The Naked Gun series
Region 1 DVD cover for The Naked Gun film series box set
Directed by	Films: 1, 2 David Zucker Film: 3 Peter Segal
Produced by	David Zucker Jim Abrahams Jerry Zucker Robert Weiss
Written by	David Zucker Jim Abrahams Jerry Zucker
Starring	Leslie Nielsen Priscilla Presley O. J. Simpson George Kennedy Ed Williams
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	1988 – 1994
Running time	253 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Preceded by	Police Squad!

The Naked Gun is a series of comedy films written and produced by the comedy filmmaking trio Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and distributed by Paramount Pictures. It was based on their short-lived 1982 ABC television series Police Squad!, which was cancelled after six episodes. The first two films were directed by David Zucker, and the third film was directed by Peter Segal.

[edit] Plot summary

[edit] The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

Detective Frank Drebin tries to uncover a plan to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II, who is on a state visit to the USA. The main suspect is Vincent Ludwig, a man (hired by Papshmir, a recurring villain) who has a way of turning anyone into an unknowing assassin at the press of a remote control; it appears that the victims are responding to a post-hypnotic suggestion, but the film makes no effort to clarify the point. As with previous ZAZ spoof comedies, the ostensible "plot" was culled most from another - more serious - movie. In this case, it was Telefon wherein people were triggered into assassins via hypnotic phone calls (indeed, dialogue in the 'post-hypnoptic suggestion' demonstration scene is copied word-for-word from Telefon).

As he works on the case, Drebin meets and falls in love with Ludwig's assistant Jane Spencer. It is eventually revealed that Jane knows nothing about Ludwig's plot, and after the pair spend the night together, she helps Frank with his investigation.

[edit] The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)

Frank discovers that Jane's new boyfriend, Quentin Hapsburg, is involved in an evil plan to kidnap Dr. Albert S. Meinheimer (portrayed by Richard Griffiths), a scientist whom President George Herbert Walker Bush (portrayed by John Roarke) has chosen to start a new national energy policy. Quentin Hapsburg plans to kidnap the real Dr. Meinheimer and replace him with a look-a-like, named Earl Hacker (also portrayed by Griffiths) who will endorse an energy policy according to the dictates of the energy lobby.

[edit] Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)

In the third film of the saga Frank is married to Jane, and he's retired from Police Squad. The film introduces the criminal Rocco Dillon, who is stuck in prison. He's contacted by Papshmir to be given a target for a bombing. Frank is pulled out of retirement, and has to go undercover pretending to be a prisoner named "Nick 'The Slasher' McGuirk Jr., III" at the jail where Rocco Dillon is being held, and they break out of jail. When outside they are escorted by Dillon's gangster mother to his country retreat. At his hideout Frank is told of the plot to blow up the Academy Awards. When Jane arrives looking for him, she is taken hostage.

[edit] Future

In 2008 it was announced that a fourth installment is in development. ^[1]

[edit] Release

[edit] Reception

• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! – 89% at Rotten Tomatoes^[2]
• The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear – 55% at Rotten Tomatoes^[3]
• The Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult – 52% at Rotten Tomatoes^[4]

[edit] Box office

• The first film grossed around $78,756,177^[5]
• The second film grossed around $86,930,411^[6]
• The third film grossed around $51,132,598^[7]

[edit] Cast and characters

[edit] Main characters

• Leslie Nielsen as Sergeant Frank Drebin, a Detective Lieutenant Police Squad. He's the main character of all three films and the former tv series Police Squad!. In the first two movies he and Jane have a relationship, in the third film they are married, and Frank is retired from the force. He is known for being a bumbling fool, oblivious to the disasters he constantly triggers. He, Ted Olsen and Al (who only appeared in the first film) are the only characters who appeared in both Police Squad! and The Naked Gun Films and were portrayed by the same actor.^[8] Archive footage of Frank Drebin was used in various other films, documentaries and tv series.
• Priscilla Presley as Jane Spencer (Jane Drebin in the third film). In the first film she is Vincent Ludwig's assistant, but knows nothing about his world domination plans. After she spends the night together with Frank, she helps him with his investigation. She returned in the second film, revealing that her relationship with Frank is over. She has a new boyfriend, Quentin Hapsburg. This is the second time she falls for a man with evil plans. She and Frank make up during the end of the second film. In the third film (in which she is married to Frank, who is retired from the force) she reveals to be a lawyer.
• O. J. Simpson as Officer Nordberg, one of Frank's colleagues. He and Frank are partners for about five years, and he's Frank's best friend as stated in the first film. Nordberg always gets himself in very painful situations in all of the films. Officer Norberg (without the d) from Police Squad! seems to be the same character according to the Internet Movie Database.^[9] Norberg was portrayed by Peter Lupus.
• George Kennedy as Captain Ed Hocken Frank's boss. Ed stimulates Frank to talk to Jane in the second movie. Just like Frank and Nordberg, he knows a lot about boxing. He's responsible for Quentin Hapsburg's accidental death (although the real cause of his death is that he was eaten by a lion). It's revealed in the first film that he is married to a woman named Ethel, although in the second film he is married to a woman named Edna (and it is stated that he has been for thirty years). In the TV series Police Squad he was portrayed by Alan North.
• Ed Williams as Ted Olsen a scientist who works at the lab. In Police Squad! Ted was always giving a highly suspect or dangerous lesson to a kid, in a parody of Watch Mr. Wizard, when Frank interrupts him. This joke was not recycled for the films. Ted does create a couple of new inventions, which include: the Swiss-army shoe, the anti-graffiti wall and the cufflink dart. It's revealed in the second film that his wife is a transsexual satan-worshipper. He, Frank Drebin and Al (who only appeared in the first film) are the only characters who appeared in both Police Squad! and The Naked Gun Films and were portrayed by the same actor.^[8]
• Ronald "Tiny Ron" Taylor as Al a very tall colleague of Frank. Al was recurring character on Police Squad! but only made a cameo in the first movie. It's unknown why he didn't appear in any of the other films.

[edit] Main villains

[edit] Notable cameos

[edit] Recurring cameos

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: The Naked Gun

• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! at the Internet Movie Database
• The Naked Gun series at Allmovie
• The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! at Allmovie
• The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear at the Internet Movie Database
• The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear at Allmovie
• Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult at the Internet Movie Database
• Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult at Allmovie