Zero Hour! (1957)
The serious movie from which Airplane was born.
During the closing days of the Second World War, six members of his Royal Canadian Air Force fighter squadron are killed due to a command decision made by pilot Ted Stryker (Dana Andrews). Years later, in civilian life in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, a guilt-stricken Stryker goes through many jobs, and his marriage is in trouble.
Stryker finds a note at home: his wife Ellen (Linda Darnell) has taken their young son Joey and is leaving him, flying to Vancouver. He rushes to Ottawa Airport to board the same flight, Cross-Canada Air Lines Flight 714. He asks his wife for one last chance, but Ellen says that she can no longer love a man she does not respect.
The routine flight becomes deadly when stewardess Janet Turner (Peggy King) begins the meal service. Meat or fish are the options.
Anonymous
shared this idea
-
Pastshelfdate commented
Yes, I didn't know, until I heard last week, on a podcast, that "Airplane" is a direct parody of "Zero Hour." I realize this could make it too difficult to riff "Zero Hour," without sounding to much like "Airplane."
But that might be what makes it wonderful. Think of "Rocky Horror," where no one minds that they've heard almost all the riffs before, because they're all much-loved tradition.
-
Anonymous
commented
That’s not enough- this movie deserves more hate.
-
Steve Pacheco commented
This was riffed in 1980! It was called Airplane!