DON’T CALL ME SHIRLEY: DAVID ZUCKER ON THE MAKING OF AIRPLANE!

DAVE BARRY is an author and humorist. In 1988, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated column, which ran in more than 500 newspapers and was the inspiration for the TV show Dave's World. Barry is also the author of dozens of bestsellers including, most recently, Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog; Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys, Dave Barry Turns Forty, and Dave Barry Is Not Making This Up. With Ridley Pearson, Barry wrote the bestselling Starcatchers series of young adult novels, one of which was adapted as the Tony Award-winning Broadway play Peter and the Starcatcher.

DAVID ZUCKER, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker, the trio that co-wrote and directed the 1980 comedy hit film Airplane!, knew one another growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the trio founded a small acting company known as The Kentucky Fried Theater in 1971. They moved to Los Angeles in 1972, which led to their first film, The Kentucky Fried Movie, in 1977. Their next film was the 1980 breakout hit Airplane!, which today stands among the most iconic comedic films ever produced.