Airplane! has officially turned 40 years old! Can you believe it? This iconic comedy, which hilariously parodies disaster films like Airport, premiered on June 2, 1980. Since then, it’s been nonstop laughter for audiences worldwide. The story revolves around a war veteran named Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) who reunites with his stewardess girlfriend Elaine (Julie Hagerty) aboard a flight where everyone else succumbs to food poisoning. With no pilots left to land the plane, Ted must step up—or else. But the real stars of the movie are legendary actors Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Robert Stack, and Leslie Nielsen, who deliver priceless deadpan humor, double entendres, and sight gags that turned Airplane! into a massive hit. (Fun fact: the movie, which cost only $3.2 million, earned $83 million in theaters—equivalent to nearly $300 million today!)
To celebrate this hilarious milestone, Closer sat down with some of the film's stars and creators, including co-writer and co-director David Zucker. They shared behind-the-scenes stories that are almost as funny as the movie itself. So grab your popcorn, buckle up, and prepare for takeoff into the wild world of Airplane! Because let’s be honest—if you’re reading this, you probably already know how to fly a plane… right?
How It All Took Off: David Zucker's Story
David Zucker (co-writer/co-director):
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Back in the day, my brother Jerry and I, along with our pal Jim Abrahams, ran the Kentucky Fried Theater in Los Angeles. One fateful night, we accidentally left the VCR running and stumbled upon a movie called Zero Hour! It was unintentionally hilarious—a perfect candidate for a spoof. We loved it so much that we paid about $2,500 to option the rights and wrote a script back in 1975. But guess what? Everyone turned us down. Flat-out rejected. Then we made Kentucky Fried Movie, which became a surprise hit, and suddenly people were interested. So we rewrote the Airplane! script, pitched it again, and… yep, everyone still said no. Except Paramount. They gave us a shot, though they weren’t exactly thrilled about letting three first-time directors helm the project. To sweeten the deal, they brought in an experienced producer named Howard W. Koch. If things didn’t work out, they could fire us after two weeks. We shrugged and said, “Sure! Bring it on!”
We knew nobody else could pull off this kind of comedy. After all, we invented it. And believe me, working with Howard wasn’t easy. He had his own vision, but we stood our ground. In the end, his guidance actually improved the film. Looking back, I’m grateful for the challenge—it forced us to refine our craft.
Who Almost Played Ted?
David: Believe it or not, we auditioned Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) for the role of Ted. He read the part three times, but it just didn’t click. We also considered David Letterman, but he wasn’t exactly jumping at the opportunity. His agent laughed when we suggested it, saying, “Fat chance!”
Robert Hays (Ted): My agent told me the filmmakers were struggling to find the right guy for Ted. She said to Howard W. Koch, “I’ve got your man.” At the time, I was starring in ABC’s sitcom Angie. So she set up a meeting, and I hit it off with the team. I screen-tested, and that was that!
David: Sigourney Weaver and Shelley Long also auditioned for Elaine. They were fantastic, but when Julie Hagerty walked in, she stole the show. There was no question in our minds—it had to be her.
Julie Hagerty (Elaine): I was working at my brother’s tiny off-off-off-Broadway theater, performing in my very first play. A talented casting director spotted me and invited me to do a screen test. By the way, the set during filming was the biggest audience I’d ever performed for. Talk about intimidating!
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Fun Facts About the Cast
David: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t exactly thrilled about joining the cast, but his manager convinced him. Apparently, Kareem had his eye on a beautiful Oriental rug, and this movie was the price of admission. Go figure!
Joyce Bulifant (Mrs. Davis): When I first read the script, I thought, “This is the dumbest thing I’ve ever seen! People coming down the baggage claim instead of luggage? Who finds that funny?” My husband replied, “You’re an actress. Act!” So I did. And let me tell you, I’m glad I listened to him.
