We were in the mood for silliness for our Saturday pizza and bad movie night. We got it.
Plot:
In Beirut (where else?) Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Ayatollah Khomeini, Yasser Arafat, and Mikhail Gorbachev (Prince Hughes, Robert LuJane, Charles Gherardi, David Katz, David Lloyd Austin), among others, sit around a conference table trying to come up with a scheme to humiliate the United States.
“They believe I’m a nice guy,” Gorbachev says.
The guy pouring hot tea attacks and subdues the group, throwing Idi Amin out the window. He knocks off Khomeini’s turban, revealing that Iran’s supreme leader wears an orange mohawk.
“Who are you?” someone off-camera asks while most of the perceived greatest enemies of the United States lie around the room, moaning.
“I’m Lieutenant Frank Drebin, Police Squad,” the vanquisher (Leslie Nielsen) says. “And don’t ever let me catch you guys in America.” He makes a grand exit then, slamming into a swinging door.
(So, Police Squad has jurisdiction in Beirut…?)
This sums up the spirit of the whole movie.
At the same time, Drebin’s partner and friend, Det. Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) investigates a heroin smuggling operation aboard a boat called I Love You. He’s shot repeatedly by a room full of bad’uns and tossed into the ocean. Later, while he’s recovering in the hospital, the viewer is told that, luckily, those shots missed every vital organ.
Frank questions the ship’s owner, the uber-wealthy Vincent Ludwig (Ricardo Montalbán), wreaks a little havoc, and falls for Ludwig’s gorgeous secretary, Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley).
The viewer later learns that Ludwig has perfected a technique for making trained assassins out of anyone by post-hypnotic suggestion invoked by a clicker—not some cool code word, but a clicker. This is important because Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain (Jeannette Charles) is coming to town and will attend a baseball game in Los Angeles. It will be the duty of the Police Squad to protect her.
What could go wrong?
Thoughts:
This is the first of now four movies made from a short-lived TV series, Police Squad, a parody of police procedures, that aired in 1982. The cops are incompetent but somehow always get their man. The film relies on slapstick, non sequitur dialogue, and juvenile sexual innuendo for humor. Mostly, it’s just silly.
When Frank visits Nordberg in the hospital, he finds him banged up and loaded with painkillers. Nordberg mumbles, “I Love You”—the name of the ship where he was attacked.
“I love you too,” Frank tells him.
Curt Gowdy, Jim Palmer, Tim McCarver, Mel Allen, Dick Enberg, and Dick Vitale appear as play-by-play as themselves as commentators along with Dr. Joyce Brothers. Other cameos include Reggie Jackson and Weird Al Yankovic.
The bad guy meets a fitting end. Without giving away the details, I’ll say it involves the USC Trojan marching band playing “Louie, Louie.”
This is not a film to watch if you’re in the mood for something deep or intellectual. If you don’t want to think for an hour or so, this is your movie.
And it serves to remind those of us who remember just how long ago 1988 was.
Leslie Nielsen was nominated for the 1989 Funniest Actor in a Motion Picture Award by the American Comedy Award. The movie was nominated for 1990 Best International Film by the Jupiter Awards (Germany).
I could not find this anywhere to stream for free without a subscription. According to Justwatch, it’s available from places like Max, Apple TV, and Amazon TV for rent or to buy.
Title: The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)
Directed by
David Zucker
Writing Credits (WGA)
Jerry Zucker…(written by) &
Jim Abrahams…(written by) &
David Zucker…(written by) &
Pat Proft…(written by)
Jim Abrahams…(television series: “Police Squad”)
&David Zucker…(television series “Police Squad”) &
Jerry Zucker…(television series “Police Squad”)
Cast (in credits order)
Leslie Nielsen…Lt. Frank Drebin
Priscilla Presley…Jane Spencer
Ricardo Montalban…Vincent Ludwig
George Kennedy…Capt. Ed Hocken
O.J. Simpson…Det. Nordberg
Released: 1988
Length: 1 hour, 25 minutes
Rated: PG-13
Reviews of Old and New Stories. Mostly Old 
I remember this movie. I thought it was hilarious but I was young back then. You are right, it isn’t really humor for adults. I wonder what I would think now. The fact that O.J. Simpson was in it probably wouldn’t help either.
Yeah, it was hilarious back in the day. O,J. Simpson spends most of his time on screen getting beaten up. That helps a little.
Yes you are right
I saw The Naked Gun a few times back in 1989/1990 when it was making the premium cable channels round. ZAZ humor is over-the-top…like that in Airplane!
Yes, it’s just goofy.
I remember watching a couple of these movies and laughing out loud at the silliness of it all. Like you say, If you want a couple of hours in which you don’t have to think . . . !
LOL. There are times when goofiness comes in handy.
I remember this movie. It was the year I graduated from high school. I don’t think I saw it, though.
Well, it’s not exactly a must see. It’s goofy.