On This Day: July 2, 1980 – Airplane! Premiered in Theaters | We Love the Eighties – 80s Radio, Forums, and Pop Culture Community

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Overview Discussion

Jul 2, 2025

Pete

Mr. Eighties

Pete has published a news story:

On This Day: July 2, 1980 – Airplane! Premiered in Theaters.

On this day July 2, 1980, Airplane! premiered in theaters and changed comedy forever. Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, this outrageous parody of disaster films delivered rapid fire jokes, deadpan delivery, and visual gags that caught audiences off guard.

The film starred Robert Hays as the nervous pilot Ted Striker and Julie Hagerty as stewardess Elaine. But it was the unexpected casting of dramatic actors like Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Robert Stack, and Peter...

Read the full story here...