Airplane! is a Remake of an Old Fifties Flick

By Johnny Cat in Film on May 25, 2010 at 8:32 pm

If you’ve ever wondered where Jim Abrahams and David Zucker came up with those hilarious jokes in Airplane!, the answer isn’t strictly their warped minds. Many of the scenes set up for the gags were directly cribbed from 1957′s Zero Hour! It’s a movie about an ex fighter pilot named Stryker, who… well, see for yourself.

(YouTube Link)

And I’d always thought it was a spoof of the Airport movies. Of course, the writers did have warped minds, and saw this classic movie, replete with so many unfunny-yet- ripe-for-the-funny lines, as a perfect structure for the brilliant comedy it ultimately became.

Tags: airplane, comedies, movies

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Archibot
May 25th, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Can’t believe I’m only just finding this out.
redheron
May 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Absolutely love that movie.
Timm
May 25th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Wow, thanks for that post.

In the few years I have been reading from Neatorama that has to be the best post I have seen so far. (Second best was the post about how Disney faked all the Lemming suicides for a documentary they made.)

I love the movie Airplane!, and now I have to see Zero Hour! .

Great post Johnny Cat!!!
mark b
May 26th, 2010 at 12:40 am
Hey, it’s General Ripper from Dr. Strangelove: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1KvgtEnABY
hemlcok
May 26th, 2010 at 4:52 am
Great post
Zork II
May 26th, 2010 at 6:31 am
From IMDB trivia:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080339/trivia

The film is mostly a parody of Zero Hour! (1957), a film that had a main character named Ted Stryker and such famous “not meant to be funny” lines like “We have to find someone who can not only fly this plane, but who didn’t have fish for dinner.”

The producers bought the rights to the movie Zero Hour! (1957), the film that this movie is based on.

To get inspiration for the ZAZ Kentucky Fried Theatre skits, the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams would leave a videotape running all night, recording late night television with the aim of spoofing the commercials. One night they recorded the film Zero Hour! (1957), which ultimately acted as the main inspiration for Airplane! (1980).
BenDibble
May 26th, 2010 at 6:56 am
How about all the discreet references to the classic Hitchcock movie North by Northwest??
The music, the gag with the taxi, the typography…
ted
May 26th, 2010 at 6:57 am
I learned something new today.
Kalel
May 26th, 2010 at 8:32 am
Surely you can’t be serious.
AMCabral
May 26th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Where the Internet is failing me is where I can’t track down the original commercial that became the joke about “The fog is getting THICKER!” “…and Leon’s getting LAAAAAAAARGER!!”

It was a commercial that was on right around the time Airplane! came out, and I remember as a kid laughing because I recognized it, but for the life of me I can’t recall what it was or ever what it was for. Now everyone knows the line, but no one remembers why it was originally funny.

-T
Miss Cellania
May 26th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Kalel, I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.
TigerTony
May 26th, 2010 at 10:14 am
Kalel
May 26th, 2010 at 8:32 am
Surely you can’t be serious.

I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley!
Billy Sunday
May 26th, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Q: How Much Did The Lord Of The Rings Swipe from The Wizard of Oz?

A: A Lot More than you’d think.

This YouTube video reveals stunning similarities!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ry4ArfMSLg
mackayles
May 26th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
this isn’t a remake. I use to watch zero hour with my grandmother and then we would watch airplane! when I was a kid. it’s a PARODY!
Johnny Cat
May 26th, 2010 at 7:11 pm
I realize where you’re coming from with the parody thing. I mentioned Airport for that reason. I see a parody as something spoofing some other work, but it has to be well-known. Many people have never heard of Zero Hour! so never made the connection.

And since Zucker/Abrahams clearly bought the rights to the film, wouldn’t it be more veritable to say it’s a remake?

Thanks for the comment, Timm. This is just me sharing, not trying to win any awards, but hearing someone say something like that made my day. It’s always great to discover something and share it with this community.

@ted: There will be a test.
ted
May 26th, 2010 at 7:40 pm
I wouldn’t call it a remake. I see why you wouldn’t call it a parody, but they did parody other movies, such as Jaws, From Here to Eternity, and Saturday Night Fever. Thus, I wouldn’t call it a remake.

Would you settle for “parroty”? They copied a lot of stuff, but made fun of it at the same time.

The similarities between the two Billies is eerie.
Johnny Cat
May 26th, 2010 at 7:47 pm
Parroty it is!
Dinsdale Piranha
May 26th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
great post

those lazy writers ripped every word from the Zero Hour script

imagine if they tried that crap today ..LOL
masada
May 26th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
What, you mean there are people in Hollywood who “borrow” from previous projects and earlier films?! WHAT?!??!?! I’m…I’m shocked. Shocked and appalled.

I thought that was the ONLY way Hollywood worked. Hell knows they haven’t entertained anyone in eons.
Alex
May 28th, 2010 at 6:25 pm
I agree – one of the best posts on Neatorama. Great find, Johnny Cat!

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