The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!

Plot synopsis:
Lieutenant Frank Drebin, taking a vacation in Beirut, disrupts a conference of America's greatest enemies (Idi Amin, Muammar Gaddafi, Khomeini, Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro and Mikhail Gorbachev) who are trying to conceive a terrorist plan to humiliate the US. In Los Angeles, Officer Nordberg attempts to bust a heroin drug operation at the docks organized by dock's owner Vincent Ludwig, and is shot by Ludwig's henchmen. After being briefed on the case by his boss, Captain Ed Hocken, Police Squad Lieutenant Drebin visits Nordberg in the hospital. Nordberg provides cryptic clues, including a picture of Ludwig's ship on which the deal had been organized. Frank meets with police scientist Ted Olsen, who has invented a cufflink that shoots a tranquilizer dart. Frank learns through Ted that Nordberg's jacket tested positive for heroin. Police Squad is in charge of security for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II to Los Angeles, and Ed tells Frank that he has 24 hours to clear Nordberg before word gets out about what happened and detracts from the queen's visit.
When Frank visits Ludwig in his office, Ludwig learns that Nordberg is still alive. Ludwig has his assistant, Jane Spencer, assist Frank in his investigation, and the two fall in love. However, Jane is unaware of her employer's illegal activities. After Frank leaves the office, Ludwig meets with Pahpshmir, a participant of the Beirut meeting, to discuss an assassination plot against the queen. Ludwig agrees to do it for $20 million, with Pahpshmir wondering how he plans to pull it off. Ludwig explains that using a beeper he will create the assassin using post-hypnotic suggestion. Ludwig unsuccessfully attempts to have Nordberg killed at the hospital; while the hypnotized doctor escapes Frank, he accidentally ends up riding a ballistic missile into a fireworks store, leaving the assassination motive unknown.
Frank enters Ludwig's office in his absence, searching for evidence. Although Frank finds a note from Pahpshmir addressed to Ludwig which confirms his suspicions, he inadvertently starts a fire that destroys the note and the office. Frank later has a run-in with one of Ludwig's henchmen at his factory in a stockyard, and after that confronts Ludwig with his allegations at a reception for the Queen's arrival. Frank misinterprets Ludwig's presentation of a musket to the Queen as an attack and tries to protect her, but only causes more of a problem and is fired from Police Squad. Afterward, Jane finds out about the plot and tells Frank that the plan will be executed at a baseball game between the Seattle Mariners and the California Angels at Anaheim Stadium during the seventh inning stretch and that one of the players will perform the act.
In order to search the players, Frank knocks the home plate umpire out with a baseball bat and takes his place, frisking the players for weapons while they are at bat. The seventh-inning stretch begins and Ludwig activates his 'sleeper', Reggie Jackson. Jane alerts Frank, who chases after Jackson and tackles him, but Jackson manages to get away when Frank's action starts a general riot between the two teams. Ludwig holds Jane at gunpoint as he begins to leave the stadium while Jackson takes aim at the Queen. Frank tries to incapacitate Jackson with one of his cufflink darts, but misses and hits a large woman on the upper deck. The woman falls over the railing and lands on Jackson, incapacitating him and saving the Queen's life.
Frank follows Ludwig to the top of the stadium and shoots Ludwig with the other cufflink dart, causing him to fall over the side of the stadium where he is struck by a passing bus, run over by a steamroller, and finally marched on by the USC marching band. Some of the band members inadvertently step on Ludwig's beeper, and Jane is hypnotized into killing Frank by using Ludwig's gun. Frank breaks Jane's hypnotized state by openly professing his feelings for her and giving her an engagement ring. Frank and Jane meet Mayor Barkley, who reinstates Frank back to Police Squad, and a recovered Nordberg congratulates him - until Frank inadvertently pushes Nordberg's wheelchair down the stadium's stairs.

Tags: comedy, murder, cult, absurd, humor, satire, comic, brainwashing, entertaining

Review:
I used to adore this sort of movie when I was a kid--"Airplane," "Top Secret," and the six-episode "Police Squad" show, which became the basis for the "Naked Gun" series, were among the funniest films I knew.
These included "Hot Shots," "Loaded Weapon 1," "Jane Austen's Mafia," "Spy Hard," "Wrongfully Accused," and "Scary Movie." These films would typically feature some funny stuff, but you'd walk away indifferently, wondering what the overall point was.
It works on every conceivable level and a few that haven't been conceived yet.But what puts it over the top is Leslie Nielsen.It's amazing: he was great in "Airplane!", another classic from the ZAZ team (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker), and in the lamentably short TV series "Police Squad!".
With jaw set square and tongue firmly in cheek, Neilsen makes the role of Lt. Frank Drebin all his own and the movie-going public's collective life is all the more enriched because of it.He's aided and abetted by greats like Kennedy, Presley and Montalban (who knew?) and the movie even finds good moments for John Houseman and Reggie Jackson.
As I said, the movie takes off and finds great things to do with police cars with a mind all their own and goes on from there to take on such cliches as car chases, illegal searches, the cleaning out of the desk, the trip to the police lab, shoot-outs, the lax housework of a single police detective, etc., etc., etc.....And what other cop movie in the history of the world has a music video in the middle, courtesy of Herman's Hermits?Just one.Ten stars and a Dugout Dog for "The Naked Gun", the film that answers once and for all - can Leslie Nielsen do comedy?I think you know the answer..
Also starring are Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, O.J. Simpson, and Ricardo Montalban.And to think that Leslie Nielsen started out in movies like "Forbidden Planet"!.
I suppose when it comes down to it,I am very easily entertained when it comes to comedy.It just doesn't take much to make me laugh.The makers of The Naked Gun did their job well.The film is so overloaded with sight gags,that if you blink,you just might miss one,or maybe even two of them.The slightest distractions will make you miss something.Some of the humor is vulgar and downright tasteless,but nonetheless funny.The final sequences involving the baseball game were the best.With the possible exception of O.J.Simpson,who was never good when he tried to act,this was a grand all around comedic effort,and comedy,as many have said,is hard to produce.I actually can recall the short lived television series that this film is based on.Only six episodes were produced,and it was a shame more were not made.I was glad to see it come roaring back on the big screen.Perhaps it belonged there all along..
As Frank falls for Ludwig's PA, the beautiful Jane Spencer, he uncovers proof of a dastardly plot by Ludwig  but who will believe him?If there is a man, woman or child on this earth who can say, hand on heart, that they just don't find Airplane, Naked Gun, Police Squad and the like funny then I would very much like to meet the sad sack just to discover what it takes to elicit a smile from them.
The support is all good but it is Nielsen doing his (now) time-honoured turn as spoof-master than steals the show.Overall I love this genre and consider this film (indeed the series) to be up there with Police Squad and Airplane.
"The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" is even better than "Spaceballs."Inept Lt. Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) of Police Squad returns from abroad to the news that his partner (O.J. Simpson, when he was still funny) has been shot.
Nielsen is the king of treating outrageous scripts like they are "The Ten Commandments." He has been in many bad comedies, but with the right script, few are better at making even the best jokes funnier than they already are.Also notable is Ricardo Montalban.
Whatever the outcome of the film, that doesn't stop me from considering Nielson a comedy genius.The Naked Gun:From the Files of Police Squad!
While it looks great, is wonderfully directed, brilliantly paced with seldom a dull moment and has energetic music and a fun story, it is the humour and acting that really makes this film so good.The dialogue is deliciously dry-witted, and the plentiful juvenile gags never cease to be hilarious.
is a fantastic comedy with a brilliant story,a great cast,brilliant characters and plenty of laughs all around from start to finish,and its no surprise since its from Jim Abrahams,David Zucker and Jerry Zucker,the people who brought us Airplane,and bought of these movies are some of my favourite movies of all time.And of course,this movie is all great because of Leslie Nielsen,a fantastic comedy actor who will always make me laugh,even movies hes starred in that I didn't like,for example,Superhero Movie,I did enjoy his parts.I was very excited when I first found out they were working on a fourth Naked Gun,but shortly after that Leslie Nielsen died,so because,there is no way,if they ever end up making one I wont see it,because Leslie Nielsen is the only man who can ever play Frank Drebin.Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) gets involved in a case involving a man who shot his friend Nordberg (O.J. Simpson),who is now planning to assassinate the Queen of England,who is visiting America..
He plays it dumb, with such flexibility, that you actually leave this slap-stick comedy with happiness.'The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!', is directed by David Zucker, a legend in his own right.
This one's a fast-paced slapstick comedy, that includes a lot of visual and verbal puns and gags, and chronicles the adventures of Nielsen's character, the bumbling police Lieutenant Frank Drebin.There are hilarious moments all through.
Man, Zucker really knows how to keep the laughs coming with his trademark brand of comedy that includes spoofing serious situations (whether or not they have appeared in actual movies) wordplay, sight gags and through the vehicle of Leslie Nielson- deadpan humor.No punches are pulled.
If you don't think that this movie is absolutely hilarious, then you don't know great comedy.Leslie Nielsen is one of the funniest actors of all time in my book.
His delivery of the most ridiculous lines with a completely straight face really sells the comedy.Leslie Nielsen plays Lt. Frank Drebin of Police Squad a special division of the police force.
This likable silly farce with numberless comedy set pieces deals about the Agent Frank Drebin (Leslie Nielsen) , he is assigned by Mayor (Nancy Marchand) to protect the Queen of England and thwart the plans of a cunning baddie (Ricardo Montalban) .
Along the way he must also act as security for the Queen of England who is making a visit, which allows for more hilarious antics from one of the most funny actors in Hollywood.Nielsen is supported by a great cast including Priscilla Presley as his love interest Jane Spencer (the scene where they have "safe sex" is perhaps one of the funniest scenes I have ever seen in a movie), Ricardo Montalban as the villainous Vincent Ludwig, George Kennedy as Drebin's kind-hearted superior Captain Ed Hocken, and Nancy Marchand who is terrific as the dismissive Mayor Barkley."The Naked Gun" is not just a straight-comedy, there are literally countless spoofs littered throughout the film, as well as plenty of remarks on society.
As Drebin's investigations continue he begins to suspect that respected industrialist Vincent Ludwig is connected to the plot and, against his superior's wishes he undertakes a lone crusade in order to prove his point.This is the best of the naked gun films and Leslie Neilsen's delivery is free from the over the top looks that so mark out his later turns in the role of Drebin, and the script unlike, the second film contains fewer references from the Police Squad series, with many good gags and memorable moments.
While I've outgrown a lot of slapstick movies that I liked a good few years back, I can still watch The Naked Gun and laugh, and I even get the jokes that went way over my head as a kid.The film is somewhat a movie remake of its predecessor "Police Squad!", it couldn't be simpler, and that's the way they want it.
The disaster parody insisted a little too much on the romantic subplot, without providing funny gags to carry them, it was all the more redundant that the two leads were actually the least interesting characters of the whole film.The obvious scene-stealer in "Airplane!" was Leslie Nielsen and it's only fitting that he finally got to star in a ZAZ film before becoming their mascot, reprising his role as lawman Frank Drebin from the short-lived cult-series "Police Squad" in 1982.
And this film is real tribute to his talent, supported by no-less deserving cast, such as Nancy Marchand as the Mayor, his friend Ed Hocken played by George Kennedy and Priscilla Presley as the villain's pretty secretary falling in love with his 'funny face'.
Let's just say that it's all about preventing the assassination of Queen Elizabeth, and that this plot only matters as a vehicle for non-stop gags, that take you from a (slightly) anti-Arab trip into Beirut to the usual staples of cop movies, starting with the unforgettable opening credits sequence, from the hilarious openina vertiginous impersonation of Harold Lloyd with the weirdest thing to hang on, a romantic montage to a climactic confrontation in a baseball stadium and a romantic declaration that make an Arab and a Jewish man have a hug, a gag that kind of redeems the opening scene.
Of course, the final scene provokes a superb final sight gag that might console those who have a hard time watching OJ Simpson in such a feel-good film, but let's just accept it as the only element that dates the film..And "The Naked Gun" isn't just a funny film, it's a film that is so daring and so obsessed by its mission to make us laugh that no minute is wasted, each one of them is full of say, one or two gags, and the rest is only quick set-ups.
This is a comedy-spoof from David and Jerry Zucker, a film based on the short-lived TV series, Police Squad, starring Leslie Nielson as Lt. Frank Drebin, where we get to see the blundering Los Angeles police detective attempting to protect the visiting Queen Elizabeth from an assassin.It's non-stop laughs from start to finish that will send tears to your eyes and have you holding your stomaches.
The plot elements from an earlier Zucker spoof also starring Nielseon, Airplane!, are in this movie: calm and serious characters delivering outrageous comedic lines and action; slapstick comedy like Jane Spencer (Priscilla Presley) falling down a flight of stairs and bumping into walls and Drebin getting bit by a $25,000 lion-fish; on-site gags like fences with automatic spray-paint to target graffiti vandals, stun guns coming out of cuff links, and Nielson harassing a concrete statue; and absurd, inside jokes.I first watched this film when I was a little kid and remembered it as being one of the funniest movies I've seen at that time, recalling such scenes as Drebin sending Queen Elizabeth flying across a table and the automatic piano in villain Vincent Ludwig's (Ricardo Montalban) office.With all the jokes, one-liners and gags in abundance, you wouldn't want to treat this movie seriously.
'The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!' is the first of Leslie Nielsen's hilarious Naked Gun trilogy, one that has stood the test of time and still makes me laugh out loud even after repeated viewings.
What started in 1977 with "Kentucky Fried Movie" continues again in "The Naked Gun," a film version of the TV series "Police Squad!" only this time detective/cop films are the culprit, seemingly perfect fodder for spoofing and the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker one-two punch of subtle literalist humor and preposterous gags.
The perfect mixture of slapstick jokes, satires of the classic cop movie, political jokes, and just plain silliness makes "The Naked Gun" a great comedy for all ages.Leslie Neilsen as Frank Dreben is the best and most memorable role of his career.
I can honestly say that I never laughed so hard before watching The Naked Gun.This is simply a masterpiece comedy,the greatest of all time along with the sequels.Trust me you will almost die from laughter.Leslie Nielsen is a comedy genius,an absolute one.This guy plays so well and looks so serious that when he does all the stupid things he does it looks like he's surprised just as much as the audience.Sheer brilliance to the max.
It is eventually revealed that Jane knows nothing about Ludwig's plot, and after the pair spend the night together, she helps Frank with his investigation.The laughs are more than you can count I can assure you.This spoof of cop movies is excellent watch it immediately.For me the three movies are the greatest comedies of all time..
Each was a little gem on its own, and would have worked well as those "old time" 2 Reelers Comedies once so popular at the theatre, featuring the likes of Laurel & Hardy, The Three Stooges, Edgar Kennedy, 'Joe McDoakes', Pete Smith, etc.Well, some joker with a position as an Executive at the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) TV Network pronounced the series as a candidate for the 'old Axe' because ".....you have to pay too much attention to the episodes on your TV.", or some such dribble.So away went "POLICE SQUAD" with Captain/Lieutennant/Sergeant Frank Drebbin(Leslie Nielsen), ne'er to be heard from again.
In 1988, the concept with Leslie Nielsen starring rose again as THE NAKED GUN: From The Files of Police Squad!( Paramount, 1988).
The manner in which this transition succeeds must largely be thanks to the lead actor Leslie Nielson who plays Lt. Frank Drebbin the unwittingly chaotic police officer.The storyline doesn't really matter (an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth II using mind control), it merely contextualises the Zucker and Abrahams format of incessant humour - indeed such is the barrage of jokes that one needs to watch it several times to get the often interwoven layers of slapstick, innuendo, smut, and wordplay on offer here.The aforementioned Nielson is cast superbly as the lead role as he was in Police Squad but unlike the TV series I believe the supporting cast in Naked Gun is better chosen.
It is a completely absurd comedy the likes of Airplane!, and anybody with a taste for hilarious parody will enjoy it.The plot of the movie is pretty good.
This is the first, and probably best installment of "The Naked Gun" trilogy, a MAD magazine parody of police shows and movies brought to life by the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker ("Airplane!") team.
and Rat Race (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, Jerry Zucker), here comes The Naked Gun, based on their short-lived TV series (Police Squad!).Leslie Nielsen is dunderheaded Lieutenant Frank Drebin, who is part of L.A.'s Police Squad.
Anybody who likes slapstick comedy will love this film.Silly spoof comedies seem to be more popular than ever now, but I can't think of any from the modern day that come close to 'The Naked Gun' and 'Airplane' films.
Leslie Nielsen is undeniably funny as police detective Frank Drebin, the incompetent but deadly serious hero of the film who must stop an assassination attempt on Queen Elizabeth, though the film's humor is really around the incidental moments occurring around the main story.
Leslie Nielsen as clumsy Frank Drebin was awesome and this was his best performance in a movie ever.
The film stars Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling police lieutenant Frank Drebin.
I didn't however see Nielsen's parody films which made him famous like The Naked Gun trilogy and Spy Hard.
I never thought I'd say or type this but, we have a great parody film on our hands.Starring: Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, Ricardo Montalbán, George Kennedy, O.
Incompetent Cop Frank Drebin (The late Leslie Nielsen) from Police Squad.
"The Naked Gun:From the Files of Police Squad!" is one of the most memorable spoofs ever made and it was certainly one of the funniest comedies made in the 1980's.
This morning I heard a really sad news, that Leslie Nielsen has passed away at the age of 84 to pneumonia.This man became known from a numerous spoof movies.He really was the master when it came to parodies.David Zucker's, Jim Abrahams' and Jerry Zucker's The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!
(1988) is one we all know.In it Leslie plays Detective Frank Drebin, the character we first saw in the short-lived Police Squad series (1982).Frank causes a lot of damage, but he also gets the criminals in the end.In the first movie Drebin tries to safe the Queen Elizabeth II from assassination.Frank's sweetheart is played by Priscilla Presley.George Kennedy is Ed Hocken.O.J. Simpson, when he was mainly known from football and acting, plays Nordberg.Ricardo Montalban is Vincent Ludwig.Jeannette Charles is the Queen.Ed Williams plays Ted Olsen.We also see 'Weird Al' Yankovic in the movie.And Dr. Joyce Brothers.The movie has lots of funny stuff that has made me laugh many times over the years.Take the baseball scene, for instance.So thanks for the laughs, Leslie!.
The only spoof movie I saw starring Leslie Nielsen before this one was "Spy Hard", and like so many others, I did not care much for it.
If you're into silly spoof movies and slapstick, and are generally not irked by raunchiness and/or tastelessness, I highly recommend "The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" for you!.
It's a classic.Leslie Nielsen delivers a great performance as the cop Frank Drebin.
Leslie Nielsen plays incompetent, senile Lieutenant Frank Drebin of Police Squad, who must stop a plot to assassinate the Queen of England on American soil.
I'm surprised that the Police Squad show was a failure back then.Still, this was great and Leslie Nielsen is just brilliant as Frank Drebin.