Airplane!’s Creators Reveal the Origins of “Don’t Call Me Shirley”

[Mark Wein]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat..._don_t_call_me_shirley_origins_explained.html

I loved this movie when I was a kid. My older brother took me to see it when I was about 10 years old and it was a cherished memory for a long time from a part of my life that was pretty difficult all the way around. And the jokes still make me laugh 35 years later.

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Excuse me, sister...Could I borrow your guitar?

 

[aliensporebomb]

I always hoped it was as fun to make as it was to watch - they looked like they were having a great time making it.

 

[shoeless]

One of the best comedic movies ever!

 

[Flamencology]

More movies need Kareem.

 

[Mark Wein]

Young Boy with Coffee: Excuse me, I happened to be passing, and I thought you might like some coffee.

Little Girl: Oh, that's very nice of you, thank you.

[takes coffee]

Little Girl: Oh, won't you sit down?

Young Boy with Coffee: Cream?

Little Girl: No, thank you, I take it black, like my men.

 

[Mark Wein]

Rumack: You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital.

Elaine Dickinson: A hospital? What is it?

Rumack: It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now.

 

[Mark Wein]

More movies need Kareem.

Joey: Wait a minute. I know you. You're Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You play basketball for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Roger Murdock: I'm sorry, son, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Roger Murdock. I'm the co-pilot.

Joey: You are Kareem! I've seen you play. My dad's got season tickets.

Roger Murdock: I think you should go back to your seat now, Joey. Right, Clarence?

Captain Oveur: Nahhhhhh, he's not bothering anyone. Let him stay here.

Roger Murdock: But just remember, my name is...

[showing his nametag]

Roger Murdock: ROGER MURDOCK. I'm an airline pilot.

Joey: I think you're the greatest, but my dad says you don't work hard enough on defense.

[Kareem gets angry]

Joey: And he says that lots of times, you don't even run down court. And that you don't really try... except during the playoffs.

Roger Murdock: [breaking character] The hell I don't! LISTEN, KID! I've been hearing that crap ever since I was at UCLA. I'm out there busting my buns every night! Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier up and down the court for 48 minutes!

 

[DFB]

Loved that movie. It did cause me drinking problem though.

 

[shoeless]

Do you like gladiator movies?

 

[VoidTerraFirma]

Sluggish...like a wet sponge.

 

[smorgdonkey]

I thought the upside down photo looked odd and I imagined it like this:

Like it was a disguise and you were bursting out of it in some vintage sci-fi movie.

 

[Mark Wein]

:ewh:

 

[smorgdonkey]

Scanners!

 

[OGG]

Golly!

 

[baimun]

David Zucker: It was a radical concept. We were doing a comedy without comedians.

That is the beauty of that movie. The deadpan delivery of every line (except "auntie em, it's a twister" and "leroy's getting laaaaarger..." )

 

[Theodore]

Johnny, what can you make out of this?

 

[335clone]

I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue

 

[Tig]

A perpetual classic! Seeing it in the theater, my brother and I never laughed harder. Our guts were sore as we later walked up the aisle.

 

[Tig]

The cast revisits for a commercial...