Surely You Can't Be Serious?!? Airplane! Turns 30!!!

[Brian Damage]

Back in 1979, when “Airplane!” was being shot on Universal’s back lot in Los Angeles, it didn’t seem like a potential blockbuster. The three Wisconsin-born filmmakers were rather amazed that anybody would give them a budget — and $3.5 million at that — to make such a lark, one that had no big stars. A follow-up to their 1977 cult film “The Kentucky Fried Movie,” which they had written, this was an extended riff on “Zero Hour!,” a glum thriller from 1957 about an imperiled aircraft that set the template for the next half-century’s worth of disaster pictures.

The plentiful pop cultural references and anything-for-a-laugh attitude of “Airplane!” recalled early films by Mel Brooks (“Blazing Saddles”) and Woody Allen (“Bananas”). But its velocity and density were new. Every scene was packed with surreal, often faintly metafictional sight gags (including a supporting turn by the N.B.A. giant Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a co-pilot who denies that he’s really Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a cameo by Ethel Merman playing a psychiatric patient who thinks he’s Ethel Merman). And the film proudly served up jokes so astoundingly corny that they somehow managed to circle around the bend and become hilarious. (“Surely you can’t be serious.” “I am serious — and don’t call me Shirley!”)

At the same time “Airplane!” wasn’t just a collection of bits. The narrative hewed closely to that of “Zero Hour!,” and if you can factor out all the silliness — no small feat with a movie that segues from a “Casablanca”-inspired romantic flashback to a “Saturday Night Fever”-like dance number — what remains is a compact, even classical piece of filmmaking.

“A lot of comedies in the last 30 years have wanted to be ‘Airplane!,’ ” said Patton Oswalt, a comedian and actor and the voice of the hero in “Ratatouille.” “But most of those movies took the wrong message from ‘Airplane!’ They were gag, gag, gag, gag, where ‘Airplane!’ is really structured, driving the story along all the time. In a weird way it’s like a Beatles movie. It looks like the easiest thing in the world, but there’s a lot of sweat and blood that went into it.”

The filmmakers Z.A.Z. team cast relative unknowns — Robert Hays, a co-star of the sitcom “Angie,” and the angel-voiced, deeply kooky Julie Hagerty — as the film’s estranged lovers. And they filled out the production with sturdy, unglamorous character actors, including Graves, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges and Leslie Nielsen, who would build a second career out of playing clueless, comic creators of mayhem.

Mr. Hays, who played Ted Striker, the shell-shocked ex-military pilot with a drinking problem (cue beverage tossed in face), said Mr. Nielsen, a prankster, was a key influence on the movie’s tone. Mr. Nielsen kept the actors off-balance by interrupting their line readings with his favorite comic prop, a hand-held toy simulating flatulence.

“He played that thing like a maestro,” said Mr. Hays, who conveniently was a licensed pilot flying small aircraft since the late 1970s. (“To this day, when I’m heading over to a plane, I sometimes still get looks from people that are like, ‘Are you sure you want to get in there?’ ”)

The nominal plot of “Airplane!” recounts the efforts of a stalwart flight crew trying to land a commercial airliner after spoiled fish incapacitates most of the crew and passengers.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/27/mo...7airplane.html

[Marvo301]

Yes. Airplane is 30 years old. And yes it is a clever, hilarious and well written movie. And it was brilliantly cast and brilliantly acted. And it stands up to multiple viewings and is still gut splittingly funny. And please don't call me Shirley!

[catlover79]

I always scream with laughter every time I see Robert Stack beat up the Moonies at the airport. Plus, who could forget Johnny? "There's a sale at Penney's!!!"

[Marvo301]

Assume crash positions! (that scene always cracks me up! )

[Cactus Jack]

The fog is getting thicker!

AND LEON'S GETTING LAAAAAARRRGERRRRR

[catlover79]

Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by catlover79

Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

( Peter)

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Cactus Jack

Have you ever seen a grown man naked?

( Peter)

Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

[catlover79]

Originally Posted by Marvo301

Assume crash positions! (that scene always cracks me up! )

Same here - too funny.

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by catlover79

Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?

I love in that same part when Joey's talking to Murdoch about how he looks like Kareem Abdul Jabbar then says that his dad talks **** about him, not really that hilarious, but that fact that it IS Kareem, it is LOL

[Cactus Jack]

My fav parts though are June Cleaver talking jive and the stewardess accidentally knocking off the IV with the guitar LOLOLOL oh and

"I have a drinking problem"*pours water on self *

[Marvo301]

I love Barbara Billingsley talking jive! And the part with the IV getting knocked out with the guitar was hilarious. Jill Whalen was great as the young patient frantically trying to signal that her IV was out!

[Cactus Jack]

Originally Posted by Marvo301

I love Barbara Billingsley talking jive! And the part with the IV getting knocked out with the guitar was hilarious. Jill Whalen was great as the young patient frantically trying to signal that her IV was out!

LOL yeah! and the stewardess keeping singing and paying no attention to what just happened LOL

[catlover79]

Here is the Today Show reunion from September 2008 - Leslie Nielsen, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jill Whelan in studio, plus Robert Hays via satellite from L.A. Great fun!!!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26642784

[80sTrivia]

One of the funniest movies EVER!!!