WEBVTT - How Airplane! Became a Comedy Legend 0:00:00.400 --> 0:00:03.480 On today's episode of Timeless Wisdom. 0:00:03.440 --> 0:00:06.359 One of the funniest movies ever made in any language, 0:00:06.400 --> 0:00:09.720 on any planet, in any universe airplane. So who do 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:13.399 we have in studio? This is really a special special hour, folks. 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:18.239 We have in studio the writers, the producers, the directors, 0:00:18.520 --> 0:00:22.200 the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrams. Who made this? I'll 0:00:22.200 --> 0:00:25.760 ask you the obvious. Does it seem like thirty years? 0:00:25.800 --> 0:00:28.000 Does it seem like thirty days? Does it seem like 0:00:28.040 --> 0:00:31.560 a century? I mean, you're sitting here. This put you, 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:34.200 guys in the center of Hollywood and the world. 0:00:34.200 --> 0:00:38.800 That's coming up on Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Welcome 0:00:38.960 --> 0:00:43.120 to Timeless Wisdom with Dennis Prager. Here thousands of hours 0:00:43.120 --> 0:00:46.479 of Dennis's lectures, courses in classic radio programs, and to 0:00:46.479 --> 0:00:56.400 purchase Dennis Prager's Rational Bibles, go to Dennisprager dot com. 0:00:56.520 --> 0:00:59.560 You are listening to the best of the Dennis Prager Show. 0:01:15.400 --> 0:01:19.119 Stand By for the most extraordinary chain of events ever 0:01:19.240 --> 0:01:23.120 swept up into high adventure. Never has the spoon band 0:01:23.319 --> 0:01:26.640 so big. Have you ever been in a cockpit before, sir, 0:01:26.680 --> 0:01:28.679 I've been before. 0:01:28.760 --> 0:01:31.520 Peter Greggs ever seen a grown man naked. 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:36.800 Kareem Abdul Jabbar. My name is Roger Murdoch. I'm an 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:40.119 airline pilot. Leslie Nielsen. This woman has to be got 0:01:40.160 --> 0:01:44.240 into a hospital. That's a big building with patients. That's 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:46.920 not important right now. Lloyd Bridges, Johnny, what can you 0:01:46.920 --> 0:01:47.360 make out of this? 0:01:48.160 --> 0:01:48.240 This? 0:01:49.400 --> 0:01:52.520 What a big cap for brooch or turned out could 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:52.920 be grown? 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:55.280 Robert Stack All right, steeple's face. 0:01:55.320 --> 0:01:59.000 A few facts, and I hope you enjoy the rest 0:01:59.040 --> 0:01:59.720 of your site. 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:01.279 Julie Haggerty, By. 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:03.400 The way, is there anyone on board who knows how 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:05.680 to fly a plane? 0:02:06.520 --> 0:02:09.360 Can you fly this plane and land it? Robert Hayes, 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.760 surely you can't be serious. I am serious, and don't 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:16.320 call me Shirley. The most incredible adventure the screen has 0:02:16.400 --> 0:02:17.200 ever created. 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:21.959 Airplane? 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:25.440 All right, I'm sure you're wondering, my friends, Dennis Praeger 0:02:25.520 --> 0:02:29.040 here why we open the show with the trailer from 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:32.760 exactly thirty years ago to one of the funniest movies 0:02:32.840 --> 0:02:36.960 ever made in any language, on any planet in any universe, Airplane. 0:02:37.600 --> 0:02:40.560 And the reason is that it is indeed the thirtieth 0:02:40.560 --> 0:02:44.240 anniversary of what is considered a classic. There are not 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:48.160 many film classics. Airplane is truly one of them, and 0:02:48.240 --> 0:02:52.720 there are almost no comedy classics. It's much easier, in 0:02:52.760 --> 0:02:55.160 my opinion, and we'll talk to the folks that I 0:02:55.280 --> 0:02:57.639 will introduce you to in just a moment. I think 0:02:57.639 --> 0:03:01.040 it's a lot easier in a film. In greenplay to 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:05.120 make people cry then to make people laugh. It just is, 0:03:05.160 --> 0:03:07.919 you know, somebody's dying of cancer, and and the kid 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:11.640 is with the mother who's dying, and everybody cries. But 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:13.960 to make people laugh and to make people laugh for 0:03:14.000 --> 0:03:17.400 thirty years, that's that's an achievement. And by the way, 0:03:17.440 --> 0:03:19.880 it's a beautiful achievement because people do need to laugh. 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:22.680 So who do we have in studio? This is really 0:03:22.720 --> 0:03:26.040 a special a special hour. Folks. We have in studio, 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:30.960 the writers, the producers, the directors, the first grip, the 0:03:31.040 --> 0:03:35.080 second grip, the third grip. You guys did everything, I mean, really, 0:03:35.360 --> 0:03:38.120 I don't. I'm surprised anybody else is listed in the credits. 0:03:38.760 --> 0:03:42.000 We have the the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrams who 0:03:42.280 --> 0:03:46.080 made this. There was it wasn't exactly your first film, correct, 0:03:46.800 --> 0:03:47.120 it was. 0:03:47.200 --> 0:03:50.520 It was go On the first time we directed, but 0:03:50.600 --> 0:03:52.680 we had written a movie called Kentucky fris That's. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.520 Right, Kentucky Fried Chicken. But this was the yeah with 0:03:55.680 --> 0:03:58.680 you directing. I'm sorry, what was that? Oh? I said, 0:03:58.760 --> 0:04:01.240 Chicken Chicken okay, kind of super Bowl. No, No, I 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:04.840 knew Kentucky Fry movie. But my brain went into automatic. 0:04:05.120 --> 0:04:11.080 It happens every so often, Bill and and so, Jerry Zucker, 0:04:11.240 --> 0:04:15.720 David Zucker, Jim Abrams. This is this is huge. I'll 0:04:15.760 --> 0:04:19.240 ask you the obvious. Does it seem like thirty years? 0:04:19.360 --> 0:04:21.520 Does it seem like thirty days? Does it seem like 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:25.000 a century? I mean, you're sitting here, this this put you, 0:04:25.160 --> 0:04:29.280 guys in the center of Hollywood and the world. Why 0:04:29.640 --> 0:04:31.800 are you looking at me for this answer? 0:04:31.920 --> 0:04:35.080 It's like, David, all I know is that the traffic 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:38.080 is much worse in LA today than it was thirty 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:40.920 years ago, because you know, it took the full you know, 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.800 hour and fifteen minutes to get here. That's true, that is, 0:04:44.240 --> 0:04:46.760 but it just seems I mean the time, well, time flies, 0:04:46.760 --> 0:04:49.839 and it gets goes faster and faster once you get older, 0:04:49.880 --> 0:04:52.160 and you know, I mean soon, you know, one of 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:53.760 us is going to have a grandchild for. 0:04:54.120 --> 0:04:57.720 All we know. You know, so that's right, may you, 0:04:58.240 --> 0:05:01.960 May you all be blessed with the grandchildren. The movie 0:05:02.200 --> 0:05:05.360 is listed you showed me Alan, it was listed in 0:05:05.440 --> 0:05:08.360 the top ten funniest ever made. I think it's in 0:05:08.400 --> 0:05:10.599 the top three funniest ever made. 0:05:11.000 --> 0:05:12.720 You thought that were funnier? 0:05:13.360 --> 0:05:14.880 No, no, not at all. It could be in the 0:05:14.920 --> 0:05:16.720 top three and number one. Okay, thank you. 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:18.480 I just want to No, no, I know, no, that's 0:05:18.600 --> 0:05:19.000 very fair. 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:22.920 I don't know fair. No, actually, no, the truth is 0:05:22.960 --> 0:05:25.880 I'm not okay. That's a good point, and there many are. 0:05:25.960 --> 0:05:30.280 It's it's it's not my genre of of humor, all right. 0:05:30.520 --> 0:05:34.840 Another obvious question, then less obvious questions. What did you 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:38.720 think would happen to Airplane? Did you think it would do? Okay? 0:05:39.120 --> 0:05:42.040 Did you? Were you overwhelmed by what happened? 0:05:42.120 --> 0:05:48.400 Jim, Well, it took us six years to make Airplane. 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:51.320 And during those whole sixes from the time he started 0:05:51.320 --> 0:05:54.120 writing it Tewana in a movie theater, and when you 0:05:54.200 --> 0:05:57.839 worked that hired and that passionately and so devout about something, 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:01.640 you believe in it. And so we absolutely believed in 0:06:01.760 --> 0:06:05.280 it and would have been shocked if it hadn't been 0:06:05.320 --> 0:06:08.279 a hit, that it would have lasted for thirty years 0:06:08.400 --> 0:06:11.480 and we'd be sitting in your studio with Dennis Prager 0:06:11.560 --> 0:06:14.200 thirty years later, reminiscing about what it was like. I 0:06:14.200 --> 0:06:16.080 don't think anybody had a clue that would happen. 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:20.160 Well, I deserve it. I'll tell you. It's really one 0:06:20.200 --> 0:06:23.520 of those classic adums. I won't say rags to riches. 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:26.840 I don't know if you guys were in rags, you 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:31.280 certainly weren't. Is that fair? Yeah? Middle class to rich, 0:06:31.440 --> 0:06:35.000 mid middle class to riches. Are you all from Milwaukee? Yep, 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:40.200 from the same high school. No kidding, that's very powerful. 0:06:40.520 --> 0:06:43.880 Our fathers were actually business partners at one time, Abrams and. 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:46.839 Zucker, and our sisters were college roommates. 0:06:46.720 --> 0:06:48.880 And our mothers used to dance together at the Boom 0:06:48.920 --> 0:06:50.560 Boom Club in downtown Milwaukee. 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:51.920 No kidding. 0:06:52.080 --> 0:06:54.200 Yeah, that was my next question. 0:06:57.320 --> 0:06:58.720 The rest of it is actually true. 0:07:00.560 --> 0:07:04.800 Just now, now, just in case his mom is listening, 0:07:06.160 --> 0:07:09.280 I want you to know that the thing that is 0:07:09.360 --> 0:07:12.720 so amazing about your film, well, one of the things 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.880 is that to this day people will use lines from it. 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:22.400 That's that's really what you call an achievement. I myself, 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:25.640 I can't believe it. Will say, uh, don't call me Shirley. 0:07:26.240 --> 0:07:28.880 I can't. You know, when somebody says, oh, Sureley, you're 0:07:28.920 --> 0:07:32.600 going to the park, and I find this, I do. 0:07:32.640 --> 0:07:34.920 The same thing, and it's more embarrassing because you know, 0:07:34.960 --> 0:07:37.400 people ask me how I want my coffee and it 0:07:37.600 --> 0:07:39.720 just comes out, you know, I take it black like 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:40.320 my men. 0:07:40.360 --> 0:07:43.119 And it's then I forget. Oh wait, I'm just quoting 0:07:43.160 --> 0:07:48.000 from this movie where the actors cooperative and cracking up, 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:50.360 where there are any problems. I mean, thirty years later, 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:52.800 I think you could be you could divulge this, not 0:07:52.960 --> 0:07:54.000 not as much as you'd think. 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:56.440 I mean, you know, the business of making comedy is 0:07:56.920 --> 0:07:58.600 pretty much just that, it's a business. 0:07:58.680 --> 0:07:58.840 You know. 0:07:58.920 --> 0:08:01.800 We we live with the script for a year, a 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:03.760 couple of years, and then you know, you get it 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:05.520 on set. You rehearse it a bunch of times. It's 0:08:05.640 --> 0:08:09.800 very little cracking up on the set. Really, No, there 0:08:09.920 --> 0:08:11.400 wasn't really, not not really. 0:08:11.440 --> 0:08:12.800 I mean you have outtakes. 0:08:13.680 --> 0:08:17.760 My memory is a little different than David's, and and 0:08:19.080 --> 0:08:24.320 I I remember actually, I mean, we didn't improvise a 0:08:24.400 --> 0:08:27.680 lot the movie was you did ninety nine percent of 0:08:27.760 --> 0:08:30.000 the script of the film that you see as what 0:08:30.240 --> 0:08:33.760 was on the page. But I do remember laughing a lot, 0:08:34.080 --> 0:08:38.000 you know, watching you know, when we're watching it unfold, 0:08:38.360 --> 0:08:43.840 not after the twelfth take, but I do remember laughing 0:08:43.920 --> 0:08:47.800 a lot and having a just my recollection. 0:08:47.400 --> 0:08:49.920 Of it is that it was just a wonderful time 0:08:50.080 --> 0:08:51.440 making the film. 0:08:51.720 --> 0:08:55.240 I thought you meant like outtake kind of last, but well, yeah, 0:08:55.240 --> 0:08:58.320 I do both. Where Leslie Nielsen would just crack up 0:08:58.440 --> 0:09:01.320 because he couldn't say the lines with the straight fa 0:09:01.400 --> 0:09:02.480 that didn't happen. 0:09:02.360 --> 0:09:04.679 Much, but Jerry's if we were laughing at our own 0:09:04.800 --> 0:09:05.640 jokes were. 0:09:07.679 --> 0:09:08.280 But that's good. 0:09:08.440 --> 0:09:10.559 Part of part of the business of directing comedy is 0:09:10.600 --> 0:09:13.000 you you do have to see at every take, and 0:09:13.160 --> 0:09:16.559 we watch the monitors for the which you know, shows 0:09:16.600 --> 0:09:18.920 what the camera is seen. And we have to laugh 0:09:19.360 --> 0:09:21.520 at the end of because if we don't, that means 0:09:21.559 --> 0:09:24.160 that it's a bad We have to we have to 0:09:24.320 --> 0:09:26.040 approach it like we're seeing these lines. 0:09:26.920 --> 0:09:30.079 Folks, if you'd like to speak, this is probably a 0:09:30.240 --> 0:09:33.440 unique opportunity, a classic film and all and the three 0:09:33.520 --> 0:09:38.280 people responsible for it, writing, directing and producing and everything else. 0:09:38.559 --> 0:09:40.679 Did you guys order the food as well? I mean, 0:09:40.720 --> 0:09:46.199 I'll fortunately not one eight Prager seven seven six and 0:09:46.720 --> 0:09:50.400 uh eight seven seven two four three triple seven six. 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:53.520 It's the thirtieth anniversary of one of the funniest films 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.520 ever made. What I would be curious to know. I'd 0:09:56.559 --> 0:09:59.679 love to show this to a college audience today, because 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:05.640 is almost always a culture bound. That's one thing about humor. 0:10:05.960 --> 0:10:09.720 It's very hard to transcept. I mean, nobody starts cracking 0:10:09.840 --> 0:10:12.360 up at a midsommer Night's Dream or any of the 0:10:12.440 --> 0:10:15.080 comedies of Shakespeare. You know, you enjoy it, you smile, 0:10:15.240 --> 0:10:18.679 but the audience is then we're rolling in the aisles presumably, 0:10:19.240 --> 0:10:22.439 And have you tried this? Do you know how it 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:25.360 would go today with college kids? Maybe some young people 0:10:25.400 --> 0:10:27.160 will call in, Yeah, yeah. 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:32.000 Actually, at the time, in order to edit the film, 0:10:32.120 --> 0:10:35.600 we screened it for college kids because in a normal 0:10:36.120 --> 0:10:40.679 recruited screening, nobody knew anything about it and it was 0:10:40.800 --> 0:10:44.800 hard to get a the right reaction, So that age 0:10:44.960 --> 0:10:50.160 was actually great. Now, the thing is, because of you know, DVDs, 0:10:50.920 --> 0:10:55.520 they've all seen it since they were eleven, so you 0:10:55.640 --> 0:10:59.000 really don't find a college crowd who were seeing it 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:00.600 for the first time that terrific. 0:11:00.920 --> 0:11:03.520 I think it can. I it would be better if 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:04.160 I'm no better. 0:11:04.240 --> 0:11:06.679 Percentage of the DVD is. 0:11:06.800 --> 0:11:11.600 But I believe this transcends time. I well, we've been sighting. Sure, 0:11:11.760 --> 0:11:13.000 you've been screening it all summer. 0:11:13.040 --> 0:11:16.280 At these thirty year anniversary celebration you have and the 0:11:16.640 --> 0:11:18.600 audiences laugh, you know, start to finish. 0:11:19.000 --> 0:11:22.080 Still all right, back at the moment, thirtieth anniversary of Airplane. 0:11:23.000 --> 0:11:26.280 Surely you can't be serious. I am serious, and don't 0:11:26.280 --> 0:11:26.800 call me sure. 0:11:29.240 --> 0:11:32.480 This episode of timeless Wisdom will continue right after this. 0:11:38.080 --> 0:11:41.640 Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom. 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:47.040 Flight to zero niner. 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:50.920 You are cleared for takeoff, Roger la departure, break with me? 0:11:51.080 --> 0:11:52.280 What you're three point niner? 0:11:52.880 --> 0:11:55.000 Roger Greek quest. 0:11:54.880 --> 0:11:57.920 Vender old, but fight you a zero niner? 0:11:58.000 --> 0:11:59.480 Clear for vector and free two four? 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.920 You have Clarence Clarence, Roger Rogers. Let's start Victare Victor. 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:08.040 Now a radio Clarence over that, Clarence over cover. 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:16.920 Not you're overy. I'm sitting here giggling like I had 0:12:17.000 --> 0:12:22.520 never seen this. This is the thirtieth anniversary of the 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:27.360 classic film Airplane, and I have the the everything's the 0:12:27.440 --> 0:12:29.880 people who made it, wrote it, directed it, produced it. 0:12:29.960 --> 0:12:33.280 Here the Zucker Brothers, Jerry and David and Jim Abrams. 0:12:33.280 --> 0:12:37.480 They've known each other since high school from Milwaukee. And 0:12:38.600 --> 0:12:40.320 I'm going to go to calls. I have a lot 0:12:40.360 --> 0:12:43.319 of my own questions, but people around the country have 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:48.000 have questions, all right, New York City, Jonathan, Dennis Prager 0:12:48.080 --> 0:12:51.600 and everybody who made Airplane, Hi, Zucker. 0:12:51.440 --> 0:12:55.880 Brothers, I everybody Abrams. I want to just wish you, 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.560 Mazzletov on your thirtieth anniversary. And I want to tell 0:12:59.600 --> 0:13:02.400 you that you're Your movie literally is one of the 0:13:02.440 --> 0:13:04.800 guiding lights in my life. Actually in the office here 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:08.559 they have some fans and something. We've literally gone through 0:13:08.600 --> 0:13:10.360 your videos Sometimes in the morning we'll turn it on 0:13:10.440 --> 0:13:11.760 and watch for a few minutes. 0:13:11.559 --> 0:13:12.679 A day, just to start the day. 0:13:13.520 --> 0:13:16.200 And I have a question for you that I've always wondered. 0:13:16.200 --> 0:13:18.000 You know, I watched your movies back in the eighties 0:13:18.080 --> 0:13:20.520 like a little kid, and I've always wondered, how did 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:23.199 you manage to pull off a PG rating back in 0:13:23.240 --> 0:13:27.400 the eighties with with some of those wild scenes going 0:13:27.480 --> 0:13:27.760 on there. 0:13:28.360 --> 0:13:32.000 There was no PG thirteen invented at that time. This 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:34.079 was it was. It was a new rate. 0:13:34.160 --> 0:13:37.440 I think Spielberg got that first PG thirteen a couple 0:13:37.480 --> 0:13:40.080 of years later for some movie you did, but there 0:13:40.200 --> 0:13:42.360 was only PG and then I think it went right 0:13:42.440 --> 0:13:42.920 to R. 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:46.000 Well, there was no except for slapping the lady in 0:13:46.080 --> 0:13:48.040 that row, which I thought was one of the great 0:13:48.080 --> 0:13:50.880 moments of my life. The lady screen will talk about 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:53.240 that in a moment. There was no nudity right there, 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:53.560 and there. 0:13:53.559 --> 0:13:54.040 Was there was. 0:13:54.120 --> 0:13:54.800 How did you miss that? 0:13:55.160 --> 0:13:58.400 Yeah? That is paying me. You know, I would forget that, 0:13:58.840 --> 0:14:02.640 you know, maybe I don't know. I had this jumbo 0:14:02.760 --> 0:14:03.319 pop corner. 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:07.840 Was it was utterly yeah, I mean there was no reason. 0:14:07.640 --> 0:14:10.559 For the which is exactly true for almost all films, 0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:13.720 but it gotta laugh. So we left it in. Okay, 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:16.400 I see, So that's why he know there's a bad 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:18.560 sign that I don't remember that. It must have been brief. 0:14:18.720 --> 0:14:20.440 Was it brief? It was very tell me it was brief. 0:14:20.600 --> 0:14:26.760 Okay, fine, but brief but wonderful, as were the auditions. 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:30.000 And it was my son's favorite part of the movie. 0:14:30.080 --> 0:14:32.080 I mean when he got threur, yeah, I know, I 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:36.520 knew that was coming. Yeah, I'm sure he did. He 0:14:36.600 --> 0:14:42.960 saw his food. How to three people? How did three 0:14:43.080 --> 0:14:49.000 people direct the movie? Well, it's not really know why. 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:51.360 All right, I'm a straight man. I am now, I 0:14:51.440 --> 0:14:55.840 am an official straight man. How many times did you 0:14:55.920 --> 0:14:58.240 guys do that? The truth was this the eight thousand 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:01.480 and four Okay, fine, yeah, I would go into or 0:15:01.560 --> 0:15:07.560 more films here. Let's go to Lake Balboa, California and Gary, Hello, Gary, 0:15:07.600 --> 0:15:10.120 Dennis Prager and the Zuckers and Jim Abrams. 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:13.840 Hi, Dennis, love your show, Thank you me too. This 0:15:14.000 --> 0:15:17.000 is one of my favorite all time movies, and I've 0:15:17.080 --> 0:15:20.480 always wondered what the inspiration of the genesis for this 0:15:20.720 --> 0:15:22.360 idea was. It's just brilliant. 0:15:23.000 --> 0:15:26.560 I think these guys survived an air crash, and what 0:15:26.880 --> 0:15:31.280 was the genesis. What we used to do with Jim Abrams. 0:15:31.040 --> 0:15:35.240 For inspiration would be to leave a tape recorder on 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:41.320 the television all night long to capture late night commercials 0:15:42.280 --> 0:15:45.480 because that's when all the cheapest, silliest stuff was on TV, 0:15:46.120 --> 0:15:49.400 and then we would do parodies of those commercials or 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:52.600 TV shows. One morning, we got to work and had 0:15:52.760 --> 0:15:56.960 captured a movie called Zero Hour, which was a nineteen 0:15:57.040 --> 0:16:01.920 fifty seven melodrama written by Arthur Hey starring Linda Darnell 0:16:02.000 --> 0:16:05.600 and Sterling Hayden. And Dana Andrews, and it was the 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:11.840 story of Airplane. And so we rewrote Zero Hour as 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:15.920 a comedy, hung our jokes on their story, using their characters, 0:16:16.000 --> 0:16:17.800 and that was where. 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:18.040 It came from. 0:16:19.120 --> 0:16:23.200 So that a real film inspired you, an actual real movie. Yes, 0:16:23.600 --> 0:16:24.840 I would like to see that now. 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:28.360 Yeah, it's fun. It's excellent to see it now, especially 0:16:28.520 --> 0:16:30.239 in the wake of Airplane. 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:30.720 And we. 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:37.640 We have put together videos of intercutting Zero Hour scenes 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:39.520 with our scenes and. 0:16:41.360 --> 0:16:43.400 The public on YouTube. 0:16:44.360 --> 0:16:47.320 They have zero If you google a zero hour an airplane, 0:16:47.400 --> 0:16:51.120 I mean type in zero hour airplane, you may you 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:51.840 may see this. 0:16:52.120 --> 0:16:54.960 People have done a side by side, a scene by 0:16:55.000 --> 0:16:58.240 scene comparison. Oh really, yeah, right, that they have. It's 0:16:58.280 --> 0:17:02.200 probably studied constantly. Some of the lines we lifted completely intact, 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:06.440 no kidding. When when Leslie Nielsen says, uh, Stewardess, I 0:17:06.560 --> 0:17:08.879 think you ought to know what our chances are. 0:17:08.960 --> 0:17:11.120 The lives of everyone on board depends on one thing, 0:17:11.359 --> 0:17:14.240 finding someone back there who not only can fly this plane, 0:17:14.400 --> 0:17:15.960 but who didn't have fish for dinner. 0:17:16.680 --> 0:17:19.240 And that's it, and the cats all laugh. But that 0:17:19.400 --> 0:17:23.320 really was the said by the doctor in Zero Hour, 0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:25.719 but he meant it seriously. He meant it seriously right, 0:17:25.840 --> 0:17:30.960 It sounds like quite a film. It's worthy of parody 0:17:31.119 --> 0:17:34.200 in parts unintentionally hilarious. Jerry, how are the first reviews? 0:17:35.160 --> 0:17:37.600 The first reviews were, I think, pretty good, but mixed. 0:17:37.680 --> 0:17:38.520 I mean I think you know. 0:17:38.600 --> 0:17:44.440 Everyone who panned it, Kale, they know now was she wait? 0:17:44.560 --> 0:17:45.280 Was she New Yorker? 0:17:45.440 --> 0:17:46.240 Was she the New Yorker? 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:46.520 Yeah? 0:17:46.560 --> 0:17:49.920 Yeah, yeah, but I found out later she when she 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:52.639 saw it, she was sitting next to Woody Allen, and 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:54.120 Woody Allen kept saying. 0:17:54.000 --> 0:17:54.800 No, this is great. 0:17:54.880 --> 0:17:57.080 Don't you see this is this is funny, and she 0:17:57.600 --> 0:18:00.280 she says, but there's no comedians in it, so she 0:18:00.440 --> 0:18:01.119 just she really. 0:18:01.200 --> 0:18:03.440 Well, look when push comes to show, I rather Woody 0:18:03.480 --> 0:18:06.639 Allen think it's funny than fully right. I mean, you know, 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:12.560 if you had to really choose so so, but well, 0:18:12.640 --> 0:18:14.920 let's say other reviews and so it was mixed. 0:18:14.920 --> 0:18:16.640 In other words, it was it was, but I think 0:18:16.640 --> 0:18:19.600 it was mostly but it's probably seventy percent favorable. The 0:18:19.920 --> 0:18:25.960 thing about Airplane it was it divided people in the 0:18:26.040 --> 0:18:29.160 sense that there's a certain kind of person that that's 0:18:29.320 --> 0:18:31.840 just that's their sense of humor. They really respond to 0:18:31.920 --> 0:18:34.760 that satire and then there's a certain kind of mind. 0:18:35.000 --> 0:18:39.520 That just didn't you know, didn't get that, didn't love that. 0:18:39.600 --> 0:18:43.080 Didn't understand why everybody was just being straight and there 0:18:43.119 --> 0:18:45.840 weren't any silly, funny people in it. 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:50.120 In light of that, how did it do overseas? How 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:51.600 culture bound? Is it great? 0:18:51.720 --> 0:18:51.760 No? 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:56.880 You know why because it was a satire on American movies, 0:18:57.000 --> 0:18:59.520 and they get American movies, they share. 0:18:59.280 --> 0:19:02.600 The references, but but they wouldn't know Roger Roger and. 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:06.520 You know Cluns had trouble transfer. 0:19:06.600 --> 0:19:08.719 Yeah, but actually we had a we had an interesting 0:19:08.760 --> 0:19:11.879 experience because we had an opportunity. 0:19:11.440 --> 0:19:12.360 To see it in Germany. 0:19:13.080 --> 0:19:13.679 Yeah, and. 0:19:15.280 --> 0:19:19.000 Was dubbed dub But when the scene came. 0:19:18.920 --> 0:19:24.320 Up with the black guys, the dubbed black guys, it 0:19:24.480 --> 0:19:27.199 got as big a laugh in Germany as it did 0:19:27.280 --> 0:19:30.920 in the United States. And sitting in the audience, how 0:19:31.119 --> 0:19:33.520 why that could happen? And it was explained to us 0:19:33.640 --> 0:19:38.800 afterward that the that the black guys were dubbed in Bavarian, 0:19:40.240 --> 0:19:40.680 which they. 0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:41.160 Don't get. 0:19:43.640 --> 0:19:44.120 Anymore. 0:19:45.440 --> 0:19:47.520 I got to get out of here, I got to 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:48.160 get out of here. 0:19:49.000 --> 0:19:50.040 Get a hold of yourself. 0:19:55.560 --> 0:19:57.440 I'll get back to your seat. I'll take care of this. 0:20:03.080 --> 0:20:03.880 Everything's pretty. 0:20:15.400 --> 0:20:18.639 This episode of timeless wisdom will continue right after this. 0:20:24.240 --> 0:20:27.800 Now back to more of Dennis Prager's timeless wisdom. 0:20:35.760 --> 0:20:39.760 The red is for agloading and unloading of passengers. 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:42.440 Only there's no stopping in the White song. 0:20:43.760 --> 0:20:46.840 You know, the white show is for noting and unknowating, 0:20:47.119 --> 0:20:48.320 and there is no stopping. 0:20:48.720 --> 0:20:54.040 The Renais the reds has always been reloading it unloading. 0:20:54.440 --> 0:20:56.480 There's never stopping at on White song. 0:20:56.920 --> 0:20:59.520 Don't tell me which sew is for stopping and which 0:20:59.600 --> 0:20:59.960 sell is. 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:04.119 Harmony to listen study, don't start up with your white dogyap. 0:21:06.200 --> 0:21:10.920 I'm still laughing. Thirty years later, It's thirty years since 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:14.080 one of the true classics, and that's that's the highest 0:21:14.119 --> 0:21:16.520 appellation you can give to any any work of art 0:21:18.000 --> 0:21:20.480 has appeared, and that is the film Airplane. And we 0:21:20.640 --> 0:21:23.080 have the Zucker brothers and Jim Abrams who wrote it, 0:21:23.160 --> 0:21:25.119 directed it, produced it, et cetera. By the way, I 0:21:25.200 --> 0:21:27.320 see produced it. Where did you get the money to 0:21:27.440 --> 0:21:29.680 do this? You guys were not rich. Where did you 0:21:29.840 --> 0:21:30.200 How did you? 0:21:30.440 --> 0:21:32.320 We took it for years, we took it around to 0:21:32.480 --> 0:21:36.119 studios and we kept rewriting it, and every studio in 0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:41.280 Hollywood turned it down. Naturally, one guy sought the idea 0:21:41.440 --> 0:21:43.320 and the script and liked it, and that was Michael 0:21:43.320 --> 0:21:45.159 Eisner at Paramount, So. 0:21:45.280 --> 0:21:47.800 I really owe him a lot. He you know, Wow, 0:21:48.000 --> 0:21:50.240 that's fascinating. I'm glad I asked one guy. 0:21:50.359 --> 0:21:54.399 Yeah, and he saw it somehow and had us into 0:21:54.520 --> 0:21:56.880 to meet. And I remember the first time we ever 0:21:57.200 --> 0:21:57.960 went to Paramount. 0:21:58.480 --> 0:22:03.120