I had an aunt in the 80s who was a flight attendant and I remember her telling us all the story of Leslie Nielson flying with them and somewhere in the flight he asked her to open up the flight deck door for him. He peaked his head in and said his famous line, "I just want to tell you all, good luck. We're all counting on you." Apparently the pilots laughed so hard that they could be heard by the passengers. It had to have made their day.

You're the first reactor I've seen who actually recognized Ethel Merman. That got you a like!

The fact that the plane is a jet and you always hear turbo prop sound effects is always overlooked and just another layer of hilarity.

Fun fact! The airport announcers in this movie were not only the real announcers for LAX back in the day, but they were also actually a married couple IRL.

The fact that you immediately knew who Ethel Merman was and started singing along, made my entire day 😂 ❤️❤️

The beach scene wasn’t “Grease”, it was “From Here to Eternity” with Burt Lancaster. The jive talking woman was Barbara Billingsley, who played the mom on “Leave It to Beaver”, the nun with the guitar was from “Airport”, a disaster movie, the woman whose husband had the second cup of coffee was in a commercial for Yuban Coffee where the same thing happens. Ted was wearing the same outfit that John Travolta wore in “Saturday Night Fever”. He was also wearing a navy uniform when he was supposed to be in the Air Force.

Apparently this movie even has its place in airline safety. After this movie became popular, the FAA passed a ruling that pilots and co-pilots could not have the same meal in case one of the meals was contaminated. So not only is this arguably one of the funniest comedies ever, it has even potentially saved lives.

"I take it black, like my men." So epic. I can only imagine the conversation they had with that young actress about what she was about to say.

FUN FACT: when i watched this, im sure you noticed, but the scene with Rex Kramer walking through the mirror.. it took me watching it a SECOND time (because i loved it so much) to realize that he WALKED THROUGH THE FREAKING MIRROR LMAOOOOO 🤣🤣🤣 you could probably see that i was so distracted by the guy getting mauled by the dog in the background 🤣 I LOVE this movie...

This movie changed Leslie Nielson's career from a serious actor to a dead pan comedy genius. My favourite line/quote of his is from Police Squad (which became the basis for The Naked Gun) is "We're sorry to bother you at a time like this, Mrs. Twice. We would have come earlier, but your husband wasn't dead then."

I just want to tell you good luck, Miranda! We're all counting on you.

The only drawback to this movie is that as time passes, people don't recognize the cameos in this. I'm glad you recognize Ethel. I always love it when people get the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar joke when he grabs the kid and explains his game. Or the cameo by June Cleaver herself, Barbara Billingsly.

Notes: 1) The beach Scene was a famous reference from the movie From Here to Eternity 2) The woman speaking Jive to the 2 Black gentleman was Barbara Billingsly who was a very famous straight-laced mother from the Leave it to Beaver television show 3) The co-pilot was Kareem Abdul Jabber who was a hall of fame basketball player with the LA Lakers 4) Leslie Neilsen was the doctor and his performance in this movie gave him a springboard to the Naked Gun series of movies, which are also incredibly funny.

The longest running joke through the whole movie is that the aircraft is a jet, yet all the engine noise is piston engines. Brilliant film, and the jokes are layers upon layers upon layers. You almost get a new joke on every watch. Wonderful reaction.

I saw this movie in the first week of release and the entire theatre was laughing like maniac hyenas for 90 minutes. People were in tears and gasping for breath, shouting lines as they realized what the joke was and then doubling over with laughter as the next joke hit the screen. It was one of the most amazing, awesome and fun things to be a part of that I've ever experienced. And now, more than 40 years later, the movie is still riotously funny, drawing laughs even from people who weren't even born in that century.

Interesting facts about this movie. It only took 2.5 weeks to film. "Don't call me Shirley. " was an adlib by Leslie Nielsen. After all this time, it's still the second funniest movie I've ever seen.

One thing that I think often gets overlooked when watching Airplane is that it occurred after a series of increasingly silly and over-the-top disaster movies (Towering Inferno, Earthquake, Poseidon Adventure, Airport '77, and many more). But after Airplane, it became no longer possible to produce disaster movies in the same vein (no more singing nuns, sick children, etc.), because no one could take them seriously any more. Airplane effectively changed the entire genre for the better.

Four of the five male leads were well known dramatic actors. The key to all the jokes working (and basically the film as a whole) was their ability to deliver serious performances, oblivious to all the silliness. Peter Graves (Mission: Impossible), Robert Stack (The Untouchables), Lloyd Bridges (Sea Hunt) and Leslie Nielsen (The Poseidon Adventure).

One of the things you missed, which you will need to take into account for future reactions, is that this was the first movie to place an 'Easter Egg' during/after the end credits. After this movie, lots of movies started to use that. Prior to this there were outtakes and bloopers, but not a 'scene' designed specifically to go there. Next time you watch this, watch all the credits.

My favourite joke in the film is the “Air Israel” gag. Your reaction to it is absolutely priceless.

“I take it black…” one of the best comedic ambushes of all time.

What was even funnier about the lady speaking "Jive", is that she played the Mom on "Leave it to Beaver." So for many of us, watching Beaver's Mom speak "Jive" is one of the funniest things because it was such a "white bread" show, and I mean even for the 60's.

I actually saw Ethel Merman sing once. I was in the Naval Academy's Glee Club, and we sang at a thing for Ronald Reagan, put on by Frank Sinatra, and after we did our sound checks we hung out and watched the other acts. Merman was one of them, maybe two years before she died. Even in her seventies she had the most powerful voice I've ever heard. She bounced sound of the walls and ceilings of the Capital Center. I was in awe.

I'm starting to theorize that the Zucker brothers - with things like Airplane and The Naked Gun - may have been the ones that created modern "dad humor". The movie is just chock full of things we now consider dad humor, and it's the timing makes sense for being present for an entire generation in a way to influence their sense of humor.

One favorite moment: Rex Kramer is looking at himself in a mirror, as he gets ready to go help Ted land the plane. His reflection then steps through the mirror, as he's about to leave.

SUCH a good reaction!!!! The woman that “speaks Jive” is Barbara Billingsley, who famously played June Cleaver in “Leave it to Beaver” - she was seen as America’s mother for her entire career. That’s why the scene was extra funny. 😊

What's amazing is this is a nearly scene by scene remake of an earlier movie. Zero Hour (1957) is the basis.

The "Don't Call Me Shirley" is possibly the single most well-known quote of any movie ever made, although a lot of people I'm sure don't realize that it originated here. The reason it worked was because Leslie Neilsen wasn't known for comedy, and it was because of this small role that made him into one of the most well-known comedic actors. This movie changed what was possible and acceptable for comedy movies, (and is stellar,) although in some ways Airplane II was the real defining moment for comedy history. It took everything that was great about this first one, and somehow expanded on it, both interweaving and making fun of the first movie at the same time. You can't even really explain any of the movie without spoilers. I believe it was the first sequel to ever attempt what it did, and still to this date, possibly the most successfully done one. If you liked this movie at all, then Airplane II is an absolute must.

You already gained a lot of respect in my eyes when you caught the joke with all the mayonnaise on the shelves of the doctor in the Mayo Clinic. I've seen a number of other reactions to this movie and almost every one of them were clueless to the joke.

Julie Hagerty is also in another amazingly funny movie: "What About Bob?"

The "Smoking Ticket" moment, when you froze for a second and then realized what kind of ride you were in for was absolutely hysterical. These movies are amazing for the dumb humor.

“You'd better tell the Captain we've got to land as soon as we can. This woman has to be gotten to a hospital” “A hospital? What is it?” “It's a big building with patients, but that's not important right now. “Captain, how soon can you land?” “I can't tell” “You can tell me. I'm a doctor” “No. I mean I'm just not sure” “Well, can't you take a guess? “Well, not for another two hours” “You can't take a guess for another two hours?” 😂😂😂😂😂 Leslie Neilson is easily one of my favourite actors, he’s hilarious and I love his style of comedy and I relate to it so much. Also I just found out “I just want to tell you both good luck. We’re all counting on you” was also in Family Guy Blue Harvest, in the scene were they are attacked by TIE Fighters, a guy, who is Rumack himself, pops up and says that exact line and I never understood the reference as a kid but I do now

This, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein are my Top 3 comedies. Classics!

My favorite fun fact about this movie is that it inspired a real world change of rules for airlines that the pilot and the copilot are not allowed to eat the same meal as a precaution.

No joke,I 've seen this movie at least 50 times. I was 12 years old when it came out. Thanks for some laughs,it's fun watching someone react for the first time viewing it. Take care,keep them coming!!!❤😊

All-time favorite for me! One thing you missed at 15:47 is that he walks through the mirror. That's not something that I picked up on until 100 times through haha

If you like this type of humor, you should watch The Naked Gun trilogy, Hot Shots, Top Secret, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights

You caught more jokes than any other reactor I’ve seen do this film. You’ve earned a sub.

It's amazing how relentless it is with the jokes!! During the editing process they'd screen it at universities, and take a tape recorder with them to record the audience reactions. When they'd play the tape back, if there was a long gap or a joke with no laughs, they'd cut that part out of the film. It gave them some issues with the running time in the end, but the pace leaves you breathless with laughter! One of the most brilliant comedies out there! So glad you loved it!

What makes the "I speak Jive" scene even funnier is the fact that the actress in it played June Cleaver in the old Leave it to Beaver TV series. I remember seeing June Clever speaking jive and just losing it.

I saw this in 1980 in the theater. And all the jokes hit just as hard as they do today. This was rated PG in 1980. Loved watching you laugh at a 43 year old movie. Try Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Seeing as you loved this film, I highly recommend watching "Top Secret!" - IMO it's the hidden masterpiece by the same directors. ps. It's also a bit of a musical..

This film is a gem! SO much humor packed into every second, like you said! A LOT of wordplay, puns, double meanings, etc. A lot of slapstick, physical humor. A lot of absurdist, surrealist humor. A lot of topical, cultural references of its era! Name drops, personality references, actors acting out of "type" (like Kareem Abdul Jabbar- if someone is not familiar with him as a basketball superstar, then the whole discussion about him being a pilot, rather than himself, is largely lost. Or like Barbara Billingsley- the jive-talking old woman: it's funny that a white lady should be speaking jive to the two black guys ("Jive" itself being a relatively outdated form of African American slang; slang terminology has changed over the years), but when you grew up in the 1950s with her playing June Cleaver, the mom on "Leave it to Beaver,: one of the most white-bread, suburban shows ever- her jive talk becomes that much more hilarious). If someone doesn't know who Ethel Merman is, the idea of some guy in an army hospital being a singing older woman may be silly, but not a gut belly laugh. But if you KNOW who she is (as you do), that whole joke lands solid, for a terrific laugh out loud moment! The scene in his flashback, when he first met Elaine: VERY much a take on the then-recent "Saturday Night Fever," from the music to the dance to his outfit to him throwing his jacket. So it is very interesting to see people of different generations enjoying this film: some jokes land on different levels, depending on the cultural reference and social touch-points with which one is familiar. And other jokes are more or less universal, like all the puns and sight gags and slapstick! That's a big part of what makes this film so timely and timeless at once, and why it remains such a classic!

Years ago I arrived at LAX and got outside the terminal only to hear the real “no parking in the red zone” announcement. People travelling with me couldn’t understand why I burst out laughing! Apparently the scene where they destroy the disco radio tower got huge cheers by audiences in theatres. By the time this movie came out disco was well and truly dead, to the point where people had actually turned on it.

"they bought their tickets, they knew what they were getting into. I say let 'em crash!" I use that line sometimes when I'm being purposefully argumentative 😀🤣🤣

I just wanna tell you. Good luck, we're all counting on you🙂

5:22 most of the reactors I’ve seen had a similar reaction to the idea of smoking on airplanes. It was quite common. I remember my dad (who was a million miler on Delta -even considering he preferred Eastern when they were still around) complaining because he got stuck in the smoking section of the airplane in a cross country trip. He was really happy when airlines in the U.S. were forced to go smoke free.

I saw this in a theater in 1980 when it first came out. I was laughing during the opening credits, along with everybody else in the audience, and then never stopped. The movie where the jokes and laughs never end. Loved watching your reactions to it.

There are a few jokes in this movie that I love watching YOUNG people react to for the first time. The lady hanging herself, the black coffee joke, etc. So satisfying.

The bones of the movie are an older film called Zero Hour. There's a video on KZfaq that shows how they added lines and changed the context of certain scenes to make the scenes funny. Leslie Nielsen is remembered mostly for his comedies but this was his first comedy. He and many of the other leads had careers in disaster films or other serious dramas and they were told to play it entirely straight. Kareem Abdul-Jabaar was cast because they were riffing on the casting of a football player as one of the pilots in Zero Hour. The coffee scene in Zero Hour featured adults and didn't have the "like my men" line. You didn't pick up on June Cleaver as the jive lady. And the airport announcers were the real life voices of LAX at the time, and were a couple.

The couple arguing over the tannoy, were the actual people responsible for customer announcements at LAX…..& yes they were also a real life couple. 😂😂😂

Post-credit scene!! “…I’ll give him 20 minutes, but that’s it!”

Awesome reaction. Honestly, I think you got more of the jokes than any other reactor I've seen who watched this!

I'm 50 years old. I remember when my parents took me to see this. It's as funny today as it was back then. I still laugh which is amazing considering I've seen it so many times. My favorite is still conversation between the pilot and Joey. A little trivia- Actor Peter Graves who played the pilot was scared to death he would get arrested for that scene. He actually feared that when the director said cut, he would be arrested. He was humiliated by the scene. He didnt want to attend the screening. He was afraid the audience would be horrified and that his career would be over. He couldn't believe the laughs it got from the audience. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

I knew I’d found gold on my first date with my now husband because of this movie. It was the day Leslie Neilson (who played the doctor) died. All day people were saying he died and id say “surely you can’t be serious” and they all answered, “ yeah, I am”. It was very frustrating. Then I went on my date. He said, “did you hear Leslie Neilson died?” I responded, “surely you can’t be serious,” and he said, “I am serious, and don’t call me Shirley.” I was in love. 😍😍

You are such a complete joy to watch, especially with comedies. Amazing.

Hi Miranda! The movie "Airplane" was based on an actual dramatic movie called "Zero Hour." It was from the 1950s, and in some parts of Airplane copies Zero Hour word for word, so much so that the producers bought the rights to Zero Hour so they could use it in their movie. PS. Watch the credits to the end. You'll find out what happened to the guy in the taxi.

The actor playing the doctor, Leslie Nielsen, had been in serious roles since the 1950's and this was his first comedic role. He proved so popular that got his own show (Police Squad that lasted for 6 episodes) and later a movie inspired by the show, The Naked Gun that came out in 1988. Since then till his death (in 2010) he became a comedy icon known for his dry delivery of the most random and outrageous things and the guy is genuinely funny. Do watch The Naked Gun (the first one is the best but 2 and 3 are funny too). It's by the same team who made airplane so if you loved that movie, you'll love The Naked Gun. Another film by the Zucker brothers that is as good as airplane and the naked gun is the 1984 Top Secret starring Val Kilmer in his first role. Joke for joke, Top Secret might be their best movie.

I consider the "Air Israel" bit to be one of the best visual gags in movie history.

If you do watch this again, be sure to pay attention to the end credits... there's a lot of humor thrown in there too. Enjoying your reactions!

The people doing the airport announcements ("The White Zone is for loading and unloading only..") were actual airport announcers and actually married! The guy stuck in the taxi at the beginning of the movie (and after the credits finish rolling) was a local politician at the time. Speaking of credits, be sure to read them because they are hilarious too!

This movie works so well in part because they populated it with several leading actors, including Leslie Nielsen, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves. All were known for serious movie and tv roles and played everything perfectly straight, placing their well known dramatic personas into absurd situations.

"I feel like this humor is gonna be really smart....." WELLLLLL Haha

I’ve seen this movie many times in life. One thing I’ve never noticed was the reporter holding an ice cream cone. Thanks for pointing that out, it was hilarious😂.

One of the best Airplane! reactions I've seen. Most younger reacters don't get most of the humor (and take some of it WAY too seriously; some even try to follow the "plot"). You just went with the silliness, as intended!

Great reaction, Miranda! 👍 *A little obscure trivia:* The guy sitting in the taxi was Howard Jarvis. From Wiki: "Howard Arnold Jarvis was an American businessman, lobbyist, and politician. He was a tax policy activist responsible for passage of California's Proposition 13 in 1978." At the time, he was well-known in California but probably not as much so in the rest of the USA. The joke in the movie is that he was for fiscal responsibility in government but he sat passively in the taxi letting the fare get larger and larger. Even at the time, I think a lot of people didn't get the joke or recognize Jarvis. BTW, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association still exists. Cheers! 🙂

In the bar scene he says he’s in the Air Force, but he’s wearing Navy whites. Everyone misses the prop engine sounds on a jetliner. Also the little sick girl played Captain Stubing’s daughter on the Love Boat.

My fav line is very subtle and could easily be missed. In the airport, Capt Over gets a phone call and when they call him over the intercom, they tell him to pick up the white courtesy phone. He picks up a different color phone and the recording on the phone says, “no, the white phone”. I don’t know why but that gets me every time. Also, you should watch Airplane 2. It’s not quite as funny but there are some cast members that come back, notably Ted & Elaine. There are funny new characters too. It’s the same humor, one joke after another. I think you’d like it, it’s a good laugh.

Johnny - the off-the-wall guy on the ground - was, if I remember right, the only guy who wasn't told to act it as straight as possible. And on top of that, given fairly free reign to improv a bunch of his scenes. He's one of my favorite characters by far :D

I'm so glad you enjoyed this. If you want to continue the madness from the same minds that brought you this I highly recommend the Naked Gun series of movies.

When I saw this movie in the theater, I actually had to go out into the lobby area so that I would stop laughing and could catch my breath. Still my favorite comedy of all time.

One of the funniest things about this movie is something that is now lost to time. Many of the older actors in this movie had only ever known for dramatic movies. So seeing them in not just a comedy, but such a goofball comedy was hilarious.

I've rewatched this movie hundreds of times over forty years. Just imagine watching in the theater with everyone laughing. So many jokes were missed because of all the laughing.

I saw this film for the first time during the eighties (yes I am old). And even having seen it dozens of times, I NEVER noticed that ice cream cone among all the mics 😂😂😂 Absolute masterpiece of a film. The intelligence of the humor at times, and the timing and delivery of them is perfect. Leslie Nielsen is a legend 👍

I had SO MUCH FUN watching you enjoy this timeless comedy masterpiece! It was like watching it again for the first time.

"That was NOT what I was expecting".......heard that early on and thought "Oh my, buckle up cause it's gonna get wild" lol

Fun fact: the actress who was slapped many times suggested to the director more then one person, she mentioned the line. The director loved it and recordered the scene. I just found your channel. Love from Brazil.

The woman that spoke “jive” was Barbra Billingsly from “Leave It to Beaver” where she played basically the perfect Mom/Wife. Another movie similar to this is The Naked Gun… It will have you laughing hysterically as well!!!

When Kramer steps through the mirror, I think it's one of the most underrated jokes of all-time. :D

It's always fun seeing people discover these classics and react to them. This still makes me cry laugh today.

Your laughter is infectious! Today has been a particularly bad day for me, and you brightened my day ! Thank you. I knew I could count on you!

Hi Miranda, So glad you enjoyed this! It is definitely not "PC" today, a product of its time, but HILARIOUS! On your next rewatch (and you are right, you will want to do several to catch even more of the humor), be sure to watch to the very end. As I recall, this is one of the earliest movies to use a post-credits clip, possibly the first one, and it is well worth it! You should even pay attention to the text in the credits! Some real zingers in there!

Another thing about Airplane! is that unlike most comedies, they didn't want the lines delivered in a "jokey" manner, they were played "straight" (which makes the goofy humor even more incongruous), and hired a bunch of actors previously known for "serious" roles (such as Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, and Leslie Nielsen).

Here’s one very old reference that a lot of younger watchers might not get. The speech near the end, when the Doctor inspires Ted to go land plane, is a parody of an actual event that was made even more famous in a movie, “Knute Rockne, All American.” Rockne was the famous coach of Notre Dame’s historic football team. They had a star athlete, George Gipp, who later on his deathbed at 25 gave that speech to Rockne (“Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."). Rockne made that speech to the team at halftime of a crucial game a few years later and they won. That moment was made famous in the movie I mentioned above, and the music under the scene is the Notre Dame fight song, that goes from inspirational and swells to glorious. The guilt over the death of a pilot named George Zipp is a joke that takes the whole movie to pay off!

Bee Gees is indeed the name of the group who sung Stayin Alive. The scene with the song i think was inspired by the movie Saturday Night Fever staring a young John Travolta and used many of The Bee Gees hits.

Since you liked this, I bet you'll like "What's Up Doc" with Barbara Streisand and Ryan O'Neil. Completely different type of movie, but also with broad slapstick humor.

Mel Brooks ' "Blazing Saddles" is hilarious. it's rated R and is intentionally offensive and probably could not be made today but when I saw it back in 1974 I considered it to be the funniest movie I ever saw until "Airplane!" came along in 1980.

Stephen Stucker, who played Johnny, was a terrific comedic actor and an activist for the LGBTQ community during a very difficult time. He passed from complications due to AIDS at the age of 38. RIP, dear Stephen, and thank you for all you did for us.

I am 51 years old. I loved this movie when I was a kid. And for you to get all the jokes makes me smile! You are precious! Keep doing what you’re doing girl! And like Ernesto….. I can’t believe you knew who Ethel Merman was! That’s awesome.

I am so glad you reacted to this! It is considered by many to be the top comedy of all time. The way they pulled off the perfect deliveries was a genius idea: Almost all of the actors are dramatic heavy actors! That allowed them to deliver absolutely silly lines in silly situations with the utmost seriousness. Leslie Neilson (The Doctor) was so perfect at it it launched an entire career in comedy for him. The only traditional comedic stuff comes from the character of Johnny (Played by comedian Stephen Stucker) who was allowed to ad lib most of his lines, because he was long time friends with the writers/producers, and they knew that if they just set him up to interact at certain timings, his improv would be pure gold.

The layers of jokes on the movie are second to none!

Rumack: Captain, how soon can you land? Captain Oveur: I can't tell. Rumack: You can tell me. I'm a doctor. Captain Oveur: No. I mean I'm just not sure. Rumack: Well, can't you take a guess? Captain Oveur: Well, not for another two hours. Rumack: You can't take a guess for another two hours? that bit never ceases to make me laugh. Leslie Neilsen is/was the king of deadpan delivery.

Congratulations on finally watching one of the greatest comedic masterpieces of all time. The actors were confused about what kind of movie they were making. Robert Stack has since commented that after reading the screenplay he felt that these guys have no idea what they're doing or they're geniuses. This film has stood the test of time and any rewatching is very rewarding. Thank you for making my afternoon better.

Thank you, Miranda! This is easily one of the funniest reactions to this film that I've ever seen! 🤣 Most reactors of your generation don't get half of the jokes that you did (said the grouchy old man). Well done! 👍👍

One of the greatest comedy movies of all time, just non-stop sight gags and slapstick comedy, definitely worth a re-watch or two to see everything.

Leslie Nielsen had a very serious career years ago. 2 of my favorite rolls of his was the Captain of "The Posieden Adventure" and The Captain in "Forbidden Planet". Also, the beach scene was from "From here to eternity".

That kid’s expression at 9:33 cracks me up no matter how many times I watch it. 😂

This is legitimately the funniest movie I've ever seen! EVERY SINGLE JOKE makes me cackle.

This movie sparked the birth of one of the greatest comedians of all time, Danish-Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen (the doctor). He never achieved huge success in his acting career, despite being in movies and tv shows with famous actors. But after this, at the mid 50s, he became the hottest comedian in Hollywood.

"You ever seen a grown man naked" the actor thought he was going to be arrested for that joke.