AIRPLANE!
AIRPLANE! 1980
Never one to be a shrinking violet I’m gonna start with an outrageous claim.
‘Airplane!’ is the greatest comedy of all time. Surely I can’t be serious? I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.
Granted there’ll be other comedies that you love and I shan’t begrudge any film that provides a good laugh but they all owe a debt to this, The Original Spoof.
Created by three writer/directors Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker (how often do you get three people directing a film?) this laugh-out-loud satire pokes fun at the disaster films of the 1950s and ‘60s. And when I say “pokes fun at” I mean with a massive lance.
In particular it parodies the 1957 film ‘Zero Hour’ in which a commercial flight falls into peril when the pilots and most of its passengers succumb to food poisoning. I couldn’t even type that with a straight face. Abraham, Zucker and Zucker take this premise and fly with it, squeezing out every double entendre, red herring and misdirection in every line.
So new was the concept that many known actors at the time turned it down considering the screenplay to be absolute garbage. Fortunately, the actors who signed on surrender every line with sincerity, which only serves to highlight the absurdity of every joke.
This was Leslie Neilson’s first foray into comedy and he struck gold!
“Captain how soon can we land?”
“I can’t tell.”
“You can tell me, I’m a doctor.”
Each line-reading, every movement and subtle expression is delivered so conservatively that you will never ever be able to take him seriously again. Which is pretty handy considering after this he gave us Detective Frank Drebin of ‘Police Squad’ in the brilliant ‘Naked Gun’ films (watch these too).
Clear inspiration for the other love my life, ‘The Simpsons’, can be found in the DNA of every sight gag; the line of passengers queuing to slap the erratic woman, the man who remains in the taxi for the entirety of the film as his tab builds and the casual way the stewardess asks on the tannoy “there’s no reason to become alarmed... oh and by the way is there anyone on board who knows how to fly a plane?”
I’m resisting just writing quote after quote. They’re all exceptional. And if you haven’t already seen this film I guarantee you will recognise many of the jokes as I’m sure your friends, family and colleagues will have quoted them at some point during your existence.
If this is your cup of tea then please also see Police Squad, Top Secret and Hot Shots. Not a regret will be had. All brilliant!
Watch this when the sun has gone in. When you’re having that late night bottle of red. And when you’re in need of a bloody good laugh.
10 “Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home” Thumbs Up!
