From pilot adventurers to nail biting thrillers set in scenarios in airplane cabins, through to romantic homecomings at an airport, the aviation world has often inspired film makers.
Today, we take a look back at the 1980 comedy, "Airplane!" (or Flying High!, depending on the country it was released in), written and directed by Jim Abahams, David and Jerry Zucker.
The film depicts the hilarious flight of a young man, who is pathologically afraid of flying, and who has to land the Boeing 707, after both captain Clarence Oveur and co-pilot Roger Murdock, (here in the extract), amongst others, fall ill ; one of the film’s most memorable, and highly amusing scenes, involves the activation of the plane's autopilot, a large inflatable pilot doll.
Between the many zany passengers and general staff incompetence, both in the air and on the ground, the film parodies disaster movies and offers lots of surrealistic humour, slapstick comedy, verbal puns and gags.
