Post 1442 - Don't Call Me Shirley!

Tonight I write of Leslie Nielsen, the famed comedic actor who died over the weekend at age 84.

I remember seeing him in scores of tv shows when I was a youngster.  I didn't see The Airplane! movies until years after they came out on video, but I sure did enjoy Police Squad! in 1982.  It eventually begat the Naked Gun movies, but there was something about the original 6 episode series that still makes me laugh, nearly 30 years later.  Has there been a dvd release of the show?

I'd watch this show and then talk to my high school chums about it the next day.  In my first semester of university, I'd think about the tv show when I should have been thinking about my studies (and look where that got me!  Sheesh!)

Tonight, I share with you 3 clips from Police Squad!





It's pretty much the same as Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First?", but it's still awfully funny.

Next up is the epilogue from each episode, where they would do a faux freeze frame, with mistakes.  I'm pretty sure these were in the original broadcast order, but not in the order in which they were filmed, as the references to previous characters, other than Sally Dekker, are out of sequence.  That's too bad.  I've often wondered why they broadcast the show out of order.



Lastly is Johnny the Shoeshine guy.  He knows everything about everything.  I was so disappointed that he didn't make the transition to the Naked Gun movies.  He would have been so funny there, too.  He always stole the few scenes he was in.





To the extent I can, I have modeled Bevboy's Blog after the deadpan aspects of Leslie Nielsen.  I waste no opportunity to misunderstand a basic question, also.  One time, I walked up to a co-worked and said, "Robert, I have a question for you."  Robert said, "What's that?"  I said, "Well a question is an interrogative statement put forth by one person in order to obtain information from another person.  If you understand, let's proceed."   Robert was flummoxed, and he proceeded to quote me every chance he got.

Another time, I was at a Toastmasters meeting.  I was talking about an upcoming contest.  A woman at the meeting asked if I had a date.  I was preparing to say something like, "No, I don't.  But I'll look on the web and let you know when it is.", when some evil force took over my vocal cords and made me say, "Well, I was planning to go by myself."  I guess you had to be there, but it got a good laugh. 

I owe these little comedic gems of mine to Leslie Nielsen and the people who wrote those scenes for him.  They provided the words; he did everything else.   I was a huge fan of his. 

Besides, he had a girl's name.  We have to stick together.

Bevboy