Leslie Nielsen Movies
Although his career stretches back half a century and includes over 100 films and countless TV programs, Leslie Nielsen gained true fame late in his career, when he starred in a series of comic spoofs beginning with 1980's Airplane!.The son of a Canadian Mountie and the brother of Canada's future Deputy Prime Minister, Nielsen was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, on February 11, 1926. He developed an early knack for acting when he was forced to lie to his disciplinarian father in order to avoid punishment, and he went on to become a radio announcer after serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII (despite being legally deaf, the result of a childhood illness). To prepare himself for his future career, Nielsen studied at Toronto's Academy of Radio Arts, which was run by CBC commentator and future Bonanza star Lorne Greene. After several years in radio, he won a scholarship to New York's Neighborhood Playhouse, where he studied acting under Sanford Meisner and dance under Martha Graham. He then spent five years appearing on such live television programs as Tales From Tomorrow before making his film bow in Ransom! (1956). With the exception of his starring roles in the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet (1956) and the popular Debbie Reynolds-vehicle Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), much of Nielsen's early work was undistinguished; he was merely a handsome leading man in an industry overstocked with handsome leading men. An attempt to do a "Davy Crockett" by starring as Francis Marion in the Disney TV saga The Swamp Fox resulted in a nifty title tune but little else. Nielsen went on to star in such series as The New Breed, Bracken's World, and Hawaii Five-O (1968), but found he was more in demand as a heavy than as a hero.
A notorious offscreen practical joker and cut-up, Nielsen was not given an onscreen conduit for this trait until he was cast in the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker spoof Airplane (1980). This led to his deadpan characterization of monumentally inept police lieutenant Frank Drebin on Z.A.Z.'s cult TV series Police Squad, which in turn spawned the 1988 hit The Naked Gun and two sequels. Nielsen also found success in a number of other film spoofs, so much, in fact, that those familiar only with his loopy comedy roles are invariably surprised that, once upon a time, he took himself deadly seriously in films like Harlow (1965) and The Poseidon Adventure (1972). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
This is almost a follow-up to its relative The Exorcist, since it stars Linda Blair, also the leading lady in the '70s head-spinner tale. In Repossessed, a grown-up Blair plays a housewife who becomes possessed by the Devil while watching TV. Leslie Nielsen plays Father Mayii, who gets called to exorcise the intrusive being. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Linda Blair, Leslie Nielsen, (more)
- 1989
This 1989 episode of Saturday Night Live is hosted by Leslie Nielsen and features musical guest Cowboy Junkies. ~ Skyler Miller, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, Cowboy Junkies, (more)
We know we're in a 1988 film when we're invited to laugh at O.J. Simpson in an opening slapstick sequence. We can also pinpoint the year of production when hard-nosed cop Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen), during a scuffle with the world's leading dictators, wipes the wine-colored birthmark off the head of Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev. Those wacky ZAZ boys -- David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker -- serve up a feature-length spin-off of their cult favorite TV show Police Squad!. Seeking vengeance when his partner (Simpson) is shot full of holes by drug dealers, dead-pan and dead-brained Lt. Frank Drebin searches for the Mister Big behind it all. Drebin suspects above-reproach shipping magnate Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalban), but he can't prove a thing. Bumped from the force by the mayor (Nancy Marchand), Drebin, with the unexpected assistance of Ludwig's ex-girlfriend (Priscilla Presley), manages to nab the bad guy at a baseball game, where Reggie Jackson has been programmed to assassinate Queen Elizabeth. MGM mogul Irving Thalberg once reportedly told the Marx Brothers, "You can't build jokes on top of jokes." The producers of Naked Gun prove otherwise; indeed, one could develop writer's cramp just listing the gags in the film's first 20 minutes. Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad was followed by two lesser but still hilarious sequels, Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) and Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leslie Nielsen, George Kennedy, (more)
- 1988
- PG
This direct to video, youth-oriented comedy is about Chuck (Tate Donovan) and Wally (Grant Heslov), friends in their senior year at college. Graduation is fast approaching. A wealthy industrialist (Robert Stack) offfers them jobs after graduation if they'll do him a favor and deliver a car to the his daughter in Lake Tahoe. The car, a red Porsche, gets stolen for use as the prize in a beauty pageant. The lads wind up in San Diego attempting to recover the car and their preserve their future careers. Their efforts are complicated when they become involved with the pageant contestants, exposing them to undreamed-of oceans of feminine pulchritude. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tate Donovan, Danielle von Zerneck, (more)
- 1987
This TV pilot film was based on the "Father Dowling" character created (in the tradition of G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown) by Ralph McInery. Tom Bosley plays the good Father, who whiles away his off-hours by reading mystery novels. When a young millionaire entrepreneur turns up dead, the official verdict is suicide, but Father Dowling suspects murder. Dowling's allies include street-smart nun Tracy Nelson and dour housekeeper Mary Wickes; his antagonists include politician Leslie Nielsen and mob functionary Sada Thompson (Sada Thompson? The mob?) Fatal Confession: A Father Dowling Mystery was adapted from a McInery original by veteran mystery writer Donald Westlake; the pilot sold, and the resultant Father Dowling Mysteries series ran for two seasons. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- PG13
In this farce from director Rex Bromfield, septagenerian twins Martin (Eric Christmas) and Art (Ted Stidder) come to the rescue when their 103-year-old billionaire father (Joe Austin) is abducted by a roller-derby queen (Valri Bromfield) who is after his fortune. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
High-priced hooker Barbra Streisand has been arrested for the murder of one of her clients. The attorney engaged by Streisand's parents hope to cop an insanity plea so that she can avoid a trial and manslaughter conviction. But she refuses this, citing a proviso in New York law that may result in her spending the rest of her life in an institution. Against all odds, struggling lawyer Richard Dreyfuss tries to prove that Streisand is not crazy and capable of standing trial. Dreyfuss certainly has his work cut out for him: from what we've seen in the film thus far, the violently impulsive Streisand is not only "nuts," but certifiably so. Though she has plenty of opportunity in Nuts to give out with her usual bravura Streisandisms, Streisand (who also produced the film and wrote the songs) is surprisingly restrained through most of the proceedings. And then there's that extended-monologue climax. Nuts was adapted by Tom Topor, Darryl Ponicsan and Alvin Sargent from Topor's stage play. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbra Streisand, Richard Dreyfuss, (more)
- 1987
A resort owner struggles to turn heliskiing into a hot new sport. Along the way he encounters many obstacles that include convincing a millionaire to sponsor him and turmoil within his own family. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
A maverick Big Apple cop sets off on a deadly pursuit of his two murderous brothers after they bomb a series of banks. He must hurry, for they are threatening to explode more banks if they aren't paid a fortune in ransom. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bruce Fairbairn, Kerrie Keane, (more)
- 1986
This episode reunites Jessica (Angela Lansbury) with her former sweetheart David Everett (Leslie Nielsen), a man of great charm--and a great capacity for causing trouble. This time, Everett has spearheaded a search for buried treasure off the coast of Cabot Cove. When one of the divers is murdered, Jessica agrees to investigate in hopes of clearing Everett's name, only to discover that, as usual, her ex-lover has not been entirely honest and above-board with her (nor anyone else, for that matter!) ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
An ambitious-but -spoiled rich white kid wins a scholarship to Harvard Law School by pretending to be African-American in this broadly-played comedy. After his father cuts him off financially, Mark Watson (C. Thomas Howell) wins a full tuition scholarship to Harvard by claiming to be African-American on the application form. With the help of his best friend Gordon (Arye Gross), Mark acquires some bronzing pills, a new hairdo, and a lowered voice. Disguised as a black student, Mark thinks that he's going to breeze through the program. The reality of being a minority at a mostly white institution quickly catches up to him, however, when he encounters some tacit racism and falls for Sarah Walker (Rae Dawn Chong), a fellow student whose affection makes him feel guilty about his ruse. Then there's the imperious Professor Banks (James Earl Jones), an African-American instructor who expects him to perform at a higher level than the other students. Soul Man was written by Carol Black and directed by Steve Miner, who would collaborate again for the popular television series The Wonder Years (1988-93). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- C. Thomas Howell, Arye Gross, (more)
This action film centers around the theft of a nuclear warhead from the U.S. Navy. Lt. Matt Ryder (Gregg Henry) is called out of his dishonorably discharged status and is requested to go find the missing nuke. It appears that the warhead has been stashed somewhere offshore, but it is never clear who has engineered the dastardly deed. When Ryder takes a time-out to get together with his old girlfriend Sean (Simone Griffeth), Sean's spurned and ego-maniacal boyfriend Mitchell (Jeff Conaway) comes forcefully into the picture. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregg Henry, Simone Griffeth, (more)
- 1985
Terry Lester stars as Joe Blade in this unclaimed TV pilot film. An American, Blade works in Hong Kong, the home of his adoptive father Keye Luke. When Luke is killed and a wealthy man is kidnapped, Blade springs into action (Maybe he's a switch-Blade. Forget we said that.) Ellen Regan, Leslie Nielsen, Anthony Newley and a pre-infomercial Nancy Kwan co-star in this location-filmed actioner. Blade in Hong Kong was foisted on the public on May 15, 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Terry Lester, Keye Luke, (more)
- 1985
Pamela Crane (Belinda Montgomery), the recenty widowed niece of Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury), goes on a relaxing ocean cruise in hopes of overcoming her husband's sudden death. This, however, proves impossible, as Pamela is systematically terrorized by the appearance of several personal artifacts which only her late husband could have known about. Can it be that Pamela's husband is still alive? That's the question Jessica hopes to answer as she unofficially takes over investigation of the case. (Incidentally, the full character name of Jessica's niece is Pamela MacGill Crane--and by a curious coincidence, the mother of star Angela Lansbury was character actress Moyna MacGill). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
- PG
The never-smiling Tippi Hedrin plays an ice-queen matron in Foxfire Light. Her daughter (Lara Parker) falls in love while on an Ozark vacation. It's Romeo and Juliet in the hinterlands, as both families oppose the romance. Leslie Nielsen and Barry Van Dyke, generally seen in funnier surroundings, round out the cast. Made in 1981, Foxfire Light was released three years later. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
Made for cable, Reckless Disregard was clearly inspired by the 1983 court trial involving Dan Rather of 60 Minutes and Dr. Carl Galloway, who felt he was wrongly linked to a pill-dispensing clinic. Leslie Nielsen stars as arrogant TV reporter Bob Franklin, who as part of a lengthy investigative piece for the weekly newsmagazine Hourglass, accuses a Queens, NY doctor, Edward Lucas (Frank Adamson) of illegally trafficking prescription drugs. His reputation in tatters, the doctor wants to sue for slander, but hasn't the money or the position to adequately confront his powerful tormentors. Thus it is up to storefront legal-services attorney Meredith Craig (Tess Harper) to take on Franklin and his bosses in court -- a task made all the more difficult by smug, sophisticated defense counsel Jack Coburn (Henry Ramer). Filmed in Canada, Reckless Disregard debuted March 17, 1985, on Showtime. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tess Harper, Leslie Nielsen, (more)
- 1982
The seminal early-'80s cop spoof is reprised here, with three classic episodes: "Revenge and Remorse," "The Butler Did It" and "Testimony of Evil." ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
Based on Charles McCarry's 1979 novel The Better Angels, Wrong is Right is set in a near future in which violence has become something of a national sport and television news has fallen to tabloid depths (a significantly bigger stretch in 1982, when the film was released.) Star Sean Connery plays Patrick Hale, a globe-trotting reporter with access to a staggering array of world leaders. As the film opens, he has ventured to the Arab country of Hegreb to interview his old acquaintance, King Ibn Awad (Ron Moody). Awad has learned that the President of the United States (George Grizzard) may have issued orders for his removal; as a result, {%Awad) is apparently making arrangements to deliver two mini-nuclear devices -- each about the size of a small suitcase -- to a terrorist, with the intention of detonating them in Israel and the United States, unless the President resigns. In the intricate plot that unfolds, nothing is quite the way it seems, and Hale finds himself caught between political leaders, revolutionaries, CIA agents and other figures, trying to get to the bottom of it all. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sean Connery, George Grizzard, (more)
Two of the most venerable names in the horror field, author Stephen King and director George A. Romero, present this anthology of original twisted tales inspired by the E.C. horror comics of the 50's and 60's (themselves a more direct basis for the popular Tales from the Crypt TV series). The five stories are framed within the pages of a comic book which a boy's insensitive father has thrown in the garbage. The first tale, "Father's Day," features a zombie patriarch returning to claim his Father's Day cake; "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" stars King himself as a slack-jawed yokel whose discovery of a radioactive meteorite turns him into a walking weed; "Something to Tide You Over" presents a deadly-serious Leslie Nielsen as a cuckolded husband who plans an elaborate seaside revenge; "The Crate" unleashes its ferocious man-eating contents on the enemies of a meek college professor; and "They're Creeping Up On You" pits obsessively-clean billionaire E.G. Marshall against a swarm of cockroaches in his sterile penthouse. The chapters are uniformly creative, filmed in garish comic-book colors, and Tom Savini's makeup effects are quite memorable (particularly the monster from "The Crate"), though the campy treatment does become exhausting after two hours' runtime. The final segment is the most impressive, thanks to Marshall's over-the-top performance, though the planned scope of the cockroach invasion was drastically reduced (no doubt due to budget constraints). ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hal Holbrook, Adrienne Barbeau, (more)
