Airplane!

Fun Facts About Airplane! (1980)

• The film is a shot-for-shot parody of the 1957 drama Zero Hour! The filmmakers were so faithful to the original script (e.g., the cockpit dialogue is almost word-for-word) they had to purchase the remake rights for $2,500 to avoid facing potential legal issues.
• Airplane! was extremely profitable relative its small budget. Made for just $3.5 million, the disaster-spoof comedy grossed over $171 million worldwide.
• This film reinvented Leslie Nielsen's career. He was previously known as a serious dramatic actor. This background helped him create a deadpan comedic delivery style that made the jokes even funnier.
• One of the more absurd recurring gags was the inflatable autopilot who could interact with the human crew members. Of course his name was Otto.
• During filming, Leslie Nielsen brought in portable fart machines and sold them for $7 each to the cast and crew. The devices became so popular that the director had to ban them from the set because of the constant disruptions and delays to the production.
• The film is renowned for having one the highest gag-per-minue counts in movie history. It is said there is, on average, one joke every 20 seconds. Decades after its initial release, Airplane! regularly ranks near the top of comedy lists.
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's role as a co-pilot was originally intended for baseball legend Pete Rose. Abdul-Jabbar was originally offered $30,000 for the role, but he requested $5,000 more because he wanted to buy an expensive oriental rug.
• If you listen closely you'll hear the droning sound of propeller engines throughout the film — a deliberate, running gag since they are supposed to be on a modern jet airliner.