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

by David Zucker

Bob Stack’s agent was a man named Abby Greshler, also known as the Gray Ghost because he looked about 110 years old.

Howard took us to meet Greshler for lunch at the Paramount commissary. I remember feeling some amount of tension that he would die before dessert.

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.