Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!

by David Zucker

Never assume that just because it’s someone’s job, they know how to do it. If you have a better idea, put down your laundry and do something about it. MRS. ZUBATSKY’S LAW

David: Mom told us later she cried on the driveway as we pulled away. But Dad had consoled her: “Don’t worry, honey, they’ll be back in six months.” Jerry: No, that’s why she cried, because she thought we’d be coming back.

I got vanity plates that said, “Bob’s MG.” People would pull up next to me at red lights and say, “Hey, buddy, that’s not an MG.” And I’d say back to them, “Well, I’m not Bob.”

Jim: Oh, right! Now you’re going to tell me that the opening scene where the airplane is cutting through the clouds like a shark is based on some other movie?

Jerry: It’s actually been pretty common over the years to put famous athletes in films—not quality films, but it can generate a lot of good publicity. O. J. Simpson was wonderfully stiff in both Capricorn One and The Towering Inferno. David: I directed him in the Naked Gun movies. Although he actually improved with each film, his acting remained a lot like his murdering—he got away with it, but no one really believed him. Jim: Didn’t you guys become friends? David: Not really. The last time I ever saw him was at the wrap party for Naked Gun 33⅓. We shook hands, I sold him my knife collection, and never saw him again.