Airplane!
Airplane! theatrical poster
Directed by	Jim Abrahams David Zucker Jerry Zucker
Produced by	Jon Davison Howard W. Koch
Written by	Jim Abrahams David Zucker Jerry Zucker
Starring	Robert Hays Julie Hagerty Leslie Nielsen Robert Stack Lloyd Bridges Peter Graves Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Lorna Patterson
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography	Joseph F. Biroc
Editing by	Patrick Kennedy
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	27 June 1980
Running time	88 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$3,500,000 (estimated)
Followed by	Airplane II: The Sequel
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Airplane! is an American comedy film, first released on 27 June 1980, produced, directed, and written by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. Airplane! starred Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Lorna Patterson. For release in Australia and the Philippines, Airplane! was re-titled as Flying High. The title "Airplane!" was used for the UK release, even though "Aeroplane!" would be the correct British English spelling. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (503x755, 74 KB) This image is of a film poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the film or the studio which produced the film in question. ... Jim Abrahams (born 10 May 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin) is an American movie director and writer. ... David Zucker (born October 16, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American film director. ... Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American movie director best known for his role in directing comedy spoof films. ... Jon Davison is a film producer. ... Howard Winchel Koch (April 11, 1916 - February 16, 2001) was an American director and producer of motion pictures and television. ... Jim Abrahams (born 10 May 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin) is an American movie director and writer. ... David Zucker (born October 16, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American film director. ... Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American movie director best known for his role in directing comedy spoof films. ... Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947), is an American actor, he is best known for his role in the 1980 movie Airplane! and in the 1982 sequel Airplane II: The Sequel as Ted Striker. ... Hagerty in Lost in America Julie Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American stage, screen, and television actress and model. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... Peter Aurness (born March 18, 1926 [1]), better known as Peter Graves, is an American actor. ... For the football player, see Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar. ... Lorna Patterson (born July 1, 1956) is an American film, stage and television actress. ... Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1]) (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American film score composer. ... Joseph F. Biroc (February 12, 1903-September 7, 1996) was a highly successful film and television cinematographer. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (ZAZ) is a comedy filmmaking trio consisting of David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker. ... Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947), is an American actor, he is best known for his role in the 1980 movie Airplane! and in the 1982 sequel Airplane II: The Sequel as Ted Striker. ... Hagerty in Lost in America Julie Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American stage, screen, and television actress and model. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... Peter Aurness (born March 18, 1926 [1]), better known as Peter Graves, is an American actor. ... For the football player, see Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar. ... Lorna Patterson (born July 1, 1956) is an American film, stage and television actress. ...

Airplane! is a spoof of the disaster movie genre. It is unique among film parodies in that Airplane! (originally designed for a 20-minute sketch) is a virtual remake of the 1957 Canadian airplane disaster movie Zero Hour! The earlier film featured Dana Andrews in the role of Lt. Striker, for instance, and Airplane! includes numerous jokes and gags that derive directly from the 1957 film.^[1] The plot device of the food poisoning incident, which figures prominently in the story line of Airplane!, also came from Zero Hour! In contemporary usage, a parody (or lampoon) is a work that imitates another work in order to ridicule, ironically comment on, or poke some affectionate fun at the work itself, the subject of the work, the author or fictional voice of the parody, or another subject. ... A disaster movie is a movie that has an impending or ongoing disaster (e. ... Year 1957 (MCMLVII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar). ... Zero Hour! is a 1957 movie written by Arthur Hailey that served as the basis for the much more widely known spoof of it, Airplane!. The rights to the movie were purchased by the makers of Airplane!, and they were able to use the screenplay almost verbatim. ... Dana Andrews (January 1, 1909 - December 17, 1992) was an American film actor. ...

Airplane II: The Sequel, first released on December 10, 1982, attempted to tackle the science fiction film genre, though there was still emphasis on the general theme of disaster films. Although most of the cast reunited for the sequel, the writers and directors of Airplane! chose not to be involved. December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, 21 days before the next year. ... Year 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday (link displays the 1982 Gregorian calendar). ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

In the short term, Airplane! received slight recognition. Abrahams, Zucker, and Zucker received the 1981 Writers Guild award for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium, Jill Whelan was nominated as Best Young Comedienne by the Young Artist Awards, and the film was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture (Musical/Comedy) and a BAFTA for Best Screenplay.^[2] The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the collective bargaining representative, or labor union, for writers in the motion picture and television industries in the United States. ... Jill Whelan is an american actess and singer. ... The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), is a British organization that hosts annual awards shows for film, television, childrens film and television, and interactive media. ...

Over time, however, Airplane! has received significant recognition. It was voted as the 10th-funniest American comedy in AFI's "100 Years... 100 Laughs" list and it ranked number 6 on Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies". This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Part of the AFI 100 Years. ... This article is about the U.S. cable network. ...

Plot synopsis

When the pilots of a commercial airliner suffer food poisoning after eating their in-flight meals, it falls to Ted Striker (Robert Hays), an ex-fighter pilot, to conquer his fear of flying, fly the airliner to its destination, and land it safely. Adding to the complex psychological challenge for Striker is the fact that his ex-girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) is a flight attendant on the ill-fated aircraft. Nielsen portrays a doctor on board. Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947), is an American actor, he is best known for his role in the 1980 movie Airplane! and in the 1982 sequel Airplane II: The Sequel as Ted Striker. ... Fear of flying is an irrational fear of air travel. ... Hagerty in Lost in America Julie Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American stage, screen, and television actress and model. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ...

The plot of Airplane! is a well-traveled one. The story of an in-flight medical emergency, caused by food poisoning, with the passengers being rescued by a former military pilot shows up in the 1956 CBC TV movie Flight into Danger, and then in the 1957 Paramount Pictures feature movie Zero Hour! The teleplay and screenplay for these films were penned by Arthur Hailey. Hailey and John Castle then turned the story into a 1958 novel Flight Into Danger: Runway Zero-Eight. Foodborne illness or food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with pathogenic bacteria, toxins, viruses, prions or parasites. ... The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), a Canadian crown corporation, is the country’s national public radio and television broadcaster. ... Flight into danger By: Arthur Hailey Full Cast and Crew for Flight Into Danger (1956) (TV) Plot Outline: A small planes pilot must take the controls of a large passenger plane when the pilots fall victim to food poisoning. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Zero Hour! is a 1957 movie written by Arthur Hailey that served as the basis for the much more widely known spoof of it, Airplane!. The rights to the movie were purchased by the makers of Airplane!, and they were able to use the screenplay almost verbatim. ... Arthur Hailey (April 5, 1920 – November 24, 2004) was a British/Canadian novelist. ...

Elaine Dickinson, Dr. Rumack, Randy, and Ted Striker "on instruments"

Airplane! is very close to Zero Hour!, although Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker transform the original drama into a comedy. As they explain in the DVD commentary for Airplane!, they discovered Zero Hour! when they were taping late-night commercials to spoof. They then bought the rights to it. Airplane! lifts its major characters and most of its story line from Zero Hour! even at times recreating the earlier film scene for scene, and line for line. Many of the best known lines of Airplane! are repeated verbatim, for example, "Can you face some unpleasant facts?" and "Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking." The "wrong week" line becomes a running gag— as the emergency escalates, so does the potency of the drug ("Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit smoking/drinking/amphetamines/sniffin' glue.") Even the odd sports cameo remains intact. In Zero Hour!, the cameo is by Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch; in Airplane! it is basketball star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Image File history File links Airplane!1. ... Image File history File links Airplane!1. ... It has been suggested that Air traffic control#Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) be merged into this article or section. ... The running gag is a popular hallmark of comic and serious forms of entertainment. ... The cigarette is the most common method of smoking tobacco. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... Amphetamine or Amfetamine (Alpha-Methyl-PHenEThylAMINE), also known as, beta-phenyl-isopropylamine, and benzedrine, is a prescription stimulant commonly used to treat Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults and children. ... An aerosol metered-dose inhaler (MDI) used for administration of asthma medication. ... Peter Jackson in The Fellowship of the Ring (top), The Two Towers (middle) and The Return of the King (bottom). ... Elroy Hirsch ( June 17, 1923– January 28, 2004) was an American football running back and receiver for the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Rockets, nicknamed Crazy Legs for his unusual running style. ... This article is about the sport. ... For the football player, see Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar. ...

Airplane! uses elements from the films Airport and Airport 1975, which are also based from novels and screenplays written by Arthur Hailey. The elements lifted from Airport 1975 included the guitar song — in Airport 1975 sung by a nun (Helen Reddy); in Airplane! sung by flight attendant (Lorna Patterson) who borrows the guitar from a nun (Maureen McGovern) — and the sick little girl for whom the guitar song is played — Linda Blair in Airport 1975 and Jill Whelan in Airplane!. The twist to the borrowed material in Airplane! has the well-meaning singer swinging the guitar repeatedly into the little girl's life-critical intravenous drip and unplugging it. For other uses, see Guitar (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... 2003 Greatest Hits compilation Helen Reddy (born October 25, 1941 in Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian pop singer and actor. ... Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Lorna Patterson (born July 1, 1956) is an American film, stage and television actress. ... A former secretary, Maureen McGovern quickly became the new it singer in 1973 with the Oscar-winning Morning After. ... Linda Denise Blair (born January 22, 1959 in St. ... Jill Whelan is an american actess and singer. ... Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the giving of liquid substances directly into a vein. ...

Cast

• Robert Hays as Ted Striker
• Julie Hagerty as Elaine Dickinson
• Leslie Nielsen as Dr. Rumack
• Robert Stack as Captain Rex Kramer
• Lloyd Bridges as Steve McCroskey
• Peter Graves as Captain Clarence Oveur
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as Roger Murdock
• Lorna Patterson as Randy
• Stephen Stucker as Johnny Henshaw
• Otto Pilot as himself (an inflatable doll)
• Frank Ashmore as Victor Basta, air traffic controller
• Jonathan Banks as Gunderson, another air traffic controller
• Joyce Bulifant as Mrs. Davis
• Rossie Harris as Joey, the boy shown the cockpit
• James Hong as the Japanese General who commits hara-kiri rather than listen to Ted's story
• Howard Honig as Jack
• Cyril O'Reilly as a soldier in the VA hospital
• Nicholas Pryor as Mr. Hammen, a sick passenger
• Kenneth Tobey as Air Controller Neubauer
• Herb Voland as Air Controller Macias
• Jill Whelan as Lisa Davis, the sick little girl
• Jason Wingreen as Dr. Brody

Several actors were cast specifically to spoof on their established media images: Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, and Lloyd Bridges were well-known for their many adventurous, no-nonsense tough-guy characters. Stack's role as the captain who loses his nerve in one of the earliest airline "disaster" films, The High and the Mighty (1954), is directly spoofed in Airplane! as is Lloyd Bridges's 1970-1971 television role as airport manager Jim Conrad in San Francisco International Airport. Also, Peter Graves was previously in the made-for-TV-movie SST: Death Flight, in which an SST was unable to land due to an emergency. Robert Hays (born July 24, 1947), is an American actor, he is best known for his role in the 1980 movie Airplane! and in the 1982 sequel Airplane II: The Sequel as Ted Striker. ... Hagerty in Lost in America Julie Hagerty (born June 15, 1955) is an American stage, screen, and television actress and model. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... Peter Aurness (born March 18, 1926 [1]), better known as Peter Graves, is an American actor. ... For the football player, see Abdul-Karim al-Jabbar. ... Lorna Patterson (born July 1, 1956) is an American film, stage and television actress. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... An autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. ... Frank Ashmore (b. ... Jonathan Banks was born on January 31, 1947 in Washington, D.C. He is a Veteran character actor who has had some small roles and some big roles in film and in television. ... Bulifant in a Match Game appearance. ... Richard Ross Harris (b. ... James Hong (吳漢章, pinyin: Wu Hanzhang, born 22 February 1929) is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists (AAPAA). ... Seppuku with ritual attire and second. ... Howard Honig is an American stage, movie, and television actor. ... Cyril OReilly (Born June 8, 1958 in Los Angeles, California) is an actor, writer and producer. ... Nicholas Pryor (born 28 January 1935) is an American film and television actor. ... Kenneth Tobey (Born March 23, 1917—December 22, 2002) was an American television and film actor. ... Herb Voland (October 2, 1918-April 26, 1981) was an American actor, best known for his role as General Clayton on M*A*S*H (TV series). ... Jill Whelan is an american actess and singer. ... Jason Wingreen (born October 9, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY) is an American actor. ... Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... The High and the Mighty is a 1954 disaster film released through Warner Brothers. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... San Francisco International Airport was a television drama aired in the United States by NBC as a part of its 1970-71 wheel series Four in One. ... Peter Aurness (born March 18, 1926 [1]), better known as Peter Graves, is an American actor. ... SST Death Flight is a 1977 made-for-TV movie produced by ABC Circle Films. ...

Cameos

Because Airplane! was a low-budget film, little money was available for hiring extras. As a result, the writers and directors show up in a number of cameos as do members of their family. David and Jerry Zucker appear as two ground crew members who accidentally direct a plane into a terminal. Jim Abrahams is one of the many religious zealot characters scattered throughout the film. Charlotte Zucker, who is David and Jerry's mother, is the woman attempting to apply makeup in the plane as it violently shifts while their sister, Susan Breslau, is the second ticket agent at the airport. Jim Abraham's mother is the woman initially sitting next to Dr. Rumack. David Zucker (born October 16, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American film director. ... Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American movie director best known for his role in directing comedy spoof films. ... Jim Abrahams (born 10 May 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin) is an American movie director and writer. ...

Several other cameos add to the humor through against-type casting. Ethel Merman shows up briefly as a soldier who is convinced he's Ethel Merman. This was Merman's last film appearance. Barbara Billingsley, best known as June Cleaver from Leave It to Beaver, makes a brief appearance as a woman who announces that she "speaks jive" and would be willing to translate. Maureen McGovern not only appears in a cameo as Sister Angelina (a spoof of the nun in Airport 1975), but also as a play on her involvement as the singer of the Oscar-winning songs for big-budget disaster films, The Poseidon Adventure (1972) ("The Morning After") and The Towering Inferno (1974) ("We May Never Love Like This Again"). Jimmie Walker cameos as the man opening the "hood" of the plane and checking the oil level before takeoff. (Jimmie also had a minor role in the 'serious' air disaster film, The Concorde: Airport '79.) Ethel Merman (January 16, 1908 – February 15, 1984) was a Tony Award winning star of stage and film musicals, well known for her powerful voice and vocal range. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Information Gender Female Spouse(s) Ward Cleaver (husband) Children Wally Cleaver (oldest son) Theodore Beaver Cleaver (youngest son) Portrayed by Barbara Billingsley (original series) Janine Turner (film adaptation) June Cleaver is a fictional character, the matriarch of the Cleaver clan, on the American television sit-com Leave It to Beaver. ... For other uses, see Leave It to Beaver (disambiguation). ... A former secretary, Maureen McGovern quickly became the new it singer in 1973 with the Oscar-winning Morning After. ... The Poseidon Adventure is a 1972 action adventure/disaster film based on a novel by Paul Gallico. ... The Morning After (aka The Song from The Poseidon Adventure) is an Academy Award-winning song, first released in May 1973 (see 1973 in music). ... The Towering Inferno is a 1974 disaster film directed by John Guillermin, adapted by Stirling Silliphant from the novels The Tower by Richard Martin Stern and The Glass Inferno by Thomas N. Scortia and Frank M. Robinson, and starring Steve McQueen and Paul Newman. ... For other persons named James Walker, see James Walker (disambiguation). ...

Howard Jarvis, the property tax reformer and author of the then-famous California Proposition 13, plays a role as the rider in the taxi that Striker is driving in the movie's opening scene. Striker pulls to a curb at the airport and leaves the cab to start trailing Elaine, telling Jarvis he'll be right back, and then as an afterthought reaches in and flips on the meter. Jarvis is seen again still sitting in the cab shortly after the plane has taken off, and in the final scene after the end credits: Jarvis appears calm but stressed, the meter having rung up over $100.00, and he states, "Well, I'll give him another twenty minutes; but that's it!". Howard Jarvis (September 22, 1903 - August 11, 1986) was born in Ogden, Utah and died in Los Angeles, California. ... redirect California_Proposition_13_(1978) ...

Other roles

Several members of the cast in minor roles went on to better known roles. Gregory Itzin, who appears as one of the "religious zealots," later played President Charles Logan in the FOX series 24. David Leisure, who played one of the Hare Krishna, went on to fame as Joe Isuzu before appearing as Charlie Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest. Gregory Itzin (born April 20, 1948) is an Emmy-nominated American film and television actor, best known for his role on the series 24. ... Charles Logan is a fictional character played by Gregory Itzin in the television series 24. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... For other uses, see 24 (disambiguation). ... David Leisure (born November 16, 1950) is an American actor best known for his role as Charlie Dietz in the sitcom Empty Nest and fictional automotive pitch man Joe Isuzu in a popular series of North American television commercials in the 1980s. ... Hare Krishna Mantra in Devanagari The Hare Krishna mantra, also referred to reverentially as the Maha Mantra (Great Mantra), is a sixteen-word Vaishnava mantra made well known outside of India by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (commonly known as the Hare Krishnas)[1]. It is believed by practitioners... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Empty Nest is a television sitcom that ran on NBC from 1988 to 1995. ...

Production

Airplane! was the first film written and directed by the trio of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker; previously they had written The Kentucky Fried Movie, which was directed by John Landis. The filming took 34 days, mostly during August 1979. Jim Abrahams (born 10 May 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin) is an American movie director and writer. ... David Zucker (born October 16, 1947 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American film director. ... Jerry Zucker (born March 11, 1950 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American movie director best known for his role in directing comedy spoof films. ... US movie poster The Kentucky Fried Movie is an American comedy film, released in 1977 and directed by John Landis. ... John Landis (born August 3, 1950 in Chicago) is an American movie actor, director, writer, and producer. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ...

Robert Stack initially played his role differently than what the directors had in mind. They played for him a tape of impressionist John Byner "doing" Robert Stack. According to the producers, Stack was "doing an impression of John Byner doing an impression of Stack." Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ... The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ...

Reception

Airplane! was a major hit: The budget was about US $3.5 million, and the film earned over US $80 million at the box office and another US $40 million in rentals.^{[citation needed]} The directors were initially apprehensive due to mediocre response at one of the pre-screenings, but the film made back its entire budget in its first weekend of release. The term box office can refer to either: A place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to a venue The amount of business a particular production, such as a movie or theatre show, does. ...

Leslie Nielsen saw a major boost to his career, and since Airplane! has specialized in playing clueless deadpan bumblers, most notably in the six-episode TV series Police Squad! and its film follow-ups, the three Naked Gun movies. Lloyd Bridges and Robert Stack saw similar shifts in their public image, though to lesser degrees. Leslie William Nielsen OC (born February 11, 1926) is a Canadian-American comedian and actor. ... Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982. ... The Naked Gun series of films was written and produced by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, based on their 1982 ABC television series. ... Bridges in The Sound of Fury (1950) Lloyd Vernet Bridges, Jr. ... Robert Langford Modini Stack (January 13, 1919 – May 14, 2003) was an American stage and movie actor. ...

In 2000, the American Film Institute listed Airplane! as #10 on its list of the 100 funniest American films. In the same year, readers of Total Film magazine voted it the second greatest comedy film of all time. It also came second in the British 50 Greatest Comedy Films poll on Channel 4, beaten by Monty Python's The Life of Brian. Some critics have claimed that the movie's most "important" achievement was in bringing to an end the Airport series of movies, which could no longer be taken seriously.^{[citation needed]} Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The 100 funniest American films. ... Total Film, published by Future Publishing, is the United Kingdoms second best-selling film magazine, after the longer-established Empire from Emap. ... 50 Greatest Comedy Films was a three-hour programme broadcast on UKs Channel 4 in early 2006. ... This article is about the British television station. ... Life of Brian is a film from 1979 by Monty Python which deals with the life of Brian (played by Graham Chapman), a young man born at the nearly the same time as, and in a manger right down the street from, Jesus. ...

Leslie Nielsen's line, "I am serious...And don't call me Shirley," was 79th on AFI's list of the best 100 movie quotes. The popularity of Otto, the inflatable pilot, is such that he has his own page on the Internet Movie Database, even though he hasn't appeared in any other films.^[3] Part of the AFI 100 Years. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

Airplane! had an interesting reception outside of the U.S. too. Its translated titles carry sly commentary on the nature of the film itself. For example, in Australia it is titled Flying High; in Germany, it became The Unbelievable Flight in a Crazy Airplane (Die unglaubliche Reise in einem verrückten Flugzeug) ^[4]; in French, Is There a Pilot on the Plane? (Y a-t-il un pilote dans l'avion?) ^[5]; in Portuguese (for release in Brazil), Fasten your seatbelts,the pilot is gone (Apertem os cintos, o piloto sumiu); in Italian, it's the craziest plane in the world (L'aereo più pazzo del mondo); in Finnish, it's Hei, me lennetään! (Hey, we're flying!); in Spanish, it was Aterriza como puedas (Land as you can) in Spain and ¿Y dónde está el piloto? (And where is the pilot?) in Latin America; in Norway it became Help, we're flying (Hjelp, vi flyr).

Airplane! is one of a handful of movies to earn a 100% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

MaximOnline.com named the airplane crash in Airplane! #4 on its list of "Most Horrific Movie Plane Crashes." Maxim is an international English language lad mag (mens magazine) based in the United Kingdom and known for its revealing pictorials featuring popular actresses, singers, and female models, of which none are nudes. ...

Cultural allusions

• The opening sequence parodies Jaws. The music (composed by Elmer Bernstein) during the opening is a spoof of John Williams' music from Jaws.
• The argument between the Los Angeles International Airport LAX announcers over the PA is taken from the Arthur Hailey novel Airport, and is voiced by the two actual LAX PA announcers at that time.
• The marshaller accidentally directing the plane to crash into an arrival hall parodies the film Silver Streak, as well as It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
• The side plot of the ill-fated George Zipp (one of the soldiers who died in the wartime crash that makes Ted afraid to fly) is "paid off" in a pep talk given to Ted by Rumack; the pep talk is a parody of the famous "Win one for the Gipper" speech from the 1940 film Knute Rockne, All-American. While Rumack is delivering his monologue, a version of the Notre Dame Victory March can be heard as the background music (it is also played over the closing credits).
• Captain Oveur asking Joey "Have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" is a reference to the movie Midnight Express.
• The first wartime flashback parodies both Casablanca and Saturday Night Fever, and a later flashback is similar to the famous kiss scene in From Here to Eternity (although the filmmakers deny having seen the film and say they had either seen some stills without realizing what film it was from or came up with it on their own).^{[citation needed]}

• During the wartime flashback, the jukebox begins playing Stayin' Alive by The Bee Gees, which is sped up by 10% to add to the comedic element of the Saturday Night Fever parody.

• The in-flight movie (of a crashing airliner, no less) is a clip from the horror movie The Bees.

It has been suggested that Orca (Jaws boat) be merged into this article or section. ... Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1]) (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American film score composer. ... For other persons named John Williams, see John Williams (disambiguation). ... Runway layout at LAX “LAX” redirects here. ... A public address system, abbreviated PA system, is an electronic amplification system used as a communication system in public areas. ... Arthur Hailey (April 5, 1920 – November 24, 2004) was a British/Canadian novelist. ... Silver Streak is a 1976 comedy, action and mystery film about murder on a Los Angeles-to-Chicago train journey. ... Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is an American motion picture directed by Stanley Kramer about a madcap pursuit of $350,000 of stolen cash by a diverse group of strangers. ... Knute Rockne, All American is a 1940 biographical film which tells the story of Knute Rockne, perhaps the most famous of all of the football coaches at Notre Dame, one of the most successful football programs in history. ... When you think of college fight songs, the Notre Dame Victory March is without a doubt the most recognizable collegiate fight song in the nation. ... Midnight Express is a 1978 film, based on Billy Hayes book of the same name adapted into screenplay by Oliver Stone. ... Casablanca is an Oscar-winning 1942 romance film set during World War II in the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca. ... Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta as Tony Manero, a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated by visits to a Brooklyn discotheque. ... From Here to Eternity is a 1953 movie based on a James Jones novel in which characters work through ordinary bouts of intimidation and infidelity on a military base in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor. ... Stayin Alive is a song by The Bee Gees, released as a single in 1977. ... The Bee Gees: Maurice, Barry and Robin The Bee Gees were a British and Australian band, originally a pop singer-songwriter combination, reborn as funk and disco. ... Saturday Night Fever is a 1977 movie starring John Travolta as Tony Manero, a troubled Brooklyn youth whose weekend activities are dominated by visits to a Brooklyn discotheque. ... The Bees can refer to: The Bees (UK band), an indie group from the Isle of Wight. ...

References in popular culture

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• Rumack's last line, "I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you," which is repeated three times in the movie (including after they are safely on the ground), is Nielsen's final line in Scary Movie 3, also a Zucker film.
• The band Gomez has referenced characters from this movie with a song called "Rex Kramer" on their album In Our Gun and a B-side titled "Steve McCroski" which appears on their album Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline.
• The TV show Family Guy makes a reference to the film in the episode "Prick Up Your Ears" when it depicts Stewie in shock and being slapped by Brian and Chris. A line forms similar to the film where other various characters in the show are holding bats, guns, and other weapons waiting for their turn to get Stewie out of shock. In the Season 5 episode Airport '07, many scenes from Airplane! are parodied, and prominently feature musical cues from Elmer Bernstein's original score. The Hour long episode entitled "Blue Harvest" has a scene in which, Peter and Chris are piloting the Milenium Falcon, and Leslie Nelson comes into the cockpit and says "I just want to tell you both good luck. We're all counting on you,"
• The film is referenced in the parody videos Conversations with the SSS in the Anime Series MADLAX.
• The introduction banter over the loudspeakers in the beginning of the film has been sampled by the hip-hop group Deltron 3030 on their self-titled album, for a track entitled "Positive Contact."
• Ted Striker's "drinking problem" (pouring drinks down his face) that is shown several times throughout the movie is copied by the pointy haired boss in an episode of Dilbert, where Dilbert and his colleagues are onboard an airplane. The boss, sitting outside the plane on the wing, then comments "I wonder what the movie is".
• In one insert of the comic Candorville, when Lemont Brown notices that his future self used the line "But that is not important right now," he asks the future Lemont: "Surely, I'm not still telling Airplane jokes 50 years from now," his future self replies by screwing up Dr. Rumack's famous line by saying "Don't call me 'fifty', I mean 'Shirley'."

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Scary Movie 3 (2003) is an American comedy film directed by David Zucker and is the third film of the Scary Movie franchise. ... Gomez is an English indie rock band from Southport, England. ... In Our Gun is the third studio album by UK band Gomez in 2002. ... In recorded music, the terms A-side and B-side refer to the two sides of 7 inch vinyl records on which singles have been released since the 1950s. ... Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline is a 2000 compilation of previously unreleased material, including BBC Radio 1 studio sessions, outtakes and B-sides by UK band Gomez. ... Family Guy is an Emmy award winning American animated television series about a nuclear family in the fictional town of Quahog (IPA or ), Rhode Island. ... “Prick Up Your Ears” is a season five episode of the FOX animated television series Family Guy. ... Elmer Bernstein (pronounced Bern-steen[1]) (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an Academy and two-time Golden Globe award winning American film score composer. ... “Animé” redirects here. ... MADLAX ) is a 26-episode anime television series that was produced by the Bee Train animation studio. ... // Deltron 3030 is a super-group of hip hop artists, composed primarily of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala, though their work features many other artists as well, all taking on various futuristic pseudonyms. ... Deltron 3030 is the debut album of hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030. ... Dilbert (first published April 16, 1989) is an American comic strip written and drawn by Scott Adams. ... Candorville is a syndicated newspaper comic strip written and illustrated by Darrin Bell, a former editorial cartoonist, and the only African-American cartoonist to ever have two different comic strips in syndication concurrently. ...

See also

• Airplane II: The Sequel

References

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Airplane!

• Airplane! at the Internet Movie Database
• Airplane! at Rotten Tomatoes
• Airplane! Script at Simply Scripts
• Airplane! Clip Crash Scene