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Airplane!’s Creators Reveal the Origins of ‘Don’t Call Me Shirley’
VultureStory by Unknown
scrn logline
The iconic 'Don't call me Shirley' line from 'Airplane!' nearly didn't make the cut, until the creators revealed its hilarious backstory.
beat sheet
- Leslie Nielsen improvised the 'Don't call me Shirley' line on set, saving the scene from being scrapped due to a lack of laughs.
- The Zucker brothers and Jim Abrahams initially dismissed the line as too silly, until they realized it perfectly captured the absurdist spirit of the film's 100 jokes-per-minute pace.
call sheet
Leslie Nielsen, Jerry Zucker, David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Airplane!