant of this trope. It's a car made from the finest parts of other cars, much as the Monster is a patchwork of other people's parts; the scene of its unveiling in the Professor's gothic manor is reminiscent of similar ones in various Frankenstein movies; and Max's appearance with a stolen Rolls Royce magneto in that scene is suitably Igor-like.
* GorgeousPeriodDress: Edith Head, the costume designer for the movie, really went to town on the splendid 1900's outfits (from riding habit to motoring costumes to evening gowns) that Natalie Wood wore.
* GrandRomanticGesture: Leslie [[spoiler:loses the race on purpose (stopping right before the finish line) to show Maggie that he cares about her more]].
* HandSignals: During Professor Fate's first stunt (being pulled up into the air by an airplane), he and Max both signal each other with hand gestures.
* HarmlessVillain: Professor Fate is all talk, but for intents and purposes he is relatively harmless; his numerous weapons and plans always do more damage to him to than to anyone else.
* HaveAGayOldTime: The trailer calls the film the gayest comedy in the world.
* HeelFaceTurn: Max does one very briefly when working with Leslie to free the others.
* HenpeckedHusband: Maggie's editor, Mr Goodbody.
* HonorBeforeReason: At the end of the movie, [[spoiler:Fate wins the race, but only because Leslie threw the race to make a point to Maggie. Fate immediately rants at Leslie for this and demands another race so he can win on his own terms.]]
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied: after the evil Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. Unfortunately the boat is right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
* HyperspaceWardrobe: Maggie must have a truck following her on the race with her entire wardrobe in it.
* IdenticalStranger: Fate and the Prince (both [[ActingForTwo played by Jack Lemmon]]).
* TheIgor: Max is one, albeit one that is a lot easier on the eyes than most. His sneaky hunched over walk makes do for his lack of a true hunchback.
* IncomingHam: "I AM ''PROFESSOR FATE!"''
** Met with [[CrowningMomentOfFunny dead silence]] by the (Russian-speaking) villagers.
** It comes even early. In the very first scene: "A PARACHUTE!?!"
* {{Intermission}}: (2 minutes long, with music)
* InformedAbility: Texas Jack is described as the toughest man in the area and everyone is scared of him when he first shows up at the bar, and even the sherrif backs down from his threats, but once the fight starts he's not any better than Leslie, Hezekiah, or his own goons for that matter.
* IntimateHealing: In Alaska, Leslie explains to Maggie that they have to sleep under the same blanket to keep warm.
** And then they're joined by [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Professor Fate and Max]].
* IronButtMonkey: Professor Fate and Max.
* KissKissSlap: Maggie slaps Leslie, after he kisses her.
* KissOfDistraction: Leslie pulls one on Maggie early on; after she handcuffs herself to him and declares, essentially, that she's going to keep talking at him until he gets her into the race, he grabs her, kisses her, and uses the distraction to slip out of the cuff and put it on her other wrist.
* LaughablyEvil: Professor Fate, yet again. The submarine gag and the iceberg scene are good examples.
* LaughWithMe: When The Great Leslie and Hezekiah meet Crown Prince Hoepnick. The prince makes several jokes, each time gesturing for the crowd to laugh, which they dutifully do. At one point Hezekiah keeps laughing after every one else stops, until The Great Leslie [[BeQuietNudge elbows him in the ribs]]. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z81NmslTo4#t=0m20 here]].
* LiteralCliffhanger: Early in the film, Professor Fate jumps out a window. When the horrified observers rush over and look down, they see him hanging from a pole below the window.
* ManInWhite: Leslie.
* MeaningfulName: Borracho. [[BilingualBonus Which is Spanish for drunk.]]
--> Lily: If by now, you haven't mastered
--> The gentle art of getting plastered,
--> You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered
--> The motto of our town!
* MisterBig: Texas Jack, despite having a fearsome reputation and being the scourge of Boracho, is a tiny man. In fact, both the main characters and Jack's minions are bigger than he is.
* MobileShrubbery: We get our first glimpse on Professor Fate and Max when he is following Leslie's latest deed inside a shrubbery.
* NoIndoorVoice: Professor Fate, once again. He does a disproportionate amount of shouting, and aims it at everyone.
* NonSingingVoice: Robin Ward sang "The Sweetheart Tree" instead of Natalie Wood.
** But that's definitely Natalie Wood singing "My Country 'tis of Thee" earlier on...you can tell because she sounds off-key.
* OddCouple: See OppositesAttract below.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Maggie wears pretty much only her corset (with attached garters and stockings) throughout the final major sequence of the film. She also has her clothes blasted away, revealing her corset, when she pays a visit to Professor Fate's lair early on in the proceedings.
* OminousPipeOrgan: Professor Fate has one in his mansion, complete with the requisite rendition of [[JohannSebastianBach Bach's]] Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor. Partially subverted in that it's a ''player'' pipe organ -- all he does is pump the pedals.
* {{Omniglot}}: Maggie boasts to Leslie that she can speak, read and write Russian, French and Arabic. He responds that so can he - plus five other languages.
* OurNudityIsDifferent: Maggie daringly exposes her stocking to the shocked newspaper editor, Mr. Goodbody.
* OperaGloves: Maggie wears them several times.
* OperationJealousy: Maggie gets fed up with Leslie's flirting with other women... so she decides to play this out. With '''Professor Fate''' of all people. HilarityEnsues.
* OppositesAttract: The Great Leslie - charming male chauvinist. Maggie [=DuBois=] - militant women's libber.
* OutdoorBathPeeping: Max takes a peek at Maggie when she's bathing in a lake (though she's not naked). The Professor throws a bucket of water on him.
* PaperThinDisguise: Professor Fate tends to don these. Most notably an instance where all he does is add a fake beard.
* ParasolOfPrettiness: Maggie has one.
* PieInTheFace: ''See'' FoodFight, ''above''. Every major player gets at least one pie in the face -- Max gets 8 in the first round.
** Considering that Maggie is wearing little more than [[{{Fanservice}} Victorian lingerie]], many consider this scene Ground Zero for so-called "wet and messy" FetishFuel.
* PluckyGirl: Maggie, of course
* PrettyInMink
* PutTheirHeadsTogether: While The Great Leslie is infiltrating a castle he knocks out two guards by slamming their heads together.
* RoadRunnerVsCoyote: Leslie and Professor Fate.
* {{Ruritania}}: Prince Hapnik's country of Carpania.
* TheSavageIndian: Subverted. The Professor and Max are chased into Boracho by what they assume are savage Indians. It turns out they were just the Mayor's welcoming group dressed up.
* SayMyName: Professor Fate always screams Max's name whenever something goes wrong. It's pretty funny, actually.
* ShoutOut: The dedication: "To Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy"
* ShowSomeLeg: Maggie convinces her editor to give her the assignment of covering the race with showing him her leg in [[StockingFiller silk stockings]].
* SlapSlapKiss: The Great Leslie and Maggie [=DuBois=].
* SmokingIsCool: Leslie smokes a white pipe.
** Maggie smokes cigars to demonstrate that she's an emancipated woman.
* StayInTheKitchen; Maggie originally wanted to travel with Leslie, but he rebuffed her. So she entered the race herself.
* StealthPun: Perhaps not so much a pun, but definitely a stealthy joke - it may take you a minute to think about Natalie Wood's line 'If you harm one hair on his head...' (She is talking about [[BaldOfAwesome Hezekiah]])
** This troper missed the joke because he assumed she was talking about his mustache...
* StockingFiller: Maggie abundantly displays her black-stockinged legs (said stockings being held up by garters attached to her corset) during the kidnapping and pie-fight sequences.
* StormingTheCastle: Leslie and Maximilian storm the Baron's castle in order to rescue Maggie and the Professor. See CarFu above.
* StrawFeminist: Maggie has some shades of this. For example, despite her stated goal of "taking women off the pedestal," she is not above pretending to be a DistressedDamsel when it suits her. She also makes a habit of reading misogynist undertones into the comments of other characters where none exist, such as insisting that Leslie's genuine compliments about her driving ability are all secretly suffixed with "for a woman."
* StrollingThroughTheChaos: Leslie during the pie fight, though he eventually gets one [[PieInTheFace in the face.]]
* SwordFight: Von Stuppe vs Leslie. Neither wins, surprisingly; Leslie is obviously the better swordsman, but Von Stuppe pulls a VillainExitStageLeft and jumps out the window.
* TapOnTheHead: At least 11 people altogether.
* TemptingFate:
--> '''Prof. Fate:''' Do you realize the odds against a storm in this part of the ocean at this time of year?
--> '''Max:''' No, what?
--> '''Prof. Fate:''' 100-to-1.
--> [[DramaticThunder THUNDER]] [[ThunderEqualsDownpour BOOMS]]
** With approach in all his (painfully) failed attempts in various daredevil feats, Professor Fate is constantly tempting... well, fate.
* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: Professor Fate uses a small ''pedal-powered'' airship to try and drop a bomb onto Leslie, with [[HoistByHisOwnPetard predictable results]].
* ThoseTwoActors: Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood in their third (and final) film together, and Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in their second of two. Although, ask anyone to name a Tony Curtis/Jack Lemmon film, they'll probably think of [[SomeLikeItHot the other one]].
* TongueOnTheFlagpole
* TorchesAndPitchforks: Subverted when Professor Fate arrives in Siberia. There are crowds of people holding torches lining the streets, all ominously silent. They don't respond when Fate speaks, but when Maggie greets them in Russian they throng the car, enthusiastically cheering.
* TwinkleSmile: Leslie.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Maggie wears a different costume in every scene.
* VehicularSabotage: The villain's sidekick sabotages all the cars before the race... including their own. They realize it about a second before their engine falls out of the car.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: There actually was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908_New_York_to_Paris_Race NY to Paris Automobile Race in 1908]], and some of the more nonsensical aspects of the movie (crossing the Bering Strait on an ice floes, for instance) were actually considered for the actual race before common sense prevailed. Three cars finished and all still survive today in museums.
* VillainExitStageLeft: Baron Von Stuppe pulls one of these on Leslie after the hero proves to be better than him in fencing / swordfighting. He bungles the exit somewhat in a parody of the climactic scene from ''ThePrisonerOfZenda''.
* VillainousBreakdown: The Professor, upon finding out he [[spoiler: only won because Leslie chose to lose in order to prove a point]]
* WackyRacing
* WeaponizedCar: The Hannibal 8 (Fate's car) has a built-in cannon, among other things.
* WeWillMeetAgain: Von Stuppe: "The man who fights and runs away will live to fight another day" before escaping.
* TheVonTropeFamily: Baron von Stuppe
----
''Push the button, Max!''
'''''The Great Race''''' is a 1965 comedy film about a car race around the world. It was directed by Blake Edwards, and starred Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and a pre-''Series/{{Columbo}}'' Peter Falk.
The film is (very) loosely based on the 1908 New York to Paris automobile race. The protagonist is The Great Leslie (Curtis), a dashing and wealthy daredevil known for setting speed records and other dangerous stunts. His nemesis, Professor Fate (Lemmon) and his sidekick, Max (Falk) try to outdo him, but [[HilarityEnsues always fail hilariously]]. When Leslie enters a race from New York to Paris to promote a new car, Professor Fate promptly joins the race as well, hoping to finally defeat his hated rival. Photojournalist and suffragette Maggie [=DuBois=] (Wood), intent on covering the story, enters the race too. Shortly after the start, Fate's dirty tricks eliminate all contestants except Leslie and Maggie. Later, Maggie's car breaks down and she's forced to ride with Leslie -- not long after that, Leslie's mechanic gets "conveniently" sidetracked. Should anyone be surprised that a relationship starts forming between the two of them?
''The Great Race'' contains many silent movie-era slapstick and visual gags and parodies. While not a big success in its own time it has since become something of a CultClassic. It was also a major influence on the cartoon series ''WackyRaces''.
Not to be confused with Creator/HPLovecraft's StarfishAliens.
----
!'''Contains examples of:'''
* TheAce: Leslie.
* AndAnotherThing: Maggie attempts this but never gets to finish it as Hezekiah drags her from the tent. She does manage to get in a nice air-kick though.
* ArtisticTitle: The opening credits are presented in the form of a turn-of-the-century slideshow.
* {{Asexuality}}: Possibly Professor Fate. Nowhere does he show ''any'' interest in anything other than inventing ridiculous artillery / machinery to outdo Leslie. Examples include how ''all'' the men in the bar were going ga-ga over [[HelloNurse Lily]]... except him. He seemed to find her extremely annoying, and kept avoiding her - she had to actually ''pull'' him over to her in order for her to act like he was trying to put the moves on her (to go in sync with her song). And then there's how he shows no interest in peeking on [[MsFanservice Maggie]] bathing in the lake, and even gets disgusted at Max for peeking. This could be because of [[ManChild his profound childishness]].
* AwesomeMomentOfCrowning: Played for laughs; when Fate impersonates the prince and is about to be crowned, he abruptly leaves in the middle of the ceremony.
* BarBrawl: One of the greatest. "Now who's gonna give a man some FIGHTIN' ROOM?"
* BattleButler: Max and Hezekiah both act as domestic servants to their employers, in addition to their duties as bodyguards and assistants in their daredevil acts.
* BedsheetLadder: When Maggie is imprisoned, she makes one out of her clothes. Though her escape attempt was unsuccessful, it certainly wasn't [[{{Fanservice}} pointless]].
* BelligerentSexualTension: Maggie and Leslie [[spoiler:To the point where he ''throws the race'' just to make a point to her.]]
* BeQuietNudge: Done by Leslie to Hezekiah during the LaughWithMe moment mentioned below.
* TheBigRace: Obviously.
* BulletproofFashionPlate: The Great Leslie's clothes never get stained. Lampshaded continually throughout the movie, culminating in a very funny rant by the Professor.
** They do at one point - during the massive pie fight. [[spoiler:Even then, he makes it mostly through clean. Then Maggie hits him with one completely by accident. And that one pie is the same color as his outfit - quite possibly the only pie in the entire pie fight that ''didn't'' have a colorful filling.]]
* CarFu: Max storms the Baron's castle using the Hannibal 8; he rams down the main gates and uses the car's cannon and smoke dispenser to take on the Carpanian infantry.
* CatchPhrase: Professor Fate's "Push the button, Max!" (It even has its own {{Leitmotif}}: [[http://www.last.fm/music/Henry+Mancini/_/Push+The+Button,+Max! sample here]].)
** That music (more strictly a "theme" than a motif) is associated rather with Professor Fate himself than with the button. If you listen to the track called "A Royal Waltz," you'll hear the same theme transformed into a Viennese style waltz-tune, reflecting how Prince Hapnick is the ''mitteleuropäisch'' version of Professor Fate, in a context where there is no button and no Max.
** As well as his other catch phrase he screams whenever something goes wrong: '''[[SayMyName "MAAAAAAAAAAAXXXXX!!!"]]'''
* ChekhovsSkill: The film early on sets Leslie up to be a master swordsman. Baron Von Stuppe as well is introduced as being a proficient duelist. A duel is imminent.
** Maggie mentions in passing her ability to speak, read and write in Russian, French and Arabic. Then, she, the Professor and Max end up in Russia and the two men are both comically unable to get anything whatsoever across to the stoic populace until Maggie intervenes.
* ChewingTheScenery: Pretty much every scene with the Professor. Best example, though, is probably his [[VillainousBreakdown rant]] at the end of the film.
* ChivalrousPervert: Leslie, who can't resist the good will of any woman.
* ColourCodedForYourConvenience: Leslie wears white and all his gear is white. Professor Fate wears black and his car is black.
* ConservationOfCompetence: Max is completely ineffectual as Professor Fate's sidekick. Though when he isn't by the Professor's side, he actually ''does'' display competence: namely, during the rescue mission for Professor Fate (and the others), he actually manages to effectively disguise himself as a [[strike: fryer]] friar, go ninja on everyone, and defeat / distract 99% of the guards, thereby aiding the escape immensely.
* CoolAirship: Professor Fate has an exceptionally small one - two-person, pedal-powered. It works pretty well, except that the bomb-releasing mechanism is [[StuffBlowingUp slightly misplaced.]]
* CoolCar: The Hannibal 8 and the Leslie Special. Both were built for the movie.
* CoveredInGunge: Everybody (except, of course, Leslie) after a large pie fight.
** Even Leslie gets this by the end. Not as bad as everyone else, but still...
* DastardlyWhiplash: Professor Fate. Dick Dastardly is actually based on him.
* DeadpanSnarker: Professor Fate, yet again (though he's far from deadpan).
** On being told the iceberg he's stranded on is sinking: "Of course I'll keep it to myself... until the water reaches my bottom lip and then I'M GONNA MENTION IT TO SOMEBODY!!!"
* DecoyDamsel: When her car breaks down, Maggie lies down on the ground as if she had fainted, so Leslie would stop and help her.
* DickDastardlyStopsToCheat: Professor Fate in ''spades.''
** In point of fact, Dick Dastardly was clearly ''based on'' Professor Fate, so this is fact the trope's origin.
* DirtyCoward: The Sheriff of Boracho. Once the saloon fight starts, he pins his badge on a semi-conscious cowboy and quickly runs out the door.
* DrivenByEnvy: Professor Fate's jealousy towards Leslie is his main motivation. He's driven to drive.
* TheEdwardianEra
* EpicRace
* EscalatingBrawl:
** In the town of Borracho, a fight between The Great Leslie and Texas Jack quickly turns into an all-out BarBrawl.
** The pie fight scene in develops this way; people walk in to the bakery, see what's going on, get hit by a missile intended for someone else and join the scrum--except, of course, for The Great Leslie, who walks through the crossfire unscathed until Maggie gets him in the face at close quarters purely by accident. Obviously, this is PlayedForLaughs.
* EvilChancellor: General Kuhster and Baron von Stuppe
* EvilLaugh: Professor Fate has a particularly memorable one.
* FakeKing: In a subplot, parodying ''ThePrisonerOfZenda'', Prince Hapnik, crown prince of a fictional kingdom is replaced by Fate, who looks exactly like him.
* {{Flynning}}: The sword duel. Lampshaded when the Count suggests they switch to sabers and they trade their fencing foils for movie foils; still foils, only with elaborate, saber-like hilts.
* FollowTheBouncingBall: When Maggie sings "The Sweetheart Tree".
* FoodFight: Contains the largest pie fight in cinematic history. The scene used '''4000 pies''' and took five days to shoot.
* FrankensteinsMonster: Professor Fate's marvelous Hannibal-8 racer is a variant of this trope. It's a car made from the finest parts of other cars, much as the Monster is a patchwork of other people's parts; the scene of its unveiling in the Professor's gothic manor is reminiscent of similar ones in various Frankenstein movies; and Max's appearance with a stolen Rolls Royce magneto in that scene is suitably Igor-like.
* GorgeousPeriodDress: Edith Head, the costume designer for the movie, really went to town on the splendid 1900's outfits (from riding habit to motoring costumes to evening gowns) that Natalie Wood wore.
* GrandRomanticGesture: Leslie [[spoiler:loses the race on purpose (stopping right before the finish line) to show Maggie that he cares about her more]].
* HandSignals: During Professor Fate's first stunt (being pulled up into the air by an airplane), he and Max both signal each other with hand gestures.
* HarmlessVillain: Professor Fate is all talk, but for intents and purposes he is relatively harmless; his numerous weapons and plans always do more damage to him to than to anyone else.
* HaveAGayOldTime: The trailer calls the film the gayest comedy in the world.
* HeelFaceTurn: Max does one very briefly when working with Leslie to free the others.
* HenpeckedHusband: Maggie's editor, Mr Goodbody.
* HonorBeforeReason: At the end of the movie, [[spoiler:Fate wins the race, but only because Leslie threw the race to make a point to Maggie. Fate immediately rants at Leslie for this and demands another race so he can win on his own terms.]]
* HighDiveEscape: Parodied: after the evil Baron von Stuppe realizes that Leslie has defeated him, he says that he has a boat waiting, adds a WeWillMeetAgain, and jumps out the window. Unfortunately the boat is right under the window, so he smashes through the boat and sinks it.
* HyperspaceWardrobe: Maggie must have a truck following her on the race with her entire wardrobe in it.
* IdenticalStranger: Fate and the Prince (both [[ActingForTwo played by Jack Lemmon]]).
* TheIgor: Max is one, albeit one that is a lot easier on the eyes than most. His sneaky hunched over walk makes do for his lack of a true hunchback.
* IncomingHam: "I AM ''PROFESSOR FATE!"''
** Met with [[CrowningMomentOfFunny dead silence]] by the (Russian-speaking) villagers.
** It comes even early. In the very first scene: "A PARACHUTE!?!"
* {{Intermission}}: (2 minutes long, with music)
* InformedAbility: Texas Jack is described as the toughest man in the area and everyone is scared of him when he first shows up at the bar, and even the sherrif backs down from his threats, but once the fight starts he's not any better than Leslie, Hezekiah, or his own goons for that matter.
* IntimateHealing: In Alaska, Leslie explains to Maggie that they have to sleep under the same blanket to keep warm.
** And then they're joined by [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Professor Fate and Max]].
* IronButtMonkey: Professor Fate and Max.
* KissKissSlap: Maggie slaps Leslie, after he kisses her.
* KissOfDistraction: Leslie pulls one on Maggie early on; after she handcuffs herself to him and declares, essentially, that she's going to keep talking at him until he gets her into the race, he grabs her, kisses her, and uses the distraction to slip out of the cuff and put it on her other wrist.
* LaughablyEvil: Professor Fate, yet again. The submarine gag and the iceberg scene are good examples.
* LaughWithMe: When The Great Leslie and Hezekiah meet Crown Prince Hoepnick. The prince makes several jokes, each time gesturing for the crowd to laugh, which they dutifully do. At one point Hezekiah keeps laughing after every one else stops, until The Great Leslie [[BeQuietNudge elbows him in the ribs]]. Watch it [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z81NmslTo4#t=0m20 here]].
* LiteralCliffhanger: Early in the film, Professor Fate jumps out a window. When the horrified observers rush over and look down, they see him hanging from a pole below the window.
* ManInWhite: Leslie.
* MeaningfulName: Borracho. [[BilingualBonus Which is Spanish for drunk.]]
--> Lily: If by now, you haven't mastered
--> The gentle art of getting plastered,
--> You're just a Low-Down, you ain't mastered
--> The motto of our town!
* MisterBig: Texas Jack, despite having a fearsome reputation and being the scourge of Boracho, is a tiny man. In fact, both the main characters and Jack's minions are bigger than he is.
* MobileShrubbery: We get our first glimpse on Professor Fate and Max when he is following Leslie's latest deed inside a shrubbery.
* NoIndoorVoice: Professor Fate, once again. He does a disproportionate amount of shouting, and aims it at everyone.
* NonSingingVoice: Robin Ward sang "The Sweetheart Tree" instead of Natalie Wood.
** But that's definitely Natalie Wood singing "My Country 'tis of Thee" earlier on...you can tell because she sounds off-key.
* OddCouple: See OppositesAttract below.
* OfCorsetsSexy: Maggie wears pretty much only her corset (with attached garters and stockings) throughout the final major sequence of the film. She also has her clothes blasted away, revealing her corset, when she pays a visit to Professor Fate's lair early on in the proceedings.
* OminousPipeOrgan: Professor Fate has one in his mansion, complete with the requisite rendition of [[JohannSebastianBach Bach's]] Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor. Partially subverted in that it's a ''player'' pipe organ -- all he does is pump the pedals.
* {{Omniglot}}: Maggie boasts to Leslie that she can speak, read and write Russian, French and Arabic. He responds that so can he - plus five other languages.
* OurNudityIsDifferent: Maggie daringly exposes her stocking to the shocked newspaper editor, Mr. Goodbody.
* OperaGloves: Maggie wears them several times.
* OperationJealousy: Maggie gets fed up with Leslie's flirting with other women... so she decides to play this out. With '''Professor Fate''' of all people. HilarityEnsues.
* OppositesAttract: The Great Leslie - charming male chauvinist. Maggie [=DuBois=] - militant women's libber.
* OutdoorBathPeeping: Max takes a peek at Maggie when she's bathing in a lake (though she's not naked). The Professor throws a bucket of water on him.
* PaperThinDisguise: Professor Fate tends to don these. Most notably an instance where all he does is add a fake beard.
* ParasolOfPrettiness: Maggie has one.
* PieInTheFace: ''See'' FoodFight, ''above''. Every major player gets at least one pie in the face -- Max gets 8 in the first round.
** Considering that Maggie is wearing little more than [[{{Fanservice}} Victorian lingerie]], many consider this scene Ground Zero for so-called "wet and messy" FetishFuel.
* PluckyGirl: Maggie, of course
* PrettyInMink
* PutTheirHeadsTogether: While The Great Leslie is infiltrating a castle he knocks out two guards by slamming their heads together.
* RoadRunnerVsCoyote: Leslie and Professor Fate.
* {{Ruritania}}: Prince Hapnik's country of Carpania.
* TheSavageIndian: Subverted. The Professor and Max are chased into Boracho by what they assume are savage Indians. It turns out they were just the Mayor's welcoming group dressed up.
* SayMyName: Professor Fate always screams Max's name whenever something goes wrong. It's pretty funny, actually.
* ShoutOut: The dedication: "To Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy"
* ShowSomeLeg: Maggie convinces her editor to give her the assignment of covering the race with showing him her leg in [[StockingFiller silk stockings]].
* SlapSlapKiss: The Great Leslie and Maggie [=DuBois=].
* SmokingIsCool: Leslie smokes a white pipe.
** Maggie smokes cigars to demonstrate that she's an emancipated woman.
* StayInTheKitchen; Maggie originally wanted to travel with Leslie, but he rebuffed her. So she entered the race herself.
* StealthPun: Perhaps not so much a pun, but definitely a stealthy joke - it may take you a minute to think about Natalie Wood's line 'If you harm one hair on his head...' (She is talking about [[BaldOfAwesome Hezekiah]])
** This troper missed the joke because he assumed she was talking about his mustache...
* StockingFiller: Maggie abundantly displays her black-stockinged legs (said stockings being held up by garters attached to her corset) during the kidnapping and pie-fight sequences.
* StormingTheCastle: Leslie and Maximilian storm the Baron's castle in order to rescue Maggie and the Professor. See CarFu above.
* StrawFeminist: Maggie has some shades of this. For example, despite her stated goal of "taking women off the pedestal," she is not above pretending to be a DistressedDamsel when it suits her. She also makes a habit of reading misogynist undertones into the comments of other characters where none exist, such as insisting that Leslie's genuine compliments about her driving ability are all secretly suffixed with "for a woman."
* StrollingThroughTheChaos: Leslie during the pie fight, though he eventually gets one [[PieInTheFace in the face.]]
* SwordFight: Von Stuppe vs Leslie. Neither wins, surprisingly; Leslie is obviously the better swordsman, but Von Stuppe pulls a VillainExitStageLeft and jumps out the window.
* TapOnTheHead: At least 11 people altogether.
* TemptingFate:
--> '''Prof. Fate:''' Do you realize the odds against a storm in this part of the ocean at this time of year?
--> '''Max:''' No, what?
--> '''Prof. Fate:''' 100-to-1.
--> [[DramaticThunder THUNDER]] [[ThunderEqualsDownpour BOOMS]]
** With approach in all his (painfully) failed attempts in various daredevil feats, Professor Fate is constantly tempting... well, fate.
* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: Professor Fate uses a small ''pedal-powered'' airship to try and drop a bomb onto Leslie, with [[HoistByHisOwnPetard predictable results]].
* ThoseTwoActors: Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood in their third (and final) film together, and Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in their second of two. Although, ask anyone to name a Tony Curtis/Jack Lemmon film, they'll probably think of [[SomeLikeItHot the other one]].
* TongueOnTheFlagpole
* TorchesAndPitchforks: Subverted when Professor Fate arrives in Siberia. There are crowds of people holding torches lining the streets, all ominously silent. They don't respond when Fate speaks, but when Maggie greets them in Russian they throng the car, enthusiastically cheering.
* TwinkleSmile: Leslie.
* UnlimitedWardrobe: Maggie wears a different costume in every scene.
* VehicularSabotage: The villain's sidekick sabotages all the cars before the race... including their own. They realize it about a second before their engine falls out of the car.
* VeryLooselyBasedOnATrueStory: There actually was [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1908_New_York_to_Paris_Race NY to Paris Automobile Race in 1908]], and some of the more nonsensical aspects of the movie (crossing the Bering Strait on an ice floes, for instance) were actually considered for the actual race before common sense prevailed. Three cars finished and all still survive today in museums.
* VillainExitStageLeft: Baron Von Stuppe pulls one of these on Leslie after the hero proves to be better than him in fencing / swordfighting. He bungles the exit somewhat in a parody of the climactic scene from ''ThePrisonerOfZenda''.
* VillainousBreakdown: The Professor, upon finding out he [[spoiler: only won because Leslie chose to lose in order to prove a point]]
* WackyRacing
* WeaponizedCar: The Hannibal 8 (Fate's car) has a built-in cannon, among other things.
* WeWillMeetAgain: Von Stuppe: "The man who fights and runs away will live to fight another day" before escaping.
* TheVonTropeFamily: Baron von Stuppe
----
''Push the button, Max!''
