Surely you've heard of Leslie Nielsen. Surely you've seen some of the more than 200 movies he's been in. Surely you think he was one of the funniest actors ever. Jovial Jay and Shua look back on the memorable roles of this talented man. Listen in to Enjoy Stuff and don't call me Shirley. 

Leslie Nielsen spent years trying to be a leading man in a number of dramatic movies with limited success. But then a lucky casting in the 1980 movie Airplane! as Dr. Rumack put him on a completely different path. After that, he became part of some of the funniest roles in history. Come along with us as we celebrate the career of a legend. 

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Sci-Fi Saturdays/MCU Location Scout

Be sure to check out Jay’s articles on Retrozap.com. This week he revisits a classic Keanu Reeves film from early in his career called Johnny Mnemonic. An interesting premise where Reeves gets to smuggle data in his brain. Check it out, including his articles on MCULocationScout.com for some great, interactive maps of filming locations. 

Enjoy Movies!

Leslie William Nielsen was born in 1926 in Canada. His father was a Canadian Mountie and his brother eventually became the Deputy Prime Minister. But Leslie caught the acting bug from a famous uncle and began his career acting on a wide variety of TV shows. 

Eventually he was cast as the dashing captain in the 1956 sci-fi movie Forbidden Planet. This first role didn’t necessarily start a lucrative career, but it did give him his start in movies. 

But he also continued some TV roles, such as the lead character in Disney’s Swamp Fox series. 

The manly actor played the Captain of a doomed cruise ship in The Poseidon Adventure and this is what caught the eye of the Zucker brothers. 

When the Zuckers were creating Airplane! in 1980, they wanted a cast of dramatic actors that had been in disaster movies. Nielsen fit that bill. He played Dr. Rumack, who took care of the sick passengers, described how the illness progressed with vivid details, and inspired Ted Stryker with tales of George Zip.

This breakout role dictated the rest of his career as he now played some of the zaniest characters ever created, most notably Lieutenant Frank Drebin. Drebin was the bumbling but dedicated detective of Police Squad, a special division of the Police Department. The unlikely hero made his debut in the short-lived TV series Police Squad, but really became successful in the Naked Gun movies.

After that, Nielsen made dozens of wacky comedies and spoofs and set the bar high for comedians after him. Especially when it comes to giving interviews and controlling bodily functions. 

Are you a fan of Leslie Nielsen? Do you use his many movie quotes on a daily basis? First person that emails me with the subject line, “Don’t call me Shirley” will get a special mention on the show.  Let us know. Come talk to us in the Discord channel or send us an email to EnjoyStuff@RetroZap.com