Leslie Nielsen, RIP
**Written by Doug Powers
From the time I saw Airplane in a movie theater at the age of about 15, I was hooked on Leslie Nielsen’s style. His comedic timing and delivery was impeccable. He’d had a lengthy career before that which covered many genres and characters, but Airplane directors and writers Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers had successfully tapped into what Leslie Nielsen was born to do: Make people laugh.
Leslie Nielsen passed away on Sunday:
Leslie Nielsen, who went from drama to inspired bumbling as a hapless doctor in “Airplane!” and the accident-prone detective Frank Drebin in “The Naked Gun” comedies, has died. He was 84.
His agent John S. Kelly says Nielsen died Sunday at a hospital near his home in Ft. Lauderdale where he was being treated for pneumonia.
Nielsen has been responsible for making me laugh more than almost anybody, with the possible exceptions of Johnny Carson and Michael Dukakis, and he’ll be greatly missed.
A commenter at Free Republic wrote, “I hope they allow whoopie cushions in heaven.” I do too, but if not, maybe Leslie can get the rules changed so the rest of us can laugh at him when we get up there like we did down here.
To that end, I just want to say good luck, Leslie, we’re all counting on you.
**Written by Doug Powers
Twitter @ThePowersThatBe
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Categories: R.I.P.
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This is like losing your favorite uncle. I loved the man and admired his ability to make you laugh.
Its a sad evening here in Flyover Country.
P.S. In his memory, I hope someone says to me, “Leslie Nielsen passed away? Surely you can’t be serious?”
What a funny guy. We need more humor in our lives, not less. Thanks for the laughs, Leslie. I loved your farce.
Great character actor throughout his life, though most know him for his later comedic roles. He will be sorely missed in these days when we need some good laughs. Sad news; as Lloyd Bridges’ character in “Airplane!” said “I picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue”….
Yes, Flyman, Leslie is gone. And stop calling me Shirley.
(It had to be said by way of a last salute.)
And “Police Squad” before that.
Up until “Airplane”, he had been a decent character actor who played serious leading man types. That movie was predicated on serious actors playing their roles straight while the plot worked it’s way from one ridiculous situation after another. It worked because every actor in it was a serious actor who had never done comedy before.
I don’t know why, but Nielsen is the only one from that movie whose role re-defined his career. It’s not like everyone else phoned it in either. And it’s not like he was the best known of all the so-so TV actors who were cast in the movie. He was just sufficiently well-known to land a part. Every role in that movie worked and for the same reasons. Yet it’s Nielsen we remember the most.
There is no way he could have begun his career with that role. But it is that role that made him immortal. How many movies can you watch over and over and still laugh at all the gags? Not many. Nielsen made a few of the best.
Police Squad – Mrs. Twice
(YouTube)
Nielsen: “So Captain, how long do we have left?”
Pilot (Peter Graves): “I really can’t say….”
Nielsen (now wearing a stethoscope): “You can tell me, I’m a doctor.”
Given the success of Airplane it likely also altered the career paths of others in the movie like Loyd Bridges and Peter Graves. It probably got the attention of many actors in general who always wanted to do comedy but thought there was no future in it until Airplane came along.
Airplane broke a lot of new ground and Leslie Nielson’s character was a key element that made it work.
BTW, I always wondered why Leslie wasn’t cast in Airplane II? Contract thing?
My brother told me of this before I saw it here.
The evening is a little darker because of his passing.
Godspeed Mr. Nielsen, you bought smiles and laughter to a lot of us.
Damn….
RIP Leslie, thanks for all the laughs.
May I recommend “Forbidden Planet”, 1956? 52?
“Beer?”
“Not now. I’m driving.” (as he swings his golf club)
I remember him from earlier in his career when he showed up on numerous TV shows, usually playing a heavy. He did that very well but he didn’t like it. I’m glad he was able to go on to do the comedy roles that he really wanted.
I am serious.
And don’t call me Shirley.
Sigh…
Looks like I picked the wrong time to stop sniffing glue.
He also played the role of Francis Marion, The Swamp Fox, in the Disney series back in the late 50′s early 60′s.
Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord,
And let Perpetual Light shine upon him.
May his Soul
And the Souls of all the faithful departed
Through the Mercy of God
Rest in Peace.
Amen
He was a good dramatic actor too, but the comedies will be what he is best remembered for. He’s been a favorite of mine ever since I saw “Forbidden Planet” as a kid back in the 50′s.
They don’t make them like Leslie anymore. In his own words: “They’ve been cutting back on real actors for a long time”
He’ll always be Captain Kirk’s prototype to me. Leslie was good in “Airplane”, but I’ll most remember deadpan serious guy Robert Stack’s kung-fu moves best!
James Greenidge
Queens NY
“These people must be taken to a hospital.”
“A hospital? What is it?”
“It’s a big building with patients, but that’s not important right now.”
RIP You funny guy you.
Rest In Peace Mr. Nielsen.
Say “Hi” to Bob Hope for us.
You can be sure you won’t see Ayatollah Khomeini, Mikhail Gorbechev, Muammar al-Gaddafi, et.al. in Heaven.
You’ll be missed, Mr. Nielsen.
(Now I’ve got to find my Due South DVDs so I can watch All the King’s Horses again.)
A hooker scene in police squad…
Hooker: “Is this some kind of bust?”
Drebbin: “Yes, very impressive, but that’s not why we’re here.”
RIP Lt. Drebbin…
Thanks for that. I loved that show as a kid.
(Spoken: My name is Francis Marion. I fought the British
Redcoats in 76. Hiding in the Carolina swamps by day,
surprising them with swift strikes at night. They called me
a tricky swamp fox. So, a Swamp Fox I became.)
(Chorus)
Swamp Fox! Swamp Fox!
Tail on his hat,
Nobody knows where The Swamp Fox’s at.
Swamp Fox! Swamp Fox!
Hiding in the glen,
He runs away to fight again.
I fire a gun the birds take wing.
There startled cries a signal clear.
My men march forth to fight the king.
And leave behind there loved ones dear.
(Chorus)
We had no lead, we had no powder.
Always fought with an empty gun.
Only made us shout the louder.
We are men of Marion.
We had no cornpone, had no honey.
All we had was Continental money.
Wouldn’t buy nothing worth beans in the pot.
Roasted ears and possum was all we go.
(Chorus)
We had no blankets, had no bed.
Had no roof above our head.
We get no shelter when it rains.
All we got is Yankee brains.
The Redcoats fight in a foreign land.
Their hearts are far across the sea.
They never try to understand.
We fight for home and liberty.
(Chorus)
Leslie Nielson has always been my favorite comedian, with “The Naked Gun” one of my favorite movies. He will be greatly missed.
When he got too old to be shot out of the saddle, generally the bad guy in westerns, he got to make us laugh. I did not realize he was The Swamp Fox so I will see if NetFlix has it.
Wasn’t Swamp Fox also some Mel Gibson movie?
James Greenidge
Queens NY
“Stewardess, what were the passengers served for dinner?”
“Chicken or Fish”.
“Ah, I remember now – I had the lasagna”.
RIP to the serious Captain from Forbidden Planet!
Very sad. I always enjoyed his movies.
Condolences to his family and friends.
Mel Gibson’s life has become a swamp but let’s not confuse the issue
But I did think The Patriot was loosely based on the Swamp Fox.
Michael Dukakis, now that’s funny!
A very sad day, indeed. Leslie Nielsen was a truly funny man, on-screen and off, and brightened the spirits of all who knew him.
Thanks for all the laughs, Les.
R.I.P.
I loved this man. My brother ran into him once and he said Nielsen was just as funny and down to earth off screen.
I will miss him.
Airplane and The Naken Gun movies were the best. Of course, they would be considered highly politically incorrect by today’s elite standards.
“Wilma, no one on the force will rest until we find the scum that did this to NORBERG,now let’s get some lunch”… 10-7 Lt. Drebbin!!!
In one of the six episodes of “Police Squad!” (in color), Frank Drebin was a boxing manager. The boxer whom he was training was playing a saxophone prior to the boxing match, and Lt. Drebin took it away with the admonition, “No sax before boxing.”
Talented actor. You can’t put a price on making people laugh and nobody did it any better than Leslie Nielsen. RIP
Thank You Leslie, for all the laughs, all the good feelings you gave us and your ability to make us laugh in these trying times.
Thank You!
And the great Leslie was also in a sense Captain Kirk, before there was a Captain Kirk.
Look at him as the Captain of the classic Sci-Fi film, “Forbidden Planet” and you see him setting the standard for so many “star ship captains” after.
At age 11 in the early 1960s, I remember first seeing Leslie Nielsen starring in a new ABC show called “The New Breed”, where he played a Lieutenant leading an LAPD detective squad. The theme song was done by Dominic Frontiere and it was a Quinn Martin Production (like so many shows in the 60s). It was a serious show and (therefore) his character’s name was not Lt. Drebbin.
On November 28th, 2010 at 10:38 pm, prendad said:
The Farce was strong with that one.
Geez, when did these guys all get so old? I don’t even know the names of most stars under 40 these days.
Leslie, we’ll miss you…
Believe me, you aren’t missing much.
Mr. Nielsen was also in “An American Carol” which may be the only funny spoof made since Spaceballs. Forbidden Planet is still my favorite, though.
I loved the scene with he and Ricardo Mantalban where a pen (I think) landed in the fish tank. He was feeling around in the tank trying to find it, and when Ricardo turned around, Leslie took his hand out and hid it behind his back trying to look so innocent…
…just like so many young kids when caught with their hands where they don’t belong.
Humor similar to his was in Sledgehammer, which I have the full DVD set…it was a great show too but never played for more than a couple seasons.
Didn’t Leslie Nielsen ask in the movie Airplane if anybody spoke jive or rap, and then some very sophisticated lady who I thought was Barbara Billingsly got up and started talking “jive” with two black gentlemen? The Airplane movie was Nielsen at his finest…rest in peace, funny guy!