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Amnesia10
Legend
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 2:02 am Posts: 29240 Location: Guantanamo Bay (thanks bobbdobbs)
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11860014 |  |  |  | Quote: Veteran comic actor Leslie Nielsen, star of Airplane! and The Naked Gun, has died at the age of 84.
He died in hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he was being treated for pneumonia, his agent John S Kelly said.
Canadian-born Nielsen started out as a serious actor but in 1980, his role as a hapless doctor in the disaster spoof film Airplane! made him a comic star.
In all, he appeared in more than 100 films and had a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame.
"With his friends and his wife by his side, he just fell asleep and passed away," his nephew Doug Nielsen said, the AFP news agency reported.
'Don't call me Shirley' Born in the Canadian city of Regina in 1926, Leslie Nielsen enjoyed an acting career which spanned six decades.
He started as a television actor in New York in 1950, performing in about 150 live dramas.
In the mid-1950s, he moved to Hollywood, where he initially carved out a film career as a leading man, capitalising on his craggy good looks and 6ft2in (194cm) height.
Then in 1980 his deadpan delivery in the comedy disaster movie Airplane! marked him out as a gifted clown, says the BBC's Rajesh Mirchandani in Los Angeles.
It was in this role that he became known for the line "Don't call me Shirley".
The success of Airplane! led to another TV role in the spoof crime show Police Squad where he first played accident-prone detective Frank Drebin.
He went on to make three films as the same character in the Naked Gun series, starring opposite Priscilla Presley.
He continued working into his eighties.
Nearly two weeks ago - at the age of 84 - Nielsen was taken into hospital in Florida where he lived, suffering from pneumonia.
His condition had worsened over the last two days and relatives said he passed away peacefully, our correspondent says. |  |  |  |  |
He was great in Forbidden Planet. A great loss.
_________________Do concentrate, 007... "You are gifted. Mine is bordering on seven seconds." https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTg5MzczNTkhttp://astore.amazon.co.uk/wwwx404couk-21
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 5:36 am |
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l3v1ck
What's a life?
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 10:21 am Posts: 12700 Location: The Right Side of the Pennines (metaphorically & geographically)
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'Don't call me Shirley'
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:57 am |
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timark_uk
Moderator
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:11 pm Posts: 12144 Location: Belfast
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 9:23 am |
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steve74
Doesn't have much of a life
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 12:43 pm Posts: 1798 Location: Manchester
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I heard the doctors said that Leslie Nielsen only had a 50-50 chance of living. But there was only a 10 per cent chance of that. Seriously, though, a sad loss. I've watched Airplane that many times as a kid, fantastic film.
_________________ * Steve *
* Witty statement goes here *
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:03 am |
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ProfessorF
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:56 pm Posts: 12030
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I bought my nephew the Police Squad DVD, as he'd never heard of Leslie. We spent an afternoon chuckling and tutting at anyone who tried to start a conversation. 'Shhh... Police Squad'.
I'll miss him, and perhaps tonight's a good time to watch Airplane!
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:10 am |
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Paul1965
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 8:29 pm Posts: 5975
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+1 One of my favourite films. RIP.
_________________ "I hadn't known there were so many idiots in the world until I started using the Internet." - Stanislaw Lem
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:10 am |
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MrStevenRogers
Spends far too much time on here
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 9:44 pm Posts: 4860
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_________________ Hope this helps . . . Steve ...
Nothing known travels faster than light, except bad news ... HP Pavilion 24" AiO. Ryzen7u. 32GB/1TB M2. Windows 11 Home ...
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 10:27 am |
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oceanicitl
Official forum cat lady
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 8:04 am Posts: 11039 Location: London
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Brilliant comic actor. RIP.
_________________Still the official cheeky one 
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:23 am |
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John_Vella
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 7:55 am Posts: 7935 Location: Manchester.
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I bought the Airplane trilogy from Asda for about 2 or 3 quid. I think now might be a good time to get them down from the "John shelf", (which is basically where we put all of my DVDs, ie the ones that nobody else in the house likes) and force the kids to watch them. All.  Sad day though  Edit to add: My mistake - It was actually the Naked Gun trilogy I bought... I got the Airplane films, (two film box set) when I was clearing out my dad's house. I'll still be watching them 
_________________John Vella BSc (Hons), PGCE - Still the official forum prankster and crude remarker  Sorry  I'll behave now. Promise 
Last edited by John_Vella on Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:31 am |
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Spreadie
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Fri Apr 24, 2009 6:06 pm Posts: 6355 Location: IoW
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RIP
Police Squad is still one of my all time favourite shows.
_________________ Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes; after that, who cares?! He's a mile away and you've got his shoes!
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 11:37 am |
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timark_uk
Moderator
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:11 pm Posts: 12144 Location: Belfast
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 12:38 pm |
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pcernie
Legend
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 12:30 pm Posts: 45931 Location: Belfast
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A comedic legend as far as I'm concerned.
_________________Plain English advice on everything money, purchase and service related:
http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/
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Mon Nov 29, 2010 1:11 pm |
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ProfessorF
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 7:56 pm Posts: 12030
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Tue Nov 30, 2010 10:22 am |
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rustybucket
I haven't seen my friends in so long
Joined: Thu Jun 18, 2009 5:10 pm Posts: 5836
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Bugger
That is all.
_________________Jim
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Tue Nov 30, 2010 12:21 pm |
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paulzolo
What's a life?
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:27 pm Posts: 12251
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Tue Nov 30, 2010 3:13 pm |
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