Overrated and overhyped

Captivating movie !

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

An ambitious jazz musician tries to make it in The Big Apple despite hardships. Meanwhile he befriends a desperate taxi dancer trying to hold on to her self-respect.The 105-minutes amounts to a sour valentine to New York City. The ending is predictable from the start. Why else cast two big Hollywood stars in the leads. The fact that Peggy (Reynolds) and Pete (Curtis) finally get together is not because of the City, as we might expect, but in spite of it. Thus the screenplay breaks with Hollywood convention of big cities with a soft heart. Note, for example, how the landlady's morning grouch gets quickly reflected in other grouchy New Yorkers.. That sort of uncompromising attitude may be the movie's best part. Otherwise, it's Reynolds breaking with her malt shop image, as a hard case who registers zero smiles throughout. At the same time, the effort to break with the Tammy image (Tammy And The Bachelor, {1957}) is too pointed and resolute to be convincing. Curtis, on the other hand, is fairly amiable, and not quite as miscast as Reynolds. Still, his Bronx accent sort of comes and goes for a guy supposedly from Milwaukee. Having two stars at the peak of popularity also means giving them adequate screen time to satisfy their fans. But that also means padding a slender storyline with lots of talk that too often drags out the runtime. Note too, how awkwardly the script plays with the key topic of prostitution, a word or even concept that dare not speak its name, thanks to the suffocating Production Code. Anyway, Oakie and Medford supply subtle amusement, while Rickles chews the scenery like he's starving for attention. All in all, it's a 105-minutes that doesn't wear well, despite being cutting edge at the time. All in all, I'm glad that Reynolds soon went back to the personality roles she was so good at.

The movie opens with Tony Curtis as Pete Hammond Jr. boarding a bus in Milwaukee, headed for New York with his musical instruments, flutes and saxophones. Even though Curtis was 34 when this film was made, his dad is sending him off, telling him to let him know if he needs any money. The bus ride is interesting, it shows it entering Cleveland, Philadelphia, and finally New York, pulling into the Port Authority terminal just a good walk from Times Square, places I was familiar with in the 1980s. It was nice seeing them in an earlier time.Once in New York we see Pete is definitely a fish out of water, too trusting and several times getting taken by scams. In fact that is the genesis of the title, "Rat Race", people go to New York and seem to turn into "rats", doing what they need to do to survive.But Pete meets Debbie Reynolds as struggling model Peggy Brown, working at a club where travelers, usually service men and traveling business men, want some place to go to dance with a pretty girl. But Peggy is not only broke, she owes her uncaring boss (Don Rickles in a good role) several hundred dollars in advances. In fact she is being evicted from the daily rate ($3 per night) hotel room as Pete is moving into it. Feeling compassion for her, he suggests that she just share his room, which has two beds and a curtain for privacy, for a few days until Peggy finds a place to go.I like this movie for several reasons, the 1960s was my time, I was growing up, graduating from high school, going to college, and starting my own career and family. I like both Tony Curtis and Debbie Reynolds and it was fun to see them together. New York is one of my favorite cities to visit, it was nice to see it back before it developed into what we know it as today. The movie doesn't get into what might have happened down the road, it just shows us how Pete eventually gets work as a musician, and he and Peggy, after becoming friends sharing a room, fall in love with each other. Debbie Reynolds is maybe more known for her comedic roles, but here her Peggy Brown is completely serious, and she shows what a fine actress she is. Not long ago I saw her in "Mother" (1996) playing Albert Brooks' mother, and now I see she is still in movies here and there. She has come a long way since "Singing in the Rain" (1953) made when she was still a teenager.

DEBBIE REYNOLDS and TONY CURTIS are excellent as two young people in 60's-era New York City facing adversity with street smart skills developed after abuse from thugs like DON RICKLES (a savage performance), and other so-called big shots.Curtis takes pity on Reynolds and invites her to share his flat--but his luck fades when his musical instrument is stolen. True love blossoms as Reynolds tries to help him with lots of obstacles thrown in their way by assorted no-gooders.Garson Kanin directed from his play and he keeps the action moving and the stylish backgrounds show New York City scenes that would make any New Yorker nostalgic for "the way it was".A downbeat, sometimes bitter dose of comedy/drama that has so much energy and such appealing performances from Reynolds and Curtis, that you'll be drawn into it from the start. Well worthwhile.

I was 9 years old when I first saw this movie, which was probably too young. I think it was the "B" movie accompanying "Bells Are Ringing" with Judy Holliday. To me (at that age), the movie was very grim, but mesmerizing. Main characters were extremely likable. You could not help but feel badly for Pete Hammond and Peggy Brown who were good folks but had to deal with such adversity. Watching the movie, one could not help but feel so badly for them (Tony Curtis' character for being trusting and having his musical instruments stolen, and Debbie Reynold's "hard" character (with a heart) for sacrificing to help Tony's character out and being abused by Don Rickles' character and his henchman.Norman Fell and Don Rickles were very effective as the "heavies". To this day, I think of Don Rickles as "Nellie" in this film. I'm a Rickles fan, but can't make myself like him (smile).Also love the NYC scenes, and film is almost nostalgic (NYC, the way it was in 1960).Definitely a "must see". Great actors in their environment and in a past era. I have a VHS tape, but will order a DVD as soon as I log off :-) Tim