Airplane (1980): 15 Shocking Facts You Totally Missed

Airplane! (1980): 15 insane behind-the-scenes facts you never knew The whole film started because a VCR accidentally recorded a 1957 disaster movie at 3am. ZAZ bought the remake rights for $2,500 and built every joke directly into the original's skeleton. That film made $171 million. ZAZ refused to cast a known comedian as Striker because the deadpan only works if you believe the person is serious. David Letterman screen-tested. Barry Manilow was pushed hard by the studio. Leslie Nielsen spent 30 years as a serious dramatic actor before discovering a handheld fart machine on set and never putting it down again. His tombstone reads "Let her rip." Kareem Abdul-Jabbar negotiated his salary up from $30,000 to $35,000 specifically to buy an oriental rug. The airport announcer couple bickering over the PA were a real married couple who had recorded the actual LAX announcement tapes. Barbara Billingsley spent 17 years barely working after Leave It to Beaver before one jive translation scene relaunched her entire career. The rough cut was 115 minutes of mostly silence. ZAZ took the film on a road trip to college campuses and let audiences cut it in real time. 27 minutes hit the floor. Universal tried to legally block the release and failed. And the bonus: every aerial shot in Airplane uses the propeller engine sound pulled from the 1957 original. Your eyes see 1980. Your ears hear 1957. For 45 years, hiding in plain sound. ⏱ Timestamps in the chapters below 👇 Comment which fact blew your mind