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| Leslie Nielsen, 1926-2010 |
Of course that immortal line was uttered by actor Leslie Nielsen in the 1980 comedy classic "Airplane" ("Flying High" in Australia), who passed away yesterday at the age of 84.
I just wanted to make a few quick points about Mr. Nielsen in his honor.
Firstly, many folks may not know that L.N. was originally a TV star and Hollywood leading man. Long before the zaniness of "Airplane" and the fabulous "Naked Gun" movies, Nielsen had developed his craft in a variety of roles and genres.
Then, when his second-phase career took off with those new-age comedy films, he showed a rare versatility: It isn't many thespians who can stand out in both dramatic and comedic roles. Many have flopped like flounders trying. Not Nielsen.
I had the good fortune to review Mr. Nielsen in a play called "Clarence Darrow: A One-Man Play" in Boston in the late 90s. Darrow, as you may know, was a famed defense attorney (representing, among others, the thrill killers Leopold and Loeb, and the tragic Scottsboro Boys), and a staunch supporter of the ACLU.
Nielsen was so brilliant in this one-man play, that not once did you think of Frank Drebin ("Naked Gun"). I mean that quite seriously, by the way. He was, on that stage, Darrow reborn.
So Leslie Nielson, over the course of decades, made us watch, made us laugh, and made us think. For that we owe him many thanks.
They pass this way but once.
FOOTNOTE: I think Nielsen's/Drebin's version of "The Star-Spangled Banner" from "Naked Gun" should be the official version of the song. Whadya say?
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Next time I'll be blogging about the U.S.-North Korea nastiness. But that one takes a bit of thought and effort, as you can imagine.
Til then...
Take care,
Adrian Zupp
IF YOU FOUND THIS BLOG POST INTERESTING you might also like to take a look at "BLACK FRIDAY -- WAR IS HELL.... AND SO IS BARGAIN SHOPPING."
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