Leslie Nielsen had been battling a staph infection and developed pneumonia, then died from complications brought on by the pneumonia.
R.I.P. Shirley
It is a sad day. I have always liked him and his movies. Most don’t remember his dramatic side on TV in the 1950s and ’60s, or his role as The Captain in The Poseidon Adventure. Shirley most will remember him as Dr. Rumack in Airplane!
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Then in 1982 there was a short-lived comedy series on television which would later give birth to the next stage of his career six years after it was canceled. The series was Police Squad!. As I said, it was short-lived. It lasted for just the original six episode order. In 1988 however it was reborn on the big screen in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!. His character was bumbling police detective Frank Drebin. The film spawned a couple of sequels, The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991) and The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)
Here is an episode of the Police Squad! television series. You will soon understand why it was canceled so soon.
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Here is the trailer for The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear
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My favorite movie that he starred in was 1995′s Dracula: Dead and Loving It. It helps of course that I love most of the cast of the film. He stars alongside: Mel Brooks, Harvey Korman, Steven Weber, and Amy Yasbeck. Also in the film as Renfield was Peter MacNicol in what I believe is his portrayal of one of the best characters ever! I managed to find the film in its entirety (in 10 parts) on YouTube, it is below and on the following pages.
:::grabs my throat and shakes it::: Enjo oo ooo ooo ooo oooy! (You will understand after watching the start of the film.)
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I met Mr. Nielsen in West Virginia. He loved coming to West Virginia to be with friends here. One of his closest friends introduced us and offered to take a photograph with the both of us. It has been well known that he loved to play tricks on people. I did not escape his jest. When we posed together, he put his arm around me. About the time to take the photo, I heard in my right ear a whoopy cushion sound. Nielsen had it in his right hand next to my ear. It startle me naturally. He and his friend got a big kick out of it.
He was a very good man. With all that fame and fortune, we was still very down to earth, but a star.
Hi Moses,
Thanks for sharing your story. It is great to hear from someone who actually met him. He certainly seemed to be a great man, and a definite comedic icon.
Gene