LESLIE NIELSEN – “DEATHTRAP” – PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Many years ago, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Leslie Nielsen – the actor and comic rake. Leslie, is known to most by his nut ball, off the wall comedy films such as Dr. Rumack in “Airplane” (Don’t call me Shirley), “Naked Gun”, “Naked Gun 2 1/2″, “The Smell of Fear” ,”Police Squad”, ”Scary Movies 3,4,5″ (the later films as character Frank Drebin and so on.
However, Leslie was a fine dramatic actor prior to this run of screwy but financially successful films including the portrayal of over 220 characters. Perhaps his favorite live stage play is “Darrow” where he has played Clarence Darrow, the legendary lawyer.
One of my all-time favorite sci fi films is the 1954 “Forbidden Planet” starring Leslie, Walter Pidgeon and Anne Francis. The film was a giant step up – special effects wise – including animation by Disney that did not look like animation. The film was actually based loosely on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”. Of course, I didn’t know any of that as I was a kid. The movie is shot in spectacular color. The story, however, is the film’s ultimate strength. Do yourself a favor and rent it. It is still one of my most favorite films.
During my tenure as the artistic director for The Paramount Theatre for the Performing Arts in Austin, Texas, we began to produce plays for short tours in the Southwest. I decided to re-stage the Broadway smash hit “Deathtrap”. (The film starred Lawrence Olivier and Michael Caine). My casting director in LA floated several actors for the Lawrence Olivier part. Leslie Nielsen was one of them. He was perfect for the role being a consummate veteran actor who had worked in every medium. I couldn’t believe – 40+ years after I had seen “Forbidden Planet” – that I would be working with Leslie Nielsen – the lead in that film.
We had an absolute blast working together. Leslie has a wickedly funny side that most people had not really seen before. Now here’s the part about THE MACHINE.
Leslie is a golfer. So, while we were in Austin rehearsing the play, I took him to play golf at Onion Creek. The former general manager for the Paramount and six other film theatres in Austin was Charlie Root prior to my efforts to return the Paramount to a legit theatre. If you didn’t get to Charlie at the office by 11am he would be on the golf course – seven days a week. Charlie was a member at Onion Creek. He also invited legendary UT football coach, Daryl Royal along with a couple of other friends of his. After the round, we were in the locker room changing clothes and chewing the fat.
Suddenly, Leslie starts farting. The farting was funny enough. Put that together with 100 facial expressions that are in the same musical key as each fart and you have a comic riot. At some point, Daryl was on the edge of apoplexy saying to me, “Damn, he has a serious problem”. The locker room attendant was having an out of body experience. Everyone in the locker room was laughing, stumped and stunned all at once. Finally, Leslie shows us THE MACHINE. He had a device in the palm of one hand that is basically a “fart machine”. He played that device like Mozart played the piano – to wit a virtuoso prodigy. How he could get that many different fart sounds out of that simple device I will never know. I reached for it and he said, “Don’t touch it”. He was jacking with me. Have you ever seen a big time veteran actor with a rubber face (with style) screw himself up in to a variety of expressions? Now freeze that image and think about THE MACHINE with its unlimited tonal qualities.
After we finished the tour of “Deathtrap”, I kept in touch with Leslie and even visited him at his home on the top of a very high mountain in the LA area. He is the most self-effacing actor I’ve ever known. Leslie is also a gentleman through and through with a huge heart. I heard some time later that he was on David Letterman’s “Late Show”. He pulled this same gag on Letterman who had no idea what the hell was going on. I understand that Letterman was major pissed as he thought Leslie was a total jerk. Then he was let in on the gag. Some comedians can’t stand other comedians getting bigger laughs even on shows they host.
Leslie Nielsen – a kid living in a very remote area of Canada. His parents couldn’t get fresh vegetables and Leslie developed rickets. This caused him to be incredibly bow legged. This is same man who was the first love interest of Debbie Reynolds in the Tammy movies. The same man who was Captain Harrison in “The Poseidon Adventure and “Mash” and “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” and “The Wild Wild West” and much, much more. Check him on via Google.
He will be remembered, in my mind, as playing the ultimate character – THE MACHINE.
