For example, in THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLY one of the two male leads wears eyeglasses, and (to see his girlfriend) climbs the side of an office building - in short (as the story takes place in the 1920s) he is imitating Harold Lloyd in SAFETY LAST. So keep in mind, there was no use of icebergs as in the film.īlake Edwards always has enjoyed playing around in his comedies and musicals with images from the times of the story.

The cars in the 1908 race were to drive from New York City to Seattle, Washington, then get shipped by steamer to Vladivostok, and then to transverse the Russian Empire, Europe, and finally reach Paris. It was won by a Thomas Flyabout, which had an appearance very much like the car driven by the Great Leslie. The result was the 1908 New York to Paris road race, which is the factual basis of THE GREAT RACE. It was such a success that it was hoped that a similar long race would be tried soon after. In 1907 the world's first really great automobile race occurred: the Peking to Paris road race. Fortunately, aside from some brief cross-referenced scenes, THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN remained bound to the sky as THE GREAT RACE was bound to the earth. It would be interesting to know who came up first with the idea of the car and/or the airplane film. I wish I could answer this - THE GREAT RACE and THOSE MAGNIFICENT MEN IN THEIR FLYING MACHINES both came out in 1965.

Peter rockett plotter drawing 1965