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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 29, 1982)
by Richard Levinson On soundstage 16 at Paramount Studios in Hollywood, a spaceship bearing the word “Pan Universe" sits crash-landed in a moonscape of gravel and papier mache boulders. The front hatch is open, the emergency slide extended. Passer) gers are jumping our (sans breathing apparatus) and sliding down to the surface, where they are met by two very alien-looking Hare Krishnas, who wish them a good day and hand them flowers. It's the next to last day of principal photography for the comedy Airplane // the Sequel, and writer/ director Ken Finkieman is conduct ing a rehearsal of the lunar escape scene. He’s not entirely satisfied with the placement of people and debris, so it’s Lights! Camera’ Wait a minute! as the crew relocates scenery. Just outside the soundstage, Robert Hays sits in his dressing trailer, waiting to be called to make-up. As he did in the 1980 hit Airplane! Hays co-stars (with Julie Hagerty) as Ted Striker, dashing, if reluctant, hero (This time, Striker is called upon to save the first com mercial lunar passenger shuttle from disaster. Hilarity, of course, ensues.) Hays is a likeable, talkative, outgoing actor who has been described as “strong, sensitive, and devastatingly attractive," as well as "unpredictably wacky." These days, Robert Hays Is also hot After six years of low or-no-pay repertory theatre in San Diego, he was cast to appear in a segment of television’s Harry O This led to jobs working on such TV fare as love Boat, Wonder Woman, iMveme & Shirley, and specials like The Younn Pioneers and Mark Twain 's America Then, a stroke of good fortune landed him in the middle of Airplane! which became one of the most successful comedies of all time. (According to Paramount, it has grossed <158 million so far, sur passed only by Animal House in the comedy sweepstakes.) After that came the disappointing Take This Job and Shove It, and recent starring roles in three more features due for release soon. If an actor’s career was ever zoom ing, Hays’ is. So, why reprise a role in a sequel? "I was real hesitant to do it," says Hays, "but they threatened my family." In addition to which, Hay’s press agent, Tony Angellotti, jokingly points out, the release and success of Airplane II will make Hays “the richest man in the universe” (huge salary, undisclosed, and a per centage, also undisclosed). Hays also notes that “it would be difficult to do a sequel without the people who were in the first one." 1 For Airplane II, Julie Hagerty, Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves are back, "but two notable people. Bob Stack and Leslie Nielsen, are missing, it’s too bad they’re not here." Three other notable people are missing, too. "The Zuckers" (Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Ab rahams) who wrote and directed Airplane1, opted to stay as far away from the sequel as possible. Accord ing to Jerry Zucker, it came as no surprise that Paramount wanted a follow up to the film. "Basically, studios aren't creative organizations, they’re financial ones. It makes per feet sense that Paramount would want a sequel to such a successful movie." If Airplane 11 is not the Zuckers' film, it is Howard Koch’s. Koch, who began his movie career in 1944, acted as Executive Pnxlucer for Air plane! (allaying some of Paramount's "who are these Zucker kids anyway?" fears), and is producing the sequel. A knowledgeable, active and candid veteran, he provides a vital link tie tween the two films, and has been "first to-come last to leave" during all eight weeks of filming If this has caused any friction between him and Finkleman, none is apparent. "If this was my first directing assignment, I’d want someone like me around, too ” (Flnkleman’s only previous big screen credit is as screenwriter for Grease II ) Asked if the Zuckers’ non involvement was a disappoint mem, Koch says, “Sure. Il would have been wonderful if they were here. But Ken's been doing a great job. I’ve seen about thirty minutes pieced together so far, and it's really funny stuff." Koch goes on to de scribe how the original film's ap proach has been maintained with appearances by Raymond Burr, Wil liam Shatner, Chad Everett, Chuck Connors, Aldo Ray, Kent McCord and Sonny Bono, either overplaying their well known characters, or, in Everett's case, playing an "against type" villain. (If that sounds like a Merv Griffin "Salute to the Vast Wasteland" line up, that's all right Part of the charm of AirfUativ! was Its use of performers primarily kntrwn for their television work Even more than film, TV "types" actors so completely that plac ing those well known personas in a manic comedy worked much Ixiter than casting, say, Harvey Korman or, God forbid, Chevy Chase.) Hays himself had been identified only with television Ix-fore AirpUirw’ "As hard as it is to break Into TV, that's how hard it Is to break Into film frxtrti TV he says "It's getting •tetter, but there's still the feeling that movies are a sort of CadilU looking down on the Volkswagen of television." How about theater? "Heck, yeah That’s what I want to do. For the craft of acting, that's like a revltallzatkm The Old Globe Theatre (in San 1)1 five weeks at a time, hut I can't afford to take six months to do a play right now." “The reality is that I would like to have a career that builds slowly over a long period of time. I want to be around, working, when I’m 70 or 80, and have a nice, steady income. I think a lot of people, not all, but some, are pricing themselves right out of the business. But it’s real complicated, because when you're negotiating, they go in expecting you to try to soak them. If you try to heat them up and strangle them, then they say, O.K., well, you're till right.' But if you say, 'Hey guys, I just want to make a film,’ they say, Oh, wow, this guy's a geek.' ” Hays is concerned about being typed. "I don't want to be identified with only one kind of role. I'd like to do a variety. The problem is, there's a certain thing you’re expected to play. If you're likeable, or if you're a real evil villain, for example." Still, the roles he chooses (and these days, he can choose) tend to be that "like able guy." That isn't an accident "My all time favorite director is Frank Capra, and Preston Sturges is an other great one," Hays says, naming two directors known for their hand ling of drama with a light touch. "I'm not into gore or any of that ' How about angst? "Well, there's nothing wrong with pain and suffering, but it doesn't mean you ran t combine it with stuff to make the audience laugh " It's plain that Hays likes doing comedy, as evidenced by his other upcoming films. He describes one (Trwu'bctxtt, with Margo Kidder) as an "international spy mystery com edy intrigue, or how abut a spy thriller comedy-mystery, or maybe a scl fl action western?" The others, Utilities and Nome Sunny Ikty, Ixah find Hays as, in the words of Tony Angellotti, "rebels, but not angry young men Just guys who are af fected by inequities in the system, and actively set out to do something about them." Off camera, Hays is less active in social causes. "1 sup|tort Greenpeace and the Cousteau Society with dona tlons, but I'm not much on groups Handsome Robert Hays and heavenly Julie Hagerty. It's easy for an actor to be misunder stood. People say, 'Hey, I saw him on TV, listen to what he's saying,' and that's a danger. I might agree with someone on a position, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything he says about everything, so I don't become publicly identified with issues." The loner in Hays is also apparent in his private life. Rock climbing, skiing and flying (he’s a qualified pilot) take up much of his recreation time. Although he is often touted its a "sex symbol” by such touters as Cos mopolitan magazine, he says he has never been a "chaser,’’ and is now exclusively involved w'ith a woman he has dated off and on since high school. Back on the set, the dry ice ma chine has been turned on, and crew members are busy moving fans around to blow the mist in the proper direction. Koch walks by, and shares a (oke with Hays. Koch goes on to talk a little about the release of Airplane II, "1 think we're pretty much already booked. There’s about 17 or 18 states where the theatre owners have to see the film before they can bid on It, and we'll have it ready to show them in August or September. You know, there's always comparisons. Some people have even compared Young Doctors in love to Airplane.' But this one’s great, with all the talent, and when Bob and Julie come on, we've got 'em.” Koch asks if 1 have every thing 1 need, and ambles off to check on the progress of the crew. ’Til be happy if we can just get this shot," he says. In the "Production Information" jxickage for Airplane II, the original Airf>ltoie' is described as "making an unprecedented impression on the American psycheAllowing for a bit of indulgence by the publicity de partment, that's not altogether fanci ful A relatively low budget, certainly oddball film, Airplane/ ac hieved both critical and public acclaim for its per formances, parody, and outright silliness Whether Airplane II. the Sequel can re-capture the comedic feel of the original won't be dis covered until its release in De cember. But if Airplane U even comes ckvse to the success of its par ent, Howard Koch won’t be sur prised, Robert Hays will be the rich est man in the universe, and audi ences will have something to really laugh about
