From his first starring movie role as Commander John J. Adams in the cult sci-fi classic “Forbidden Planet” in 1956 to his brief supporting role as the doomed ship’s captain in the star-studded disaster film, “The Poseidon Adventure” in 1972, the career of Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen had mostly been marked by serious dramatic roles. Prolific in his appearances both on the silver screen and in a host of TV productions, his roles were mostly serious, but he was hardly a household name. However, all that changed in 1980.
Cast alongside other notable actors such as Lloyd Bridges and Robert Stack, renowned for serious dramatic roles, Leslie Nielsen stole the show as Dr. Rumack in the benchmark spoof comedy, “Airplane!,” providing perfect deadpan delivery of memorably daft lines, amidst absurdly comedic situations. This parody of iconic disaster movies such as “Airport,” rated as one of the funniest films of all time, also proved to be launching point for the “ZAZ” American comedy filmmaking trio of Jim Abrahams and brothers, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker, who mastered the art of successful slapstick comedy spoofs throughout the ’80s and ’90s.
Leslie Nielsen becomes a comedy icon with “Airplane!” marking the turning point in his career, Leslie Nielsen continued his collaboration with Abrahams and the Zucker brothers. In the leading role as Detective Frank Drebin in TV comedy “Police Squad!,” once more delivering almost accidental one-liners within the madcap capers going on around him. Although the 1982 TV show would only last for six episodes, it would lead to a reprisal of the role for Nielsen on the silver screen, with glowing reviews from movie reviewers.
Continuing the theme of the short-lived TV series, “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” was an instant success in cinemas in 1988, tickling the funny bones of audiences far and wide and with visual gags coming thick and fast, turning its fairly modest production budget of $12 million into an impressive $78 million at the US box office. Leslie Nielsen was in his element as the bumbling detective, cast alongside Priscilla Presley as his love interest, with NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee O.J. Simpson in his first film role, plus screen legend George Kennedy as the seriously amusing departmental captain.
Comedy fans were hungry for more of Frank Drebin and in 1991, he returned to save the day in his own unique way in “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear,” which achieved even more success at the US box office and around the world. The 1994 outing in “Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult” didn’t achieve quite the same success at cinemas, and the conclusion to the trilogy marked the final appearance for Leslie Nielsen in his most iconic role.
Nothing quite like Naked Gun although he would appear as the leading figure in numerous spoof and slapstick comedies, including further collaborations with the Zucker brothers, it’s with “The Naked Gun” and his role as Frank Drebin that fans most identify Leslie Nielsen. When he sadly passed away in 2010, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Band even played the Naked Gun theme at his funeral, and ever since, there has been varied talk of rebooting the franchise. Obviously, it wouldn’t be quite the same without its iconic leading man, but his legacy remains.
“The Naked Gun” has clearly been an inspiration for many similar slapstick style films, whilst comedic scenes and all the most familiar characters have also inspired a casino slot game at William Hill, but as yet, only by watching the DVD and Blu-ray releases of this classic trilogy, will we recapture the madcap magic on our screens. Plans to revisit the franchise seem to have stalled, despite initial optimism.
Paramount was apparently keen on relaunching the franchise back in 2013, with Ed Helms even mentioned for the leading role as Frank Drebin, plus Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon writing the script. However, since then little has appeared in the movie news columns and what scant information has surfaced, would suggest there’s much creative conflict and contradiction. David Zucker initially suggested it would be a reboot, then turned about-face by suggesting that the lead character would be Frank Drebin’s son, thus suggesting a sequel continuation instead.
As such and with scant information to go on of late, it seems that any plans for “The Naked Gun” in the future could well be left in Hollywood purgatory. Excusing the pun, but to be frank, that might be the best place for it to stay. Nothing is likely to recapture the essence of what made the Naked Gun movies so enjoyable, especially without Leslie Nielsen. If one lesson can be learned from the disastrous “Ghostbusters” reboot, it’s that some things are sacred and should perhaps be left that way.
