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The Naked Gun: From the Files
of Police Squad! (1988)
In co-directors Zucker, Abrahams, and Proft's gag-filled
slapstick comedy - the first in a trilogy of films, with many insanely
silly scenes and dead-panned jokes:
- the opening pre-credits sequence - all the most-feared
enemies of the US were seated at one conference table and plotting
to destroy America -- Muammar al-Qaddafi, Yasser Arafat, Ayatollah
Khomeini, Idi Amin, and Russian leader Gorbachev; Lt. Frank Drebin
(Leslie Nielsen), disguised as a tea-server, single-handedly fought
off all of them, and then introduced himself: "I'm Lieutenant
Frank Drebin, Police Squad. And don't ever let me catch you guys
in America!"
Opening Pre-Credits Scene: Introduction of Lt.
Frank Drebin
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All US Terrorist Enemies at Same Table
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Drebin Disguised as Tea-Server Fighting Off Terrorists
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Introducing Himself
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- during the title credits, the view of a speeding
LA cop car (shot behind the revolving cherry-top) down nighttime
streets, into a carwash, and then barreling into a house - and
a shower with naked women - and then down a rollercoaster before
coming to a stop in front of a donut shop
- the scene of Detective Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) - on
the receiving end of very bad luck while attempting to bust a heroin
drug operation at the docks led by shipping magnate Vincent Ludwig
(Ricardo Montalban): Nordberg was shot multiple times, bumped his
head, burned his hand on a hot stove, stumbled into a door with 'wet
paint', smashed his hand in a closing window, dove face-first into
a frosted cake, stepped into a bear trap, and fell overboard
- the hospital scene of Drebin's visit to see badly-wounded
partner Detective Nordberg in his hospital room - and causing his
bed to fold up on him by sitting on the bed controls, and making
insensitive and blunt comments to his wife Wilma (Susan Beaublan):
("And I wouldn't wait until the last minute to fill out those
organ donor cards. What I'm trying to say is, as soon as Nordberg
is better, he's welcome back at Police Squad. Unless he's a drooling
vegetable, but that's only common sense")
- the press conference scene in Los Angeles of Lt. Frank
Drebin of the Police Squad being honored for taking care of security
for the visiting Queen Elizabeth II of England on a goodwill tour
- but when he stepped away from the microphone, he forget to disconnect
his remote mike, and was overheard taking a long pee in the men's
room - to the shock and disgust of the Mayor
- the scene of hapless LA crimefighter and detective-lawman
Lt. Frank Drebin's commandeering of a driving-school vehicle with
an unflappable and calm Teen Driving School Instructor (John Houseman):
("It's okay. Normally you would not be going 65 down the wrong
way of a one-way street. Apply the brakes. Now, put it in reverse..")
- the first encounter of Drebin with Jane Spencer (Priscilla
Presley), Ludwig's ex-girlfriend and assistant - and his comments
about her after she descended (and fell down) a flight of stairs: "Her
hair was the color of gold in old paintings. She had a full set of
curves and the kind of legs you'd like to suck on for a day. She
was giving me a look I could feel in my hip pocket"; when she
climbed up a ladder, he delivered the famous double-entendre one-liner "Nice
beaver" as he looked up her dress - to which a stuffed beaver
was produced and her response: "Thank you...I just had it stuffed"
- the scene of Drebin on his first date with Jane, when
he found her in the kitchen, asking: "I'm boiling a roast. How
hot and wet do you like it?" - he responded: "Very hot
and awfully wet"; during a romantic dinner in front of a fireplace,
he described the dating scene with an earlier lost love: (Frank: "It's
the same old story. Boy finds girl. Boy loses girl. Girl finds boy.
Boy forgets girl. Boy remembers girl. Girl dies in a tragic blimp
accident over the Orange Bowl on New Year's Day" Jane:
"Goodyear?" Frank: "No, the worst" ) - she kissed
him out of sympathy, and then they had "safe sex" together
- both wore complete body condoms
Classic Scenes
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"Nice beaver"
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"How hot and wet do you like it?"
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"Safe Sex"
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- the destructive scene of Drebin's complete trashing
of business tycoon Ludwig's office-apartment of priceless art objects
and treasures
- also the slapstick scene in which Drebin slid across
the table and landed, embarrassingly, on the visiting look-alike
Queen Elizabeth II of England
- the scenes at the ballgame with Drebin's awkward singing
of the national anthem (butchered) while impersonating opera tenor-singer
Enrico Pallazzo: ("Oh say can you see / By the dawn's early
light / What so proudly we hail / In the twilight's last gleaming?
/ Whose bright stripes and broad stars / In the perilous night /
For the ramparts we watched / uh, da-da-da-da-da-daaaa. / And the
rocket's red glare / Lots of bombs in the air / Gave proof to the
night / That we still had our flag. / Oh say does that flag banner
wave / Over a-a-all that's free / And the home of the land / And
the land of the - FREE!")
- and Drebin -- wearing a live police wire while going
to the bathroom -- was overheard over the stadium loudspeakers at
a speech given by flustered Mayor Barkley (Nancy Marchand)
- and Drebin's undercover role as the home plate umpire:
"Steeerikkke!" and his dance around the plate with funky
moves, in an attempt to circumvent a 'programmed' Reggie Jackson from
assassinating the Queen
Anaheim Stadium Ball Game:
Seattle Mariners vs. California Angels
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Drebin Singing National Anthem
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Impersonating Home Plate Umpire
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Drebin's "Power of Love" Speech to a
Hypnotized Jane (with Gun)
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Nordberg Sent Flying Down Stadium Steps
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- Drebin's smaltzy "Power of Love" speech
to a hypnotized Jane (as she held a gun on him); his words were
broadcast on the Jumbotron as he professed his love to her, asked
for her engagement, and attempted to break her homicidal spell: "Jane,
it's me, Funny-face. You love Frank Drebin. And Frank Drebin loves
you. Jane, listen to me. If you don't love me, you might as well
pull that trigger, because without you, l wouldn't want to live
anyway. l've finally found someone l can love - a good, clean love
- without utensils...lt's a topsy-turvy world, Jane, and maybe
the problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans, but
this is our hill and these are our beans. Jane, since l met you,
l've noticed things l never knew where there - birds singing, dew
glistening on a newly-formed leaf, stop lights...Jane, this morning...
l bought something for you. lt's not very much, but pretty good
for an honest policeman's salary. lt's an engagement ring. I would
have given it to you earlier, but l wanted to wait until we were
alone....l love you, Jane" - she melted at his words, dropped
her gun, and embraced him for a kiss
- and in the conclusion, the visual joke at the top
of the stadium when wheel-chaired, recuperating partner Nordberg
was slapped on the back by Frank and was sent helplessly down the
aisle of the stadium steps and flipped 360 degrees to the ballfield
below as Jane gushed to Frank: "Everyone should have a friend
like you!"
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Title Credits: LA Cop Car Busting into House and Shower
Injury-Prone Det. Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) During Heroin
Drug Bust
Nordberg's Hospital Scene
Insensitive Comments to Nordberg's Wife
Press Conference During Drebin's Long Pee
Lt. Drebin's Pursuit in Driving School Car
First View of Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley)
Trashing of Ludwig's Apt.
Landing On the Queen of England
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