Rat Race, The (1960, Tony Curtis, Debbie Reynolds)

A dramatic farce has a musician (Tony Curtis) from the Midwest venturing to New York City in search of fortune. When he meets an unlucky dance hall girl (Debbie Reynolds) under the rule of a brutal employer (Don Rickles), he invites her to share his one-room apartment…platonically, of course. When the two fall on hard times, they work together and their friendship grows…into something more. Strong performances and an excellent script by Garson Kanin, taken from his play.

Director, Robert Mulligan, began his directing career in television on such dramatic works as A Tale of Two Cities (1958) and Billy Budd (1959), and later on films like To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). The Rat Race and another Tony Curtis film from the same year, The Great Imposter, are among his few attempts at comedy.

production details
USA | 105 minutes | 1960

Director: Robert Mulligan
Producer: William Perlberg, George Seaton
Cinematography: Robert Burks
Editor: Alma Macrorie
Music: Elmer Bernstein
Script: Garson Kanin
Production Design: Tambi Larsen, Hal Pereira

cast
Stanley Adams as Cab Driver (uncredited)
Tony Curtis as Pete Hammond Jr.
Debbie Reynolds as Peggy Brown
Marjorie Bennett as Mrs. Edie Kerry
Jack Oakie as Mac, Owner of Macs Bar
Kay Medford as Mrs. ‘Soda’ Gallo, Landlady
Don Rickles as Nellie
Hal K. Dawson as Bo Kerry
Norman Fell as Telephone Repairman
Lisa Drake as Toni
Joe Bushkin as Frankie J, Bandleader
Sam Butera as Carl ‘Tip’, Member of The Red Peppers
Gerry Mulligan as Gerry
Johnny Lee as Janitor