- Leslie Nielsen as Frank Drebin was a comedy masterclass
- Liam Neeson set to play the role as his son in reboot
- Re-watch some of Drebin’s greatest Naked Gun moments
Rapid-fire jokes, slapstick brilliance, and Leslie Nielsen’s deadpan perfection – the Naked Gun franchise has all the ingredients for big belly laughs. Decades later, these films remain just as hilarious as ever.
With Liam Neeson set to star as Frank Drebin Jr. in The Naked Gun reboot, it’s the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane.
Read more: Trailer For New Naked Gun Movie Has Been Released
From Drebin’s clumsy crime-fighting to his genius one-liners, we’re revisiting ten of Nielsen’s most unforgettably funny moments.
Read more: Naked Gun: fans react to shocking O.J. Simpson joke
The late, great actor passed away in 2010 at the age of 84 due to complications from pneumonia. However, his place in comedy history is well cemented, and his legacy lives on. His comedy scenes are timeless, and fans still scour YouTube for a good laugh.
Drebin’s mic’d up toilet break
A memorable scene from the first installment, 1988’s The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, comes when Lieutenant Drebin forgets to remove his lapel microphone before visiting the toilet. As a result, his extraordinarily long pee, sighs, groans and flatulence are broadcast to a conference room.
Nice Beaver
A two-word joke delivered perfectly by Nielsen in the first film. Drebin is standing at the foot of a ladder while Priscilla Presley’s Jane Spencer ascends it. Seemingly looking up her skirt, Drebin remarks, “Nice beaver,” before Spencer hands him a taxidermied beaver and says, “Thank you, I’ve just had it stuffed.”
Anybody catch the license plate?
Yet another memorable moment from the 1988 classic. Drebin pulls up outside the police station, crashing into trash cans. The impact causes the car’s airbags to inflate, but Drebin manages to squeeze out of the vehicle. As the airbags continue to inflate, they knock the gear shift out of park, causing the car to roll uncontrollably down the street. Believing someone else is recklessly driving, Drebin fires at the car with his gun and shouts, “Anybody catch the license plate? Anybody get a look at the driver?”
Drebin’s Blues
In the 1991 sequel The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, Drebin visits the most depressing blues bar, The Blue Note. The walls are adorned with grim images of the San Francisco Earthquake, the Hindenburg disaster, and the Titanic sinking, while a lounge singer croons, “Wish I was dead, hope you do too.” After asking the waiter for something strong, Drebin rejects an oiled-up bodybuilder in favor of a Black Russian. The waiter then breaks the fourth wall, reassuring fans that he won’t be inserting a gag there.
Sex, Frank?
Another memorable scene from the second movie features Drebin, Captain Ed Hocken (played by the great George Kennedy), and Detective Nordberg (O.J. Simpson) reminiscing about past boxers. Their names reference different U.S. cities that have no connection to where the boxers are actually from, creating a hilariously absurd exchange. The moment peaks when Hocken asks Drebin, “Sex, Frank?” in response to Drebin wondering why the suspect was at the red-light district. Drebin dryly replies, “Not right now, we’ve got work to do.”
Snooky Wookums Dumpling Buns
In the final film of the trilogy, Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994), Drebin volunteers to go undercover in prison to befriend the infamous bomber Rocco Dillon. While inside, he writes a letter to his ex-wife, Jane explaining how much he misses her. The letter is narrated as a montage plays out. In the letter, he calls Jane his “snooky wookums dumpling buns,” and the montage includes a hilarious slapstick moment. Drebin recounts how a former girlfriend of his didn’t show up on their wedding day, but it’s revealed that she did – only Drebin opened the door in her face, knocking her off the edge of a cliff.
You’re All Woman
Also in the third movie, Drebin and Rocco escape from prison,and are picked up on the outside by Rocco’s mother, Muriel. At Rocco’s hideout, Drebin meets Rocco’s girlfriend, Tanya Peters (played by Anna Nicole Smith), for the first time. As he takes in her comically long legs, Drebin remarks, “You’re all woman, I can tell just by looking at you.” Rocco quickly calls him out, reminding Drebin that Tanya is his girlfriend. On the defensive, Drebin awkwardly backpedals, saying, “Errr, I was talking about your mother”, which ultimately ends in the Mother kissing him.
Back-And-Forth Bribery
Returning to the first film for a simple yet hilarious comedy sketch, Drebin finds himself engaged in a back-and-forth bribery with a man on the street whom he tracks down for information. The two take turns bribing each other and end up borrowing money to sweeten the deal.
Very Safe Sex
One evening, Drebin arrives back at his apartment to find Jane in full seduction mode. She slips off her dress to reveal herself naked, and Drebin follows suit, quickly pulling off his suit, shirt, and tie in one swift motion. “I want you to know, I practice safe sex,” Jane says. Drebin responds, “So do I.” The pair then become entangled in a passionate kiss, both covered head to toe in giant condoms. It’s a visual gag nobody would have seen coming.
Nothing To See Here
“Nothing to see here. Please disperse,” Drebin says nonchalantly to a group of onlookers, despite the chaos unfolding just behind him. The destruction is the result of a car chase, where Drebin pursues a man who collides with a truck carrying gas, then a military tank, and finally a fireworks factory, setting off a chain reaction of explosions.
