The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Police Squad! was a TV series that aired back in 1982 on ABC. Created by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker and Jerry Zucker of Airplane! fame, it starred Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, few remember the TV show today. (It only broadcast 6 episodes before it was cancelled) Flash forward six years to 1988 when the producers fondly used it as the inspiration for their very successful Naked Gun trilogy. The story, such as it is, concerns Lieutenant Frank Drebin’s attempts to uncover an assassination plot against Queen Elizabeth II. The events involve Vincent Ludwig, a rich businessman, sensory induced hypnosis, and a baseball game. The details are never fully explained, but none of that really matters. Everything is simply an excuse to direct rapid fire jokes one after another at the audience and see what works. The surprising thing is, most of them do. Some of the success rests with the writing, but considerable credit should go to actor Leslie Nielson and his impeccable deadpan delivery. He possesses that steady demeanor of a commanding thespian that makes even the most ridiculous lines seem like serious Shakespeare. He’s also consistently charming even when he’s behaving like a complete moron. His talents go a long way in making this film a classic in slapstick comedy.  The Naked Gun was the first and remains the best of the series.