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