farewell, goofy prince

Leslie Nielsen, 1926-2010
Talk about finding one's niche. While it's short-sighted to reduce a filmography that spans sixty years and 239 titles to performances in one sub-genre, it's also no crime to salute the all-time clown prince of spoof! Leslie carved out a long career on the fringes of movie stardom, then at 62, found himself one level of superness above star. He did sixteen spoofs, and the majority (including one with fellow spoofmaster Mel Brooks) were mildly to achingly unfunny. Not that his talent ever let him down...the love child of Larry Olivier and Lucille Ball couldn't have made REPOSSESSED a gem. But that was the other singular quality of his stardom - a success rate that would have buried others. Would Pacino have kept getting work if three quarters of his films were unwatchable? So here's to you, Leslie. This is your hill, and these are your beans.
ESSENTIAL FILMOGRAPHY
-FORBIDDEN PLANET, 1956
The oft-overlooked gem of his career, he played the stalwart space commander in the film that lifted sci fi out of comic strip silliness. He was there at the rebirth of two genres.
-TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR, 1957
He played a faintly bow-legged leading man in this Debbie Reynolds musical romance, which is thoroughly charming (and not just because we know where his career is heading).
-THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, 1972
Who among us would have wagered that the white-haired, short-lived captain who goes (upside) down with his ship had a brighter future than Pamela Sue Martin?
-M*A*S*H, "The Ringbanger", 1973
As Col. Buzz Brighton, he brightened one of the top fifteen M*A*S*H episodes of all time.
-DAY OF THE ANIMALS, 1977
A B movie so ridiculous it's wonderful. Ozone depletion causes all animals (including Leslie) to go savage! Keep those dewy hiker girls away from him! His performance is so sublime that when he half-nakedly attacks a grizzly, you're sure for a second that he's going to kick its ass.
-AIRPLANE!, 1980
Surely this aging B movie leading man can't do broad, deadpan comedy?
-CREEPSHOW, 1982
His segment isn't the best, but seeing a zombified Ted Danson come after him is too classic.
-POLICE SQUAD!, 1982
The most laughter-intense TV show ever. Cancelled after four episodes.
-NUTS, 1987
The most chilling role of his career, as a homicidal john attacking Barbra Streisand. His performance was so violent it scared Babs into fighting back less than she intended.
-THE NAKED GUN, 1988
Hey. It's Enrico Pallazzo.
-THE NAKED GUN 2 1/2, 1991
If you think they needn't have made the sequels, go back and watch the bar scene. I've been swimming in raw sewage. I love it.
-THE NAKED GUN 33 1/3, 1994
Do you have "Spartacus"?
-MEN WITH BROOMS, 2002
A non-spoof three-star comedy with heart.