‘Naked Gun’ Turns 35: Team on Adapting Failed TV Series, Leslie Nielsen’s Magic, Reboot Frustrations
Turning a short-lived parody TV series into a feature film was always going to involve taking a chance, but as the team behind the Naked Gun franchise learned, it wasn’t quite on the level of sticking your face in a fan.
Following the breakout success of the 1980 smash hit Airplane!, that film’s writer-director team — David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — found themselves grounded when ABC promptly canceled their police-spoofing show Police Squad! in 1982. But the series’ co-creators refused to let the concept die and went on to adapt it for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which Paramount Pictures released theatrically on Dec. 2, 1988. The movie, featuring Leslie Nielsen reprising his Police Squad! lead role as accident-prone police lieutenant Frank Drebin, also starred Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Naked Gun film that...
Following the breakout success of the 1980 smash hit Airplane!, that film’s writer-director team — David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker — found themselves grounded when ABC promptly canceled their police-spoofing show Police Squad! in 1982. But the series’ co-creators refused to let the concept die and went on to adapt it for The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, which Paramount Pictures released theatrically on Dec. 2, 1988. The movie, featuring Leslie Nielsen reprising his Police Squad! lead role as accident-prone police lieutenant Frank Drebin, also starred Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of the original Naked Gun film that...
- 12/21/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kate Winslet’s tough but tender small-town police detective Mare Sheehan of HBO’s acclaimed crime thriller “Mare of Easttown” is the latest in a long line of female TV detectives including S. Epatha Merkerson (“Law & Order”); Helen Mirren (“Prime Suspect”); Kyra Sedgwick (“The Closer); Mariska Hargitay (“Law & Order: Svu”) and Regina King (“Watchmen”).
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
Unfortunately, it took an inordinate amount of time for actresses to get a fair shake in police procedurals. Early TV crime dramas were inundated with the likes of taciturn toughies Lee Marvin (“M Squad”), Robert Taylor (“The Detectives”), Jack Webb (“Dragnet”) and Broderick Crawford (“Highway Patrol”). Way too much testosterone.
But slowly the dynamics began to change especially with the rise of the Women’s Movement. Here’s a look at five trailblazing female cop shows who paved the way.
Beverly Garland (“Decoy”)
After macho actor after macho actor as police detectives and cops,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Actress Roberta Haynes died Thursday in her home in Delray Beach. She was 91.
Haynes is known for her role opposite Gary Cooper in the 1953 Mark Robson-directed film Return to Paradise where she played a native of Matareva who develops a relationship with Cooper’s American drifter Mr. Morgan. In the same year, she starred in two westerns including The Nebraskan directed by Fred F. Sears and Gun Fury directed by Raoul Walsh.
Born Roberta Arline Schack in Wichita Falls, Tex. on Aug. 19, 1929, Haynes was raised in Toronto and moved on to California where she starred on Broadway and film. In 1949, she appeared in the film Knock on Any Door starring Humphrey Bogart and the John Huston-directed We Were Strangers. On stage, appeared The Madwoman of Chaillot in 1950 opposite John Carradine as well as The Fighter with Lee. J. Cobb in 1952. Her other film credits include High Noon, Gun Fury and Hell Ship Mutiny.
Haynes is known for her role opposite Gary Cooper in the 1953 Mark Robson-directed film Return to Paradise where she played a native of Matareva who develops a relationship with Cooper’s American drifter Mr. Morgan. In the same year, she starred in two westerns including The Nebraskan directed by Fred F. Sears and Gun Fury directed by Raoul Walsh.
Born Roberta Arline Schack in Wichita Falls, Tex. on Aug. 19, 1929, Haynes was raised in Toronto and moved on to California where she starred on Broadway and film. In 1949, she appeared in the film Knock on Any Door starring Humphrey Bogart and the John Huston-directed We Were Strangers. On stage, appeared The Madwoman of Chaillot in 1950 opposite John Carradine as well as The Fighter with Lee. J. Cobb in 1952. Her other film credits include High Noon, Gun Fury and Hell Ship Mutiny.
- 4/7/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
Born 94 years ago today, Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing.
Born 94 years ago today, Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing.
- 2/20/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Rolling Stone just issued their list of the 'Top 100 Television Shows of All Time.' The rankings, which came from a survey of actors, writers, critics, and producers, includes all the shows you’d expect like Seinfeld, The Simpsons, The Sopranos. And a bunch of other programs that don’t start with the letter “S.” It’s a pretty comprehensive list and a reminder of how many great shows there have been even before what we’re now calling the Golden Age of television. Like any “top” anything list, there’s controversy. And we’re more than happy to dive into that topic. One thing we didn’t do is re-rank everything. If we did that, we’d be here forever and you wouldn’t want to read any further. So rather than that, we’ve just picked three shows that made the list that shouldn’t have and three replacements to fill those gaps.
- 9/23/2016
- by David Eckstein
- Hitfix
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing. Upon making his debut in summer stock,...
Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where he began working as a plumber. The acting bug bit after filling in for an ailing summer-stock actor and he studied the art at the New York-based American Theater Wing. Upon making his debut in summer stock,...
- 8/30/2016
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
We take a look back at 1988's The Naked Gun, its timeless brand of comedy, and Leslie Nielsen's superb performance...
Detective Frank Drebin's outside his Los Angeles police precinct, squeezing off shots into the receding backside of his own car.
How this came to happen almost defies description. Having driven his Ford Crown Victoria into a couple of bins outside the building, Drebin stumbles out, seemingly oblivious to the airbags going off inside. One airbag knocks the car into drive and off the vehicle goes, almost running Drebin over as it rumbles downhill.
As an orchestrated bit of comedy cinema, it's the knockabout equivalent of the famous scene in The Untouchables, where Brian De Palma expertly wrings every drop of suspense from a pram thudding down a flight of stairs at a train station.
On the spur of the moment, Drebin comes to the conclusion that there's a criminal...
Detective Frank Drebin's outside his Los Angeles police precinct, squeezing off shots into the receding backside of his own car.
How this came to happen almost defies description. Having driven his Ford Crown Victoria into a couple of bins outside the building, Drebin stumbles out, seemingly oblivious to the airbags going off inside. One airbag knocks the car into drive and off the vehicle goes, almost running Drebin over as it rumbles downhill.
As an orchestrated bit of comedy cinema, it's the knockabout equivalent of the famous scene in The Untouchables, where Brian De Palma expertly wrings every drop of suspense from a pram thudding down a flight of stairs at a train station.
On the spur of the moment, Drebin comes to the conclusion that there's a criminal...
- 5/26/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
By Anjelica Oswald
Managing Editor
With Michael Keaton winning the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy and Eddie Redmayne winning for best actor in a drama, both men continue establishing themselves as the frontrunners in this year’s lead actor race at the Oscars.
Though not new to films, Redmayne starred in Oscar-nominated films such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2008) and Les Miserables (2012). His performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, however, propelled him to widespread acclaim and put him on the radar. He is one of four best actor nominees — along with Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch and Steve Carell — to receive their first nomination this year.
For most of his career, Keaton was known for his comedic roles, such as Mr. Mom (1983) and Beetlejuice (1988), and for his turn as Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). These roles earned Keaton praise and...
Managing Editor
With Michael Keaton winning the Golden Globe for best actor in a musical or comedy and Eddie Redmayne winning for best actor in a drama, both men continue establishing themselves as the frontrunners in this year’s lead actor race at the Oscars.
Though not new to films, Redmayne starred in Oscar-nominated films such as Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2008) and Les Miserables (2012). His performance as Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything, however, propelled him to widespread acclaim and put him on the radar. He is one of four best actor nominees — along with Keaton, Benedict Cumberbatch and Steve Carell — to receive their first nomination this year.
For most of his career, Keaton was known for his comedic roles, such as Mr. Mom (1983) and Beetlejuice (1988), and for his turn as Batman in Tim Burton’s Batman (1989) and Batman Returns (1992). These roles earned Keaton praise and...
- 1/19/2015
- by Anjelica Oswald
- Scott Feinberg
The Wasteland:
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
Television is a gold goose that lays scrambled eggs;
and it is futile and probably fatal to beat it for not laying caviar.
Lee Loevinger
When people argue over the quality of television programming, both sides — it’s addictive crap v. underappreciated populist art — seem to forget one of the essentials about commercial TV. By definition, it is not a public service. It is not commercial TV’s job to enlighten, inform, educate, elevate, inspire, or offer insight. Frankly, it’s not even commercial TV’s job to entertain. Bottom line: its purpose is simply to deliver as many sets of eyes to advertisers as possible. As it happens, it tends to do this by offering various forms of entertainment, and occasionally by offering content that does enlighten, inform, etc., but a cynic would make the point that if TV could do the same job televising fish aimlessly swimming around an aquarium,...
- 7/22/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
He was a drunk, on-screen and off, and starred in the most violent films of his age. But, first and foremost, he was a fantastic actor
This week's re-release of John Boorman's magnificent 1967 thriller Point Blank is all the evidence we really need of Lee Marvin's inextinguishable greatness as a movie icon. But since I've written elsewhere about Point Blank this week, let's imagine it never existed, and recall all the other reasons to love Lee.
Because for a couple of decades from the 50s to the 70s, whenever people referred to a movie as the most violent ever made, the chances were pretty good that Lee Marvin would be close to, if not the actual cause of, the very worst of the mayhem. Prime example: throwing a pot of scalding coffee in Gloria Grahame's face in Fritz Lang's potent big city crime thriller The Big Heat.
This week's re-release of John Boorman's magnificent 1967 thriller Point Blank is all the evidence we really need of Lee Marvin's inextinguishable greatness as a movie icon. But since I've written elsewhere about Point Blank this week, let's imagine it never existed, and recall all the other reasons to love Lee.
Because for a couple of decades from the 50s to the 70s, whenever people referred to a movie as the most violent ever made, the chances were pretty good that Lee Marvin would be close to, if not the actual cause of, the very worst of the mayhem. Prime example: throwing a pot of scalding coffee in Gloria Grahame's face in Fritz Lang's potent big city crime thriller The Big Heat.
- 3/25/2013
- by John Patterson
- The Guardian - Film News
Prolific television director Don Medford, who is perhaps best known for the two-episode finale of the 1960s drama The Fugitive, died December 12 at West Hills Hospital and Medical Center in Los Angeles. He was 95. His family reported the death Wednesday. The 1967 conclusion of Fugitive, the popular series about a man falsely accused of murdering his wife (played by David Janssen) and relentlessly pursued around the country by a determined detective (Barry Morse), was seen by a then-record of an estimated 78 million viewers — a milestone that stood until the “Who Shot J.R.” episode of Dallas drew an estimated 83 million in 1980. Medford’s TV career stretched from the early 1950s Tales Of Tomorrow through the late ’80s Jake And The Fatman. Among the many major and varied series he worked on were the anthologies Alfred Hitchock Presents and The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables with Robert Stack, M Squad with Lee Marvin,...
- 1/3/2013
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Article by Jim Batts, Dana Jung, and Tom Stockman
We’re celebrating one of Hollywood’s great tough guys and one of our favorite actors September 6th at The Way Out Club in St. Louis with Super-8 Lee Marvin Movie Madness.
Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where...
We’re celebrating one of Hollywood’s great tough guys and one of our favorite actors September 6th at The Way Out Club in St. Louis with Super-8 Lee Marvin Movie Madness.
Lee Marvin rose through the ranks of movie stardom as a character actor, delivering mostly villainous supporting turns in many films before finally graduating to leading roles. Regardless of which side of the law he was on however, he projected a tough-as-nails intensity and a two-fisted integrity which elevated even the slightest material. Born February 19, 1924, in New York City, Marvin quit high school to enter the Marine Corps and while serving in the South Pacific was badly wounded in battle when a machine gun nest shot off part of his buttocks and severed his sciatic nerve. He spent a year in recovery before returning to the U.S. where...
- 8/30/2011
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With the prevalence of the likes of the continuing Scary Movie franchise (yes, more instalments are in the pipeline) you might be forgiven for thinking the art of a good parody died with Leslie Nielsen. You might be right, but at its peak, parody is one of cinema’s most memorable screen presences and these picks of the best surely prove that...
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Parodies: Just about any 1970’s broadcasting corporation. Anchorman’s charm lies in sending up such institutions with enough affection to remain comical rather than satirical.
The Quote: Probably too many to mention, although Brian Fantana’s appraisal of his cologne Sex Panther – “They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time,” and Veronica’s declaration “Mr Burgundy, you have a massive erection,” are pretty good for a chuckle.
Best Scene: Despite the newsroom antics, one of the best scenes...
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Parodies: Just about any 1970’s broadcasting corporation. Anchorman’s charm lies in sending up such institutions with enough affection to remain comical rather than satirical.
The Quote: Probably too many to mention, although Brian Fantana’s appraisal of his cologne Sex Panther – “They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time,” and Veronica’s declaration “Mr Burgundy, you have a massive erection,” are pretty good for a chuckle.
Best Scene: Despite the newsroom antics, one of the best scenes...
- 1/14/2011
- Shadowlocked
Chicago – One of the funniest lines Leslie Nielsen ever uttered wasn’t in one of his spoofs. In his role as doomed Captain Harrison in ‘The Poseidon Adventure,’ Nielsen is facing the huge wave that will eventually capsize the boat, and as an stern aside says, “by the way, Happy New Year.” A star, comically inadvertent, was born. Leslie Nielsen died yesterday at the age of 84.
Leslie Nielsen in a Late Career Role in ‘Scary Movie 3’
Photo credit: © Dimension Films
Leslie Nielsen was born and raised in Canada, but studied to be an actor at the New York Neighborhood Playhouse under Stanford Meisner. His height and good looks made him a natural to play stoic hero types, as he did in his first major film, “Forbidden Planet” (1956). For the next two decades he worked steadily in TV and occasionally films, portraying the same straight arrow solemnity that he established in the beginning.
Leslie Nielsen in a Late Career Role in ‘Scary Movie 3’
Photo credit: © Dimension Films
Leslie Nielsen was born and raised in Canada, but studied to be an actor at the New York Neighborhood Playhouse under Stanford Meisner. His height and good looks made him a natural to play stoic hero types, as he did in his first major film, “Forbidden Planet” (1956). For the next two decades he worked steadily in TV and occasionally films, portraying the same straight arrow solemnity that he established in the beginning.
- 11/29/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The latest is the seemingly endless string of irresistible DVD collections comes from the good folks at Timeless Video, who have distinguished themselves with some first-class releases of vintage TV series. The latest is their most impressive yet: the 1950s crime series M Squad which helped groom Lee Marvin from supporting actor to leading man presence. Marvin is the stalwart Lt. Frank Ballinger, a Chicago cop who is so unrelentingly serious that he makes Jack Webb look like Richard Simmons. The series was part of the wave of crime shows that flooded the networks during this era, and M Squad was one of the best. The show ran three seasons and was compromised only by the half-hour time running time which made for some abbreviated storylines. The series is a gem in terms of the kinds of cornball cliches that have become part of our pop culture. I always assumed...
- 12/9/2008
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
In format, the '50s cop drama M Squad was more or less a clone of its long-running predecessor Dragnet, only set in Chicago instead of Los Angeles. Over the course of each 25-minute episode, dogged police detective Lee Marvin would pursue every lead and clue until he solved a crime, all while narrating his steps for the television audience. Even more than Dragnet, M Squad's earnestness and slangy tough-talk served as the model for the '80s cop-show spoof Police Squad!, right down to the brassy score and the protagonist named "Frank." M Squad was as square as an LP jacket, and just about as old-fashioned. But it was also more action-packed and gritty than the average TV procedural of its era. M Squad was like one long docu-realist film noir, carved up into 117 episodes over three years. Every one of those episodes is now available on M Squad:.
- 11/12/2008
- by Noel Murray
- avclub.com
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