The Film That Spawned ‘Airplane!’ is Now Available to Stream via Warner Archive
If you’re a fan of comedy, then you’re probably familiar with the cult classic Airplane! franchise. The original Airplane!, in particular, is known for being on multiple lists of “All Time Best Comedy Films” and is noted for putting actor Leslie Nielsen on the comedy map. What some may not know, however, is that Airplane! was actually a parody of a very serious flight disaster movie called Zero Hour. That film, which just celebrated its 60th anniversary this year, is more than just inspiration for Airplane!. The parody is a direct mirror to the original film, featuring the same plot, characters and many of the same lines, just with some Zucker/Abrahams surrealist gags sprinkled in. To celebrate the former’s recent anniversary, Warner Bros. has made Zero Hour available to stream on their recently-launched Warner Archive service.
To watch the film, you will need to create an account, although you can create a 30-day trial account to check things out before you commit. In the meantime, you can check out the video below, which features footage from Zero Hour and pop-up facts about the film’s production and its ties to Airplane!.
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Bill Tressler
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