Airplane! (1980)

Anyone who has ever lost luggage on an O’Hare conveyor belt or a loved one to a midair disaster knows that travel by commercial flight is no joking matter — yet you’d never realize that by watching Airplane! (1980). Created by a trio of sacrilegious yucksters (Jim Abrahams and David and Jerry Zucker) who never met a double entendre they didn’t like, this sendup of airport disaster flicks spews a steady stream of puns, sight gags, recurring shtick, and gratuitous absurdity. Through sheer quantity of quips, the parody of Airport (1970), Airport 1975 (1974), Airport 1977 (1977) and The Concorde ... Airport ’79 (1979) achieves levity liftoff. Every snicker is as funny today as it was in the innocent year of its initial release. No wonder why the American Film Institute ranked the ridiculous and riotous romp at number 10 in its “100 Years...100 Laughs” list. Even though the laugh out loud blockbuster spawned the spinoff Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), the original flick retains its status as a comedy classic thanks to the talents of its cast: Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Leslie Nielsen, Lorna Patterson, Barbara Billingsley, Barbara Stuart, Joyce Bulifant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Maureen McGovern, Peter Graves, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, and Stephen Stucker. If that’s not entertaining enough, the humorous movie also includes the nude boobs on Kitten Natividad. During a chaotic scene, the be-thonged babe shows off her unmistakable mams when she runs past the camera with a jiggle. Needless to say, Airplane! is rich in hoots and hooters!