Tuesday 30 November 2010

I AM SERIOUS, AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY....

It was sad to see yesterday's announcement of the death of Leslie Nielsen, star of Airplane and the Naked Gun series of films. I saw Airplane when I was a young lass with a group of school pals and I don't think I have ever laughed so much at a film either then or since. The zany comedy writing and deadpan acting from Leslie Nielsen made the film an absolute classic. My mates and I recited the lines of the film over and over again and some of the scenes are still fixed in my memory as absolute classics. Leslie Nielsen made his name well into middle age during the making of Airplane despite numerous previous film and tv roles. He then went on to star in the hugely successful Naked Gun series as Lieutenant Frank Drebin opposite Priscilla Presley and OJ Simpson. The beauty of Leslie Nielsen was his ability to deliver such absurd lines with complete seriousness remaining totally straight-faced. As a tribute to an actor who made me laugh until I cried, here's some of his best lines from Airplane and Naked Gun....





Neilsen: ‘Tell the captain we’ve got to land as soon as possible. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.’ 
Stewardess:  ‘A hospital?’. ‘What is it?’ 
Nielsen:  ‘It’s a big building with patients — but that’s not important right now.’

Neilsen voiceover: ‘Like a midget at a urinal, I was going to have to stay on my toes.’ 
Neilsen as Drebin: ‘I’m single! I love being single! I haven’t had this much sex since I was a Boy Scout leader!’ When everyone around him stops and stares, he adds: ‘I mean at the time I was dating a lot.’

Priscilla: ‘I’ve heard police work is dangerous,’ 
Drebin: ‘It is,’  ‘That’s why I carry a big gun.’
Priscilla:
Aren’t you afraid it might go off accidentally?’ 
Drebin: 'I used to have that problem.’
Priscilla: ‘What did you do about it?’
Drebin: ‘I just think about baseball.’

In 1991’s Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, he walks into a store. The female shop assistant is magnificently endowed. Seeing the police she gasps, ‘Is this some kind of bust?’
Well...it’s very impressive, yes,’ says Nielsen, ‘but we need to ask you a few questions.’

And my personal favourite line of all time...
Drebin: 'Nice beaver' 
Priscilla: 'thanks, I had it stuffed this morning'

8 comments:

  1. When you said you were going to quote his best lines, my immediate thought was "Will she mention the beaver?". We must have some kind of telepathic smut-link, FFB!

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  2. Ah yes, Leslie Nielsen, another fine Canadian actor. Who could forget him in Forbidden Planet?
    Take care, Gary:-)

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  3. GB - telepathy confirmed! It's a great line and who can forget Frank Drebin looking upwards at Jane on the library ladder. Brilliantly smutty and very funny
    FFB

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  4. Hi Klahanie. Leslie Nielsen was indeed a fine actor and it was sad to see his passing. I'm not familiar with the Forbidden Planet but will try and download it for a sneaky look.
    Thanks for checking in
    FFB

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  5. You missed off the most famous one of all:

    "And don't call me Shirley".

    Poor form, Hel. ;-)

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  6. Scrap that - just noticed the post title.

    Duh.

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  7. Good to see that university education and observant eye wasn't wasted young Russ
    Smug auntie FFB x

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  8. Glad I only spent £11,000 on my degree, rather than the extortionate costs the government are looking to increase them to.

    Up the revolution!

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