The Great Race (1965)

Professional daredevil and white-suited hero, The Great Leslie, convinces turn-of-the-century auto makers that a race from New York to Paris (westward across America, the Bering Straight and Russia) will help to promote automobile sales. Leslie's arch-rival, the mustached and black-attired Professor Fate vows to beat Leslie to the finish line in a car of Fate's own invention.

Genres: Comedy, Adventure, Romance

What to watch after The Great Race

• The Fortune Cookie (1966) — Jack Lemmon appears in both
• Annie Get Your Gun (1950) — Same feel: whimsical, cheerful
• The Absent Minded Professor (1961) — Same subject: inventor
• A Day at the Races (1937) — Same feel: fun, boisterous
• The Party (1968) — Blake Edwards directed both
• The War Wagon (1967)