Welcome to Don’t Call Me Shirley Saturday. In our continuing investigation into the world of comedy, I thought it would take the time to explain what titles of these posts refer to.
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Airplane!
In 1980, a new comedy star was born by accident. The movie was called Airplane! We all know the movie, whether we’ve seen it or not. It essentially about a flight where everyone is stricken with food poisoning, and only an intrepid ex-pilot can save the day. If it sounds serious, that’s because the entire storyline and all the characters were taken from a 1957 movie called Zero Hour.
The Zucker brothers took Zero Hour and turned it into one of the funniest movies ever made. There is so much going on in this movie that even if only half of it works for you you’ll have a great time. On to Don’t call me Shirley. About 20 min. into the movie, the pilot, played by Robert Hayes, is persuaded to go to the pilot’s cock pit. There all he finds is Doctor Rumack, played by Leslie Nielsen. The doctor here has a really odd and twisted view of reality, as can be seen in the following clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixljWVyPby0Leslie Nielsen’s performance in the movie is the stuff of genius. His deadpan weird comments on things and answers to questions is my favorite part of the movie. He certainly not someone I would ever let it near me if I was sick, but here he is hilarious.
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Buster Keaton
My great comedy hero in the movies is Buster Keaton. Known as the Great Stone Face, he never allowed any emotions to show on his face, even in the most hair-raising circumstances. During his movie career, he participated in some of the most wild stunts ever committed to film. The stunts resulted in him breaking most of the bones in his body, including his neck. Only Jackie Chan’s stunts and injuries rival those of Buster Keaton. Here’s a clip of some of the wildest stunts Buster Keaton ever made. None of the stunts would ever be allowed to be made by an actor today. -
Buster Keaton’s Best and Funniest Stunts-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J8XM1_rOTgClick Here to Learn More About Buster Keaton![tool image]()
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Buster Keaton’s The General
Of course we cannot mention Buster Keaton without talking about his masterpiece The General. Filmed in 1926, it is probably the greatest silent comedy ever filmed. It is also historically accurate, detailing the efforts of the Confederate soldier Keaton to get back the locomotive stolen by a group of Union spies. History aside, the film takes you on an incredible ride, where death and injury would seem to be certain. Not for Buster Keaton, who takes all of the spills and thrills and explosions as easily as we would take a walk in the park.
So here is Buster Keaton in The General.
Gttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4E7wVDGMt5k![tool image]()
I hope this was helpful to you, or was enjoyable to you. Please leave me your thoughts, comments and questions below. I’ll be sure to respond to them.
To Your Future,
Tom, the High Traffic Wizard
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