10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT ‘AIRPLANE!’
Illustration by Jaclyn Kessel; Photos: Everett Collection
Surely you didn’t forget that today marks the 35th anniversary of the beloved comedy Airplane! Written and directed by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, sometimes referred to as filmmaking trio called “ZAZ,” Airplane!marked a 747-sized shift in feature-length parody and inadvertently brought the relentless disaster genre of the 1970s to a close, giving imminent doom and gloom a much-needed break until its rebirth in the early aughts.
Since its 1980 release, Airplane! has acquired both widespread comedic recognition as well as a devout cult following that continues to analyze every nuanced gag laced throughout the entire film and, by goodness, there are a ton of them. While it’s considered to be one of the most influential comedies of a decade that spawned the likes of Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Back to the Future (also celebrating a milestone anniversary this week), Airplane! is often forgotten as the era’s most brilliant. Though it was filmed in only a month and on a micro-budget (even by 1980’s standards), Airplane! broke ground (and tarmac) that no comedy has done before or since. Here are ten fun facts about the flick that surely aided its legendary status.
1
The jet actually produces a propeller sound.
As you’ll briefly hear in the clip above, whenever the camera cuts to an exterior shot of the ill-fated airliner, instead of hearing the roar of jet engines, you hear the whir of a one-seater propeller plane from the Wright Brothers’ days.
2
At the very beginning of the film, two TSA announcers get into a fight about abortion.
In the clip above you’ll hear two TSA announcers (who were actually announcers by trade and married in real life) fighting about where loading and unloading should occur: the red zone or the white zone. The terse exchange is easy to miss, but as the bickering comes to a close (and unfortunately can’t be found anywhere on the Internet) the male announcer breaks, “Betty, don’t start up with your white zone shit again,” before she retorts, “We both know perfectly well what this is about. You want me to have an abortion!”
3
The film is actually a spoof of 1957 movie 'Zero Hour!'
Photo: Barlett-Champion Productions
Right down to the punctuation in the title, in-flight food poisoning, and character names, Airplane! is a direct parody of 1957 disaster film Zero Hour!starring Sterling Hayden, Linda Darnell, and Dana Andrews as Ted Stryker. [Where to stream Zero Hour!]
4
Airplane! came after a slew of tiresome disaster movies.
Photo: Everett Collection
If you frequented the blockbusters throughout the ’70s, it seemed that Hollywood had a better idea the world might end than the rest of the general public. The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake, and The Omega Man where just a few films that highlighted what life would be like during and following most certain doom. Airplane!, though based on a 1957 sky high adventure, came at just the right time for audiences who were inundated with bleak plots and in need of something to laugh at. [Where to stream The Poseidon Adventure,Earthquake, and The Omega Man]
5
The original trailer spoofs 'Jaws.'
The first time we see the 747 cut through the clouds, the tail of the plane is made to look like Bruce’s fin from Jaws, which was released just five years earlier. Cue the John Williams’ score and you have one heck of an unlikely ocean parody at 35,000 feet.
6
David Letterman, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Caitlyn Jenner auditioned for the role of Ted Striker.
Photo: Everett Collection
Some of comedy’s biggest players auditioned for the lead of Ted Striker, which was eventually nabbed by Robert Hays. It’s tough to picture Letterman, Murray, or, before her transition, Caitlyn Jenner taking over the pilot’s seat, but we have that nagging feeling Chase would have totally owned the role. No offense to Hays, of course.
7
Pay attention to the hilarious, Monty Python-style credits.
Photo: Everett Collection
Along with a cameo from director Jerry Zucker as “Religious Zealot #6,” the credits following the final scene feature fun roles you would never ever want on your IMDb page like “Guy in Charge of Lots of Things,” “Bouncy Topless Woman on Plane,” and “Upside-Down Man.”
8
'Airplane!' was actually Julie Hagerty's film debut.
Photo: Everett Collection
Before she took on the role of a lifetime, Julie Hagerty was busy modeling. After portraying flighty flight attendant Elaine Dickinson, Hagerty went on to star in other comedy classics like Airplane II: The Sequel and What About Bob? [Where to stream Airplane II: The Sequel and What About Bob?]
9
Rehearsal for the dance scene took as long as the entire filming of the movie.
Photo: Everett Collection
Hagerty and Hays were said to have spent nearly a month prepping for the infamous Saturday Night Fever spoof, which is about the same amount of time it took for production to begin and wrap. Though a month seems like an insane amount of time to have resulted in such terrible dancing, the payoff was legendary. [Where to stream Saturday Night Fever]
10
The final crash scene sparked nationwide confessions of reckless piloting.
Photo: Everett Collection
Featured in the DVD directors’ commentary, the Zucker Brothers and Jim Abrahams talk about the abundance of mail they received from pilots (!!!) following the film’s release noting the ending crash, many admitting that they themselves have almost crashed through terminals — in some cases, getting just inches away from the windows.
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