The genius of that movie was playing something that silly with serious actors playing it straight. Bridges, Nielsen, Peter Graves and Robert Stack — four older guys who had always played serious/tough-guy roles — made that movie.
If you’re a fan of the movie like I am, you owe it yourself to buy the new book that they ZAZ guys just put out last year. Tells the whole story from the inside - fascinating. It’s on Amazon - Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!
The movie took from another movie “The high and the Mighty”. Robert Stack was a pilot. John Wayne was in that flick also.
Lots of parallels.
Thanks! I’ll have to check that out!