Leslie Nielsen

Leslie William Nielsen OC (February 11, 1926 – November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor, comedian and producer. He appeared in more than 100 films and 150 television programs, portraying more than 220 characters. He was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. He enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force and later worked as a disc jockey before receiving a scholarship to study theatre at the Neighborhood Playhouse. He made his acting debut in 1950, appearing in 46 live television programs a year. Nielsen made his film debut in 1956, with supporting roles in several drama, Western, and romance films produced between the 1950s and the 1970s.

He made his film debut in Ransom! (1956), with Glenn Ford and Donna Reed. Other notable films during this time include Michael Curtiz‘s The Vagabond King (1956), with Kathryn Grayson, Oreste Kirkop, Rita Moreno, Cedric Hardwicke, and Walter Hampden; Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), with Debbie Reynolds and Walter Brennan; George Marshall‘s The Sheepman (1958), with Ford, Shirley MacLaine, and Slim Pickens; The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), with Don Knotts; Counterpoint (1967), with Charlton Heston, Maximilian Schell, and Kathryn Hays; and How to Commit Marriage (1969), with Bob Hope and Jackie Gleason.

Although his notable performances in the films Forbidden Planet (1956) and Ronald Neame‘s The Poseidon Adventure (1972), with Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Jack Albertson, Shelley Winters, and Red Buttons; gave him standing as a serious actor, Nielsen later gained enduring recognition for his deadpan comedy roles during the 1980s, after being cast against type for the Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker comedy film Airplane! (1980), with Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Lorna Patterson.

In his comedy roles, Nielsen specialized in portraying characters oblivious to and complicit in their absurd surroundings. Nielsen’s performance in Airplane! marked his turning point, which made him “the Olivier of spoofs” according to film critic Roger Ebert, and leading to further success in the genre with The Naked Gun film series (with Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O.J. Simpson), based on the earlier short-lived television series Police Squad!, in which Nielsen also starred. Nielsen received a variety of awards and was inducted into the Canada’s Walk of Fame and Hollywood Walk of Fame. He also appeared in the TV special Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (1995), with Robert Downey Jr. and Stockard Channing.

Each review will be linked to the title below.

(*seen originally in theaters)

(*seen rereleased in theaters)

The Battle of Gettysburg (1955) – directed by Herman Hoffman – narrator – documentary short
Ransom! (1956) – directed by Alex Segal
Forbidden Planet (1956) – directed by Fred M. Wilcox
The Vagabond King (1956) – directed by Michael Curtiz
The Opposite Sex (1956) – directed by David Miller
Hot Summer Night (1957) – directed by David Friedkin
Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) – directed by Joseph Pevney
The Sheepman (1958) – directed by George Marshall
Night Train to Paris (1964) – directed by Robert Douglas
See How They Run (1964) – directed by
David Lowell Rich – TV movie
Harlow (1965) – directed by Gordon Douglas
Dark Intruder (1965) – directed by Harvey Hart
The Plainsman (1966) – directed by David Lowell Rich
Beau Geste (1966) – directed by Douglas Heyes
Code Name: Heraclitus (1967) – directed by James Goldstone
Gunfight in Abilene (1967) – directed by William Hale
The Reluctant Astronaut (1967) – directed by Edward Montagne
Counterpoint (1967) – directed by
Ralph Nelson
Rosie! (1967) – directed by David Lowell Rich
How to Steal the World (1968) – directed by Sutton Roley
Dayton’s Devils (1968) – directed by Jack Shea
Companions in Nightmare (1968) – directed by Norman Lloyd
Deadlock (1969) – directed by Lamont Johnson – TV movie pilot
Trial Run (1969) – directed by William Graham – TV movie
How to Commit Marriage (1969) – directed by Norman Panama
Change of Mind (1969) – directed by
Robert Stevens
Four Rode Out (1970) – directed by John Peyser
Night Slaves (1970) – directed by Ted Post – TV movie
The Aquarians (1970) – directed by Don McDougall – TV movie
Hauser’s Memory (1970) – directed by Boris Sagal – TV movie
Incident in San Francisco (1971) – directed by Don Medford – TV movie
The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (1971) – directed by Bob Wynn
They Call It Murder (1971) – directed by Walter Grauman – TV movie
The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – directed by Ronald Neame
Snatched (1973) – directed by Sutton Roley – TV movie
Amanda Fallon (1973) – directed by Jack Laird – TV movie
The Return of Charlie Chan (1973) – directed by Daryl Duke – TV movie
…And Millions Will Die! (1973) – directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Can Ellen Be Saved (1975) – directed by Harvey Hart
Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience (1975) – directed by Paul Marlow – narrator – documentary
Brinks: The Great Robbery (1976) – directed by Marvin J. Chomsky
Project Kill (1976) – directed by William Girdler
Grand Jury (1976) – directed by Christopher Cain
The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977) – directed by John Landis – uncredited cameo
Day of the Animals (1977) – directed by William Girdler
Viva Knievel! (1977) – directed by Gordon Douglas
The Amsterdam Kill (1977) – directed by Robert Clouse
Sixth and Main (1977) – directed by Christopher Cain
Little Mo (1978) – directed by Daniel Haller – TV movie
The Mad Trapper (1978) – directed by Harvey Hart – unfinished
The Albertans (1979) – directed by Ron Weyman – TV movie
Institute for Revenge (1979) – directed by Ken Annakin – TV movie
Riel (1979) – directed by George Bloomfield – TV movie
City on Fire (1979) – directed by Alvin Rakoff
OHMS (1980) – directed by Dick Lowry – TV movie
Airplane! (1980)** – directed by Jim Abrams, David Zucker, & Jerry Zucker
Prom Night (1980) – directed by Paul Lynch
A Choice of Two (1981) – directed by John Howe
Murder Among Friends (1982) – directed by David Greene – TV movie
Creepshow (1982) – directed by George A. Romero
Wrong Is Right (1982) – directed by Richard Brooks
Foxfire Light (1982) – directed by Allen Baron
The Night the Bridge Fell Down (1983) – directed by Georg Fenady – TV movie
Cave-In! – directed by Georg Fenady – TV movie
The Creature Wasn’t Nice (1983) – directed by Bruce Kimmel – aka Spaceship
Blade in Hong Kong (1985) – directed by Reza Badiy – TV movie
Striker’s Mountain (1985) – directed by Alan Simmonds
Reckless Disregard (1986) – directed by Harvey Hart
The Patriot (1986) – directed by Frank Harris
Soul Man (1986) – directed by Steve Miner
Nightstick (1987) – directed by Joseph L. Scanlan – TV movie
Home Is Where the Hart Is (1987) – directed by Rex Bromfield
Nuts (1987) – directed by Martin Ritt
Dangerous Curves (1988) – directed by David Lewis
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988) – directed by David Zucker
Repossessed (1990) – directed by Bob Logan
The Naked Gun 21⁄2: The Smell of Fear (1991) – directed by David Zucker
All I Want for Christmas (1991) – directed by Robert Lieberman
Chance of a Lifetime (1991) – directed by Jonathan Sanger – TV movie
Surf Ninjas (1993) – directed by Neal Israel
Digger (1993) – directed by Rob Turner
Naked Gun 331⁄3: The Final Insult (1994) – directed by Peter Segal
S.P.Q.R.: 2,000 and a Half Years Ago (1994) – directed by Carlo Vanzina aka S.P.Q.R. – 2000 e ½ anni fa – Italy
Rent-a-Kid (1995) – directed by Fred Gerber
Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (1995) – Jon Stone – TV special
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) – directed by Mel Brooks
Harvey (1996) – directed by George Schaefer – TV movie
Spy Hard (1996) – directed by Rick Friedberg
Family Plan (1997) – directed by Fred Gerber
Mr. Magoo (1997)* – directed by Stanley Tong
Safety Patrol (1998) – directed by Savage Steve Holland – TV movie
Wrongfully Accused (1998) – directed by Pat Proft
Santa Who? (2000) – directed by William Dear – TV movie
2001: A Space Travesty (2000) – directed by Allan A. Goldstein
Camouflage (2001) – directed by James Keach
Kevin of the North (2001) – directed by Bob Spiers
Men with Brooms (2002) – directed by Paul Gross
Scary Movie 3 (2003) – directed by David Zucker
Scary Movie 4 (2006) – directed by David Zucker
Music Within (2007) – directed by Steven Sawalich
Superhero Movie (2008) – directed by Craig Mazin
An American Carol (2008) – directed by David Zucker
Slap Shot 3: The Junior League (2008) – directed by Richard Martin
Stan Helsing (2009) – directed by Bo Zenga
Spanish Movie (2009) – directed by Javier Ruiz Caldera
Stonerville (2011) – directed by Bill Corcoran – posthumously released

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