AIRPLANE! (1980)

Film of the Day #22

AIRPLANE!

1980 • Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Screenplay: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

Cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack

Cinematography: Joseph Biroc

A movie that mocks other famous films and has a ludicrous story with lots of sight gags and one-liners. The difference is that while some are good, and most are freaking terrible, Airplane! stands above all of them. It’s the Citizen Kane of goofball comedies. While the story doesn’t even revolve around Leslie Nielsen, who plays Dr. Rumack, a passenger on the doomed airplane. But he’s certainly the scene stealer (with Robert Stack getting an honorable mention.) What made this performance so awesome, and really what made MOST of his work so hilarious, is that he’s not even trying to be funny. He’s delivering the dialogue completely straight, but it’s in that delivery that his genius lies. He is the ultimate “straight man.” Think about it… the famous “don’t call me Shirley” line has to be one of the DUMBEST jokes ever in a movie, but you can’t tell me you don’t laugh it. I STILL laugh at that stupid joke.

"This woman has to be gotten to a hospital."

"A hospital? What is it?"

"It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now."