Based mostly on a B-movie about an airplane disaster, Airplane! launched the careers of the comedy writing-producing-directing team of Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker.
A 1980s Comedy Classic
There's so much to love about Airplane! As revealed in the directors’ commentary and interviews included in the “Long Haul Version” on this DVD, Airplane! is based largely on spoofing the 1957 B-movie drama Zero Hour! about a disastrous airplane flight where food poisoning threatens to destroy everyone onboard. The Zucker Brothers were taping television commercials to inspire sketches for their Kentucky Fried Theatre group, when they accidentally found that the film playing between the commercials was far funnier (though unintentionally so) than the commercials they hoped to spoof.
The Zucker-Abrahams team bought the rights to the film and based their story and characters (and even set up camera shots) to spoof Zero Hour!, in addition to taking plenty of comedic stabs at pop culture and other media. In 1981, the film won an award from the Writers Guild of America for Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium.
The Story of Airplane!
Although Robert Hays (as a shell-shocked veteran pilot plagued with a guilt complex) and Julie Hagerty (as his ex-girlfriend flight attendant) play the romantic leads, dramatic actors Peter Graves, Robert Stack, and Lloyd Bridges play comically crucial roles as airline officials, and Leslie Nielson portrays a doctor who happens to be on the doomed flight. Sight gags and fun cameos from 1970s television stars (required by the studio) appear in unlikely roles that go against their type.
As the food-poisoned crew and passengers suffer through the uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms, the few people who didn’t eat the tainted fish do their best to take care of the others and land the plane safely. In addition to the antics on the plane, the airline personnel in the control tower present a comical subplot.
Airplane! DVD Bonus Features
The 25-year anniversary DVD (released in 2005 as the “Don’t Call Me Shirley edition”) presents four different versions of the movie: the regular untouched theatrical release; with commentary from the producer and directors; with written trivia interjected throughout; and a deluxe version with deleted scenes, interviews, and comments woven together in one “Long Haul Version” of the movie.
Each of the three special versions includes information not included in the others. Therefore, to hear all the background information and get a thorough working knowledge of all things Airplane!, viewers will need to sit through all four versions of the film, which isn’t really such a burden because the movie never stops being funny, despite repeated viewings. In addition, the various versions draw attention to sight gags, obscure references, and inside jokes that make the film even funnier.
- Airplane! (Widescreen Collection “Don’t Call Me Shirley” Edition)
- Directors: Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
- Run Time: 87 minutes
- Rating: PG (brief nudity and sexual references)
- Bonus Features: Commentary by producer Jon Davison and writers-directors Abrahams and the Zuckers; Long Haul Version with deleted scenes and interviews; trivia track; theatrical trailer.
To learn more about comedies on DVD read reviews of Blades of Glory.
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