He'd been a dramatic actor in the first stage of his career, but starting with roles like Airplane and the Police Squad series (which morphed into three Naked Gun films), this comedic second phase of his career took off.

Most of his movies of this nature were actually from the 90's (despite that Airplane was back in 1980!) - and though he's, I believe, doing theatre more these days, he still has the occasional movie role in the same vein.

My personal favorites would be a tossup of all the Naked Gun's (I got really into 1 and 2 in the early 90's when we'd rent/buy alot of movies).

Overall, I think he's one of the coolest older guys - he also has hardly aged in the past quarter century too.

I think I like Naked Gun 33 1/3 the best.  The scene where he's beating up Phil Donahue at the Oscars just about killed me  ;D

Definitely Airplane were he had two of his most memorable lines - unfortunately, he appeared almost half way through the movie!  ;D

"You can tell me, I'm a doctor."

LOL!!!  ;D

Definitely Airplane were he had two of his most memorable lines - unfortunately, he appeared almost half way through the movie!  ;D

"You can tell me, I'm a doctor."

LOL!!!  ;D


"Surely, you can't be serious?"

"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley"  ;D

"Surely, you can't be serious?"

"I am serious, and don't call me Shirley" ;D


Yeah, that reminds me. One thing I liked about Dr. Rumack was, even when he said something funny, it was in a completely deadpan/unfunny manner.

-"I haven't seen anything like this since the Anita Bryant concert."
-"You can't take a guess for another two hours?"

Etc. ;D

Airplane is good, but so is Naked Gun.

It's the same old story. Boy finds girl, boy loses girl, girl finds boy, boy forgets girl, boy remembers girl, girls dies in a tragic blimp accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day.
Goodyear?
No, the worst.

I picked other because I love them all, well except for Mr. Magoo.  That is a baaaaad movie.

Dracula Dead and loving it  :D

I liked his early comedy works best.

Airplane and Police Squad were some of the best comedy I have ever seen.  The way he was so deadpan and serious is what made the character.

I did not care so much for the Naked Gun movies.  Even back then, I did not care for their replacing Peter Lupus with OJ Simpson in the Nordberg role.  They would have been better off killing Nordberg and having Simpson play somebody else.

Airplane and the first Naked Gun movie.

Naked Gun  ;D

Never saw any of them, but I'll just go with "Naked Gun."

I picked Naked Gun because I think that was his funniest role, but I think Airplane was the best movie on the list.

I am tossed between Airplane and the first Naked Gun movie.


When Airplane first came out, I said, "Leslie Nielsen is a serious actor. What is he doing in a comedy?" Now when I see him in a serious movie, I say, "Leslie Nielsen is a comic actor. What is he doing in a serious movie?" But it just goes to show that he is such a brilliant actor that he can do both. I have several of the Police Squad episodes on tape. I noticed the difference in his acting style from that to the Naked Gun movies. He has developed "THE LOOK" which always cracks me up. The only other person I know who had "THE LOOK" was Jack Benny.




Cat

I pick other because I like more the one.

Dracula, Dead and Loving it
Airplane

Naked Gun 33 1/3

Naked Gun

Naked Gun (1988)

I have always wanted to see the Exorcist spoof, but told it was dire!