With the August 1 release of the new Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, fans are looking back at the outrageous original that started it all. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! debuted in 1988 and quickly became a cult comedy classic. Directed by David Zucker, the slapstick satire […]
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With the August 1 release of the new Naked Gun reboot starring Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson, fans are looking back at the outrageous original that started it all. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! debuted in 1988 and quickly became a cult comedy classic.
Directed by David Zucker, the slapstick satire starred Leslie Nielsen as bumbling detective Frank Drebin, a role that cemented him as a comedy icon after decades in dramatic films. Alongside him was Priscilla Presley, in her most famous post–Elvis role, playing Jane Spencer, Drebin’s love interest. The film was a spin-off of the short-lived but beloved TV series Police Squad! and carried the same rapid-fire gags, sight jokes, and absurd humor that defined Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker comedies like Airplane!
Despite modest expectations at the time, the movie was a box office success, grossing over $78 million and spawning two sequels: The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991) and The Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994). Nielsen’s deadpan delivery and Presley’s surprisingly sharp comedic timing helped solidify the franchise’s place in pop culture history.
More than 35 years later, The Naked Gun is back for a new generation. Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson add fresh star power—along with their off-screen romance—but the 1988 original still stands as a comedy landmark, proving that slapstick, satire, and unexpected casting never go out of style.
L’OFFICIEL looks back at some behind-the-scenes photos from the original The Naked Gun film.
