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    584. AIRPLANE!: "I AM SERIOUS. AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY."

    584. AIRPLANE!: "I AM SERIOUS. AND DON'T CALL ME SHIRLEY."

    $25.00 USD
    $25.00 USD
    Sale

    This is the original Long Island lecture about that little 1980 film that became a blockbuster and forever changed the way film-making approached comedy. A very influential film, you can see its stamp on other films (think the Naked Gun and Hot Shots series) and various television shows (The Simpsons, Family Guy, American Dad and many others). This Power Point presentation will cover the beginnings of the Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker creative team, from their college days to the making of this modern film classic, as well as the little-known film that inspired their creation. Learn about the joke that went too far, even for this film, and find out how Leslie Nielsen kept the cast and crew in stitches in what was his first comedic film role. See which actor thought the film was trash, but was eventually convinced to appear in it and then laughed harder than anyone else at the premier. Full of irreverent laughs and visual gags, Airplane! remains a favorite to this day. Repeated viewings disclose gags that you missed the first dozen times you watched it – nothing, and no one, is sacred. This film rekindles in its viewers what is sometimes a lost ability to laugh at ourselves. Highlights of memorable moments will be screened with this presentation, and an autograph, book, and film memorabilia collection will be on display for students to view.

    Details:
    Airplane!: "I am serious. And don't call me Shirley." 
    Professor Larry Wolff
    1 session: Thursday, August 27
    10:00 – 12 noon
    Fee: $25

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    About the lecturer(s)

    Lawrence Wolff

    Lawrence (Larry) Wolff began his appreciation of film at a young age and it has blossomed over time. His original interests concerned film comedians, gangsters, and ghouls, but his love of film now includes classics of all genres. He presents a historical perspective on such different subjects as silent film icons, comedians, dramatic actors, and films from the 1920’s through the 1970’s. He has been The Grand Sheik (President) of the Long Island chapter of the Sons of the Desert (the Laurel and Hardy Appreciation Society) for over ten years and is a contributor to the New York and national Abbott and Costello Fan Clubs.

    Lecture Details

    Program
    Summer 2026
    Sessions
    1 lecture(s)
    Day & Time
    Thursday, 10:00 – 12 noon
    Date(s)
    Aug 27, 2026