The Rat Race (1960)

The Rat Race is an uneven and not totally satisfying film, but it's also enough "off the beaten path" to be of interest. Manhattan has been the idealized setting of many a film, but Rat is one of the earlier examples of a subgenre in which "the City" is indifferent at best and downright evil at worst, and that gives Rat a tang and a flavor that many will find surprising. It's also refreshing to see a film in which the two leads don't either immediately fall for each other or hate each other (until they thaw and come to realize they're really in love), but instead find each other kind of. . .okay. . .and then let the relationship build from there. Unfortunately, writer Garson Kanin takes these good set-ups and stumbles with them; he doesn't find the right tone, doesn't get the pay-offs that are needed. Robert Mulligan's sensitive direction plays it straight, which is good for finding some nice nuances but which doesn't solve the unevenness inherent in the material. And it must be admitted that, as engaging as the stars are, neither Debbie Reynolds nor Tony Curtis is 100% right for her/his part. Reynolds tries very hard but can't ever quite lose all of the movie star sheen; it doesn't prove fatal, but it does keep one slightly removed. And Curtis just isn't believable as an innocent kid from the country; his innate worldliness (and New York accent) keep coming through. But there's marvelous work from Kay Medford, Jack Oakie and a scummy Don Rickles to help matters. Not a solid winner, but an interesting and worthwhile "almost." ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide