History Trivia / Airplane

* CreatorChosenCasting: The role of Rex Kramer was written especially for Creator/RobertStack.

** The creators sought Creator/GeorgeKennedy for the role of [=McCroskey=], but he and Universal felt that appearing in the spoof would damage the ''Film/{{Airport}}'' franchise in which he starred ([[GenreKiller which happened even without him)]]. He'd later team up with ZAZ to act in ''Film/TheNakedGun''.

** Creator/DavidLetterman auditioned for the role of Ted. Jerry Zucker brought the audition tape on Late Night once as a prank. (As a side note, he also auditioned for the "Film @ 11:00" guy for ''Film/TheKentuckyFriedMovie''.)

* TrendKiller: This film was not only a GenreKiller for the DisasterMovie -- it also killed the aerial subgenre retroactively, as the airliner-in-peril/stewardess-lands-the-plane trope of the previous Airport series was destroyed, and all the drama with it.

** The woman trying to apply makeup in the film is David and Jerry Zucker's actual mother, Charlotte.

** Creator/LeslieNielsen slapped Lee Bryant for real during the GetAHoldOfYourselfMan scene, and threw in a [[CrossesTheLineTwice second slap]] without warning for good measure. Her confused reaction in this scene is entirely real.

* {{Surprisingly Lenient Censor}}: In an interview on ''Later With Bob Costas'', Robert Stack was amazed A) that ZAZ got away with the 'Shit hits the fan' joke and B) that it made him laugh a lot.

* ActorSharedBackground: Robert Hays was in real life a licensed pilot, having completed his training in 1974, although it was an entirely different kind of flying altogether.
** "It was an entirely different kind of flying."

** Creator/ChristopherLee was offered the role of Dr. Rumack, and later said he made a big mistake turning it down in favour of ''Film/NineteenFortyOne''. Had he taken the role, Leslie Nielsen may well have remained a dramatic actor for the rest of his life. Creator/JackLord, Creator/DomDeLuise and Creator/JackWebb were also offered the role.

** Barbara Billingsley, better known as all-American white 50s housewife [[Series/LeaveItToBeaver June Cleaver]] was brought back from retirement to play the old lady that speaks Jive. (She was not the first choice -- that was Harriet Nelson of ''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet'', who turned it down for fear of how risque the material was, a decision she would later admit to regretting. In retrospect the choice of Billingsley has aged much better as ''Leave it to Beaver'' has stuck far more in the popular imagination than ''Ozzie and Harriet'' did.

** Barbara Billingsley, better known as all-American white 50s housewife [[Series/LeaveItToBeaver June Cleaver]] was brought back from retirement to play the old lady that speaks Jive.

** The sound of Captain Oveur's uncontrollable flatulence was provided on-set by Leslie Neilson, using a whoopee cushion he'd often keep on himself as a prank.

!! This film [[ImageSource provides the page image]] for:
* CharacterAsHimself
* DrivingADesk
* VideoCredits

* CareerResurrection: Creator/LeslieNielsen had a long career in Hollywood before this film playing mostly bit parts on film or TV guest shots, with the occasional leading role in a low-budget project. Before 1980, he was probably best remembered for his leading role in ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. After 1980, he was best known for his role as Dr. Rumack in this film, where his deadpan performance made him one of the funniest things in the film. [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome He would go on to play similar roles in an assortment of other]], mostly similar comedies, notably Frank Drebin in ''Series/PoliceSquad'' and ''Film/TheNakedGun'' film trilogy as well the lead roles in ''Film/SpyHard'' and ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt''.

* CareerResurrection: Leslie Nielsen had a long career in Hollywood before this film playing mostly bit parts on film or TV guest shots, with the occasional leading role in a low-budget project. Before 1980, he was probably best remembered for his leading role in ''Film/ForbiddenPlanet''. After 1980, he was best known for his role as Dr. Rumack in this film, where his deadpan performance made him one of the funniest things in the film. [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome He would go on to play similar roles in an assortment of other]], mostly similar comedies, notably Frank Drebin in ''Series/PoliceSquad'' and ''Film/TheNakedGun'' film trilogy as well the lead roles in ''Film/SpyHard'' and ''Film/DraculaDeadAndLovingIt''.

* CareerResurrection: Barbara Billingsley had been retired for nine years when she was cast as the "Jive Lady" [[PlayingWithCharacterType as a joke]]. She went on to have a second film and TV career because of ''Film/{{Airplane}}''

* LifeImitatesArt: The cockpit voice recorder of [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Airlines_Flight_1248 Southwest Airlines Flight 1248]] picked up one of the flight crew joking "I picked a bad day to stop sniffin' glue!" while waiting to approach Chicago-Midway Airport during a snowstorm. [[HarsherInHindsight The plane ran off the end of the runway and into a city street, killing one person on the ground and injuring nine others.]]

** According to Ross Harris (Joey), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was "not acting" when he erupted and grabbed Joey following his relentless criticisms about Kareem's basketball performance. Harris said Kareem grabbed him very hard and Joey's fearful expression was quite real.

* HarpoDoesSomethingFunny: As told on the DVD commentary, Stephen Stucker (who played Johnny) was given the straight lines of the characters around him and allowed to write his own lines.

** In a 2008 interview on ''Series/{{Today}}'', Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told the story of being on a European flight and asked to sit in an empty seat in the cockpit during takeoff so the crew could say they flew with Roger Murdock.

* MoneyDearBoy: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's salary paid for an expensive rug he wished to purchase.

* NoStuntDouble: Robert Stack, at age 61, did his own stunts during the fight scene in the airport ticket area.

** It's surprising to think of it now, but Nielsen's role in the film was based entirely upon his established persona of studly, stoic heroes, but this time played for laughs rather than drama. The gambit was so successful that the term LeslieNielsenSyndrome came into existence.

*** Nielsen went further off-script and slapped Bryant for real, not once but twice. Maureen [=McGovern=], who played the nun, was terribly concerned with hurting Bryant and could only do her comically small slap next.

** Creator/ChristopherLee was offered the role of Dr. Rumack, and later said he made a big mistake turning it down. Had he taken the role, Leslie Nielsen may well have remained a dramatic actor for the rest of his life.

** Creator/BillMurray and Creator/ChevyChase were suggested for Ted Striker by the studio but rejected by the producers due to their insistence on having a "serious" cast. Music/BarryManilow and Creator/FredWillard were also considered.
** Creator/SigourneyWeaver auditioned for Elaine Dickinson.

** Creator/JackLord and Creator/JackWebb were approached for roles.

** The creators sought Creator/GeorgeKennedy for the role of [=McCroskey=], but he and Universal felt that appearing in the spoof would damage the franchise. %%What franchise...?

*** Nielsen went further off-script and slapped Bryant [[EnforcedMethodActing for real]], not once but [[CrossesTheLineTwice twice]]. Maureen [=McGovern=], who played the nun, was terribly concerned with hurting Bryant and could only do her comically small slap next.

** Creator/CaitlynJenner was offered the role of Roger, but she turned it down in favour of ''Film/CantStopTheMusic''.
** Fellow [[HouseWife '50s sitcom mom]] [[Series/TheAdventuresOfOzzieAndHarriet Harriet Nelson]] was the first choice for the Jive Lady, but she nervously turned it down because of how naughty the script was. When she later appeared on ''Angie'', which co-starred Robert Hays, he confronted her about this and she admitted she regretted not taking the part.

* WorkingTitle: ''The Late Show''.

** In Finnish, it's "Hey, We're Flying!". This led to a whole series of imported American comedies being titled ''Hey, We're [insert verb here]!''
** In Polish it's "Is there a pilot with us?".

** Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Japan and the Philippines all had the title ''Flying High!''.

** In Israel, it was ''Have A Nice Flight''.

* HeyItsThatPlace: The ''Film/FromHereToEternity'' skit was shot on the same beach where Taylor discovered the Statue of Liberty in ''Film/PlanetOfTheApes1968''.

** In a 2008 interview on ''Series/{{Today}}'', Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told the story of being on a European flight and asked to sit in an empty seat in the cockpit during takeoff so the crew could say they flew with Roger Murdoch.

* PlayingAgainstType: Creator/LeslieNielsen, Creator/LloydBridges, Creator/RobertStack and Creator/PeterGraves (all serious dramatic actors), doing comedy. In the case of Nielsen, this role [[LeslieNielsenSyndrome redefined his career]], and would become his default shtick for the rest of his life. Bridges also briefly became a comedic actor before his death in 1998. While Stack's most prominent work after this movie was becoming the host of ''Series/UnsolvedMysteries'', he also continued to dabble in comedy, including voicing a similar character in ''WesternAnimation/BeavisAndButtheadDoAmerica''.

** It's surprising to think of it now, but Nielsen's role in the film was based entirely upon playing his established persona of studly, stoic heroes for laughs rather than drama. The gambit was so successful that the term LeslieNielsenSyndrome came into existence.

** Lee Bryant's part included a spoof of her catchphrase in Yuban coffee commercials ("Jim never has a second cup of coffee at home").

** Neither Barbara Billingsley (initally) nor Peter Graves were thrilled about appearing in this film, but were convinced by their friends and family.

** The HystericalWoman was originally going to be slapped once by a [[FairForItsDay male passenger]], but actress Lee Bryant came up with the idea of being slapped several times by "people you wouldn't expect, like the doctor or the nun". The producers accepted her suggestion and expanded it to include the shot of approaching passengers with weapons.
** Nielsen went further off-script and slapped Bryant [[EnforcedMethodActing for real]], not once but [[CrossesTheLineTwice twice]]. Maureen [=McGovern=], who played the nun, was terribly concerned with hurting Bryant and could only do her comically small slap next.
** During the scene with the girl running to keep up with the plane as it taxis off with her boyfriend, the towers she keeps colliding with weren't supposed to fall over, but they went with it as it was funnier.

** LeslieNielsenSyndrome: This was the film that launched Nielsen's comedy career. Interestingly, this was to be intentional. The filmmakers deliberately cast serious actors instead of comedians, thus most of the humor was delivered completely deadpan. And it works!

** Proofreaders advised the crew to shorten the commercials and they were eventually removed completely. The idea of having a shorter ''Airplane!'' as the ''Fistful of Yen''-style centerpiece of a ''Kentucky Fried Movie'' sequel was also kicked around.

** Creator/BillMurray and Creator/ChevyChase were suggested for Ted Striker by the studio, but rejected by the producers due to their insistence on having a "serious" cast. Music/BarryManilow and Creator/FredWillard were also considered.

** Johnny's line of suggesting "Mister Rogers" as "best man on this. Someone who knows that plane inside and out and won't crack under pressure," was actually dubbed in. Stephen Stucker actually originally suggested, "Mamie Eisenhower", who died during production.
** The creators sought Creator/GeorgeKennedy for the role of [=McCroskey=], but he and Universal felt that appearing in the spoof would damage the franchise.

* ActorSharedBackground: Robert Hays was in real life a licensed pilot, having completed his training in 1974. Although it was an entirely different kind of flying, altogether.

** The sound of Captain Oveur's uncontrollable flatulence was provided on-set by Leslie Neilson, using a fart machine he'd often keep on himself as a prank.