The Rubin Report

The Shocking True Story of the Making of Airplane! & The Naked Gun | David Zucker

Apr 26, 2025
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ANECDOTE

Origins in Milwaukee Comedy

  • David Zucker and his brother started as class clowns in Milwaukee and evolved a unique comedic style.
  • They launched a hit comedy troupe in a bookstore theater before making influential movies like The Kentucky Fried Movie.
ANECDOTE

Casting Serious Actors for Spoofs

  • Serious actors like Robert Stack and Peter Graves were cast in Airplane! to enhance the deadpan humor.
  • Casting comedic actors was avoided to maintain the unique spoof style distinct from traditional comedy.
ANECDOTE

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Role Story

  • Kareem Abdul-Jabbar played co-pilot in Airplane! after initially turning down the role due to salary issues.
  • He accepted after the production increased his payment to cover a $30K rug he wanted to buy.
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