They say laughter is the best medicine – and without question one of the funniest films of all time is the airline spoof, AIRPLANE!
Based (loosely) on a 1956 disaster movie called ZERO HOUR and a send-up of the AIRPORT series of films (which were becoming parody themselves by the release of THE CONCORDE – AIRPORT ’79 (1979) , the basic plot sees troubled war veteran pilot Ted Striker (Robert Hays) who is splitting up with stewardess Elaine Dickinson (Julie Hagerty) and is determined to get her back. So, what does he do? He gets on the worst place to be – a flight he gets a last-minute ticket, only to find that he might be the only hope for the passengers when they are struck down with food poisoning…
OK, the plot is simplistic, but that is not the reason you watch AIRPLANE! The plot is bog-standard, sentimental and predictable – and a wonderful excuse for a series of verbal and visual sight gags that run all the way right til the very end. You cannot take your eyes and ears from the screen (listen through the tannoy announcements at the very start of the film especially, as this sets the tone).
Couple this with Striker’s reminiscences about his romance with Elaine causing consternation and death to his seat neighbours (the flashback sequence that spoofs SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER (1977) has passed into legend) and a frantic climax in the air control tower with Controller Steve McCroskey (Lloyd Bridges) and colleague Johnny (Stephen Stucker) whose belly-achingly funny asides still chuckle today, AIRPLANE!’s good-time spirit is the perfect antidote to challenge and lockdown.