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the contribution of their relationship to the development of a type ofworldly drama which foreshadowed what would be seen much later as‘‘Lubitsch’s touch.’’

Berlin did not delay in summoning her. With the support of theproducer Paul Davidson, Nielsen became established as one of thekey figures of the German cinema. Especially in the second stage ofher career, after cutting away from Gad, Nielsen brought to theGerman screen the burden of tragic and mystic Scandinavian culture,and one can hear the echo of both Ibsen (not only by chance in the filmHedda Gabler) and Strindberg (by filming Fräulein Julie withJessner).

This period gave her, consequently, the chance to make her majorcontributions to the art of cinematic representation. In one case we seeher utilizing the slightest expressions of her visage (her ‘‘paintedface’’ in front of the mirror in Der Absturz) as she is to receive herlover after ten years in prison. Her deceptively passive attitude towardthe scene, in Die freudlose Gasse, of the jeweler making experimentaljewels, while Nielsen fails to notice what is really seen, is a sovereignexample of multiexpressive mimicry. And she is working not onlywith her face but also with her hands, which resignedly tumble downon long arms from her body, and which she uses to accent hervoluntary mechanized portrayal. These are the same hands which‘‘spoke’’ in Vanina, in a most typical product of ‘‘caligari-ism,’’ asshe waits to escape with her lover.

As others have said about Nielsen, she reminds one of a femaleHamlet, a woman who worked with men who had a sense of dynasty,a fragile woman with melancholy ambiguity, reminding us of MaryMagdalene in Wiene’s INRI, with a piousness of dynastic volume, orthe Lulu of Jessner’s Erdgeist. In her work with Jessner, Reinhardt’sgreat rival in the development of German theater, she began hersecond phase. Nielsen worked with a variety of directors who chosetheatrical texts of undeniable quality, from Ibsen and Strindberg toWedekind and Schnitzler.

In the 1920s Nielsen also developed a persona in characteristicdecline, changing from her old passion to the figure of an olddignified prostitute, quoting from Der Absturz in two noted ‘‘streetfilms,’’ Die freudlose Gasse of Pabst and Dirnentragödie of BrunoRahn. Extracting life from the world of myth, Nielsen now herselfseems mythic.

—M. S. Fonseca

NIELSEN, Leslie

Nationality: Canadian. Born: Regina, Saskatchewan, 11 February1926; nephew of Jean Hersholt (an actor). Education: AttendedVictoria High School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; attended LorneGreene’s Academy of Radio Arts, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; studiedat the Neighborhood Playhouse, New York City. Family: Married1) Monica Bayar (some sources say Boyer), 1950 (divorced 1955,some sources say 1956); 2) Alisande Ullman, 1958 (divorced 1973);3) Brooks Oliver, 1981 (divorced 1983); (some sources say he wasonce married to woman named Maura); 4) Barbaree Earl. Career:Worked as a radio announcer in Canada; played General FrancisMarion, The Swamp Fox TV series, 1959–60; played Police Lieuten-ant Price Adams. The New Breed TV Series, 1961–62; played Dr.

Leslie Nielsen (right) in Forbidden Planet

Vincent Markham/Kenneth Markham, Peyton Place TV Series, 1964;played Deputy Police Chief Sam Danforth, The Bold Ones: TheLawyers TV series, 1969–70; played John Bracken, Bracken’s WorldTV series, 1970; host, The Explorers TV series, 1972; played VincentCorbino, Kung Fu TV series, 1975; played Det. Frank Drebin, PoliceSquad! TV series, 1982; played Buddy Fox, Shaping Up TV series,1984. Awards: Special Award, male comedy star of the year,ShoWest Convention, National Association of Theatre Owners, 1989.Agent: Bresler, Kelly, and Associates, 15760 Ventura Boulevard,Suite 1730, Encino, CA 91436, U.S.A.

Films as Actor:

1955 The Battle of Gettysburg (as Narrator)1956 The Opposite Sex (as Steve Hilliard); Ransom! (as Charlie

Telfer); The Vagabond King (as Thilbault); ForbiddenPlanet (as Commander John J. Adams)

1957 Hot Summer Night (as William Joel Partain); Tammy and theBachelor (as Peter Brent)

1958 The Sheepman (as Colonel Stephen Bedford/Johnny Bledsoe)(Stranger with a Gun)

1964 Night Train to Paris (as Alan Holiday); See How They Run (—for TV) (as Elliott Green)

1965 Dark Intruder (as Brett Kingsford)1966 The Plainsman (as Colonel George Armstrong Custer); Beau

Geste (as Lieutenant De Ruse)

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1967 Code Name: Heraclitus (—for TV); Companions in Night-mare (—for TV) (as Dr. Neesden); The Reluctant Astro-naut (as Major Fred Gifford); Gunfight in Abilene (asGrant Evers)

1968 Dayton’s Devils (as Frank Dayton); How to Steal the World(as General Maximilian Harmon); Hawaii Five-O (—forTV) (as Brent); Rosie! (as Cabot); Shadow Over Elveron(—for TV) (as Sheriff Verne Drover); Counterpoint (asVictor Rice)

1969 Four Rode Out; How to Commit Marriage (as Phil Fletcher);Change of Mind (as Sheriff Webb); Deadlock (—for TV)(as Lieutenent Sam Danforth); Trial Run (—for TV) (asJason Harkness)

1970 Night Slaves (—for TV) (as Sheriff Henshaw); Incident in SanFrancisco (—for TV) (as Lieutenant Brubaker); Hauser’sMemory (—for TV) (as Joseph Slaughter); The Aquarians(—for TV) (as Official); Deep Lab (—for TV)

1971 The Resurrection of Zachary Wheeler (as Harry Walsh); TheyCall It Murder (—for TV) (as Frank Antrim)

1972 Columbo: Lady in Waiting (—for TV) (as Peter Hamilton);The Poseidon Adventure (as Captain Harrison)

1973 . . . And Millions Die! (And Millions Will Die) (as Gallagher);The Letters (—for TV) (as Derek Childs); Snatched (—forTV) (as Bill Sutter)

1974 Can Ellen Be Saved? (—for TV) (as Arnold Lindsey)1975 Columbo: Identity Crisis (—for TV) (as Geronimo/A.J. Hen-

derson); Threshold: The Blue Angels Experience (as Narra-tor); 1976 Brinks: The Great Robbery (—for TV) (as AgentNorman Houston)

1977 Day of the Animals (Something Is Out There) (as Paul Jenson);Viva Knievel! (Seconds to Live) (as Stanley Millard);Grand Jury (as John Williams); Sixth and Main; TheAmsterdam Kill (as Riley Knight)

1978 Little Mo (—for TV) (as Nelson Fisher)1979 Institute for Revenge (—for TV) (as Counselor Hollis Barnes);

The Return of Charlie Chan (Happiness Is a Warm Clue)(—for TV) (as Alex Hadrachi); City on Fire (as MayorWilliam Dudley); Riel (as Major Crozier); Backstairs at theWhite House (mini—for TV) (as Ike Hoover/Narrator)

1980 Project: Kill (as Jonathan Trevor); The Night the Bridge FellDown (—for TV); Airplane! (Flying High) (as DoctorRumack); Prom Night (as Mr. Hammond); OHMS (—forTV) (as Governor)

1981 The Creature Wasn’t Nice (Naked Space, Spaceship) (asCaptain Jamieson)

1982 Foxfire Light (as Reece Morgan); Wrong Is Right (The Manwith the Deadly Lens) (as Mallory); Creepshow (Somethingto Tide You Over) (as Richard Vickers)

1983 Cave-In! (—for TV) (as Joseph ‘‘Joe’’ Johnson)1985 Reckless Disregard (—for TV) (as Bob Franklin); Striker’s

Mountain (—for TV) (as Jim McKay); Blade in Hong Kong(—for TV) (as Harry Ingersoll)

1986 Race for the Bomb (mini—for TV) (as Lewis Strauss); ThePatriot (as Admiral Frazer); Soul Man (as Mr. Dunbar)

1987 Home Is Where the Hart Is; Nightstick (Calhoun) (—for TV)(as Thad Evans); Nuts (as Allen Green); Fatal Confession:A Father Dowling Mystery (—for TV) (as Senator erdain)

1988 Dangerous Curves (as Greg Krevske); The Naked Gun: Fromthe Files of Police Squad! (The Naked Gun) (as Lt.Frank Drebin)

1989 Circus of the Stars #14 (—for TV) (as Ringmaster)1990 Repossessed (as Father Mayii)1991 Circus of the Stars #16 (—for TV) (as Ringmaster); Chance of

a Lifetime (—for TV) (as Lloyd Dixon); All I Want forChristmas (as Santa); The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell ofFear (as Lt. Frank Drebin)

1993 Digger (as Arthur); Leslie Nielsen’s Bad Golf Made Easier (asHimself); The Unknown Marx Brothers (—for TV) (asNarrator); Surf Ninjas (Surf Warriors) (as Colonel Chi)

1994 Bad Golf My Way (Leslie Nielsen’s Bad Golf My Way) (asHimself); Circus of the Stars Goes to Disneyland (—forTV) (as Ringmaster); S.P.Q.R. 2.000 e 1/2 anni fa (S.P.Q.R.:2,000 and a Half Years Ago) (as Lucio Cinico); Naked Gun33 1/3: The Final Insult (as Lt. Frank Drebin)

1995 Dracula: Dead and Loving It (as Count Dracula); Rent-a-Kid(as Harry Haber); Mr. Willowby’s Christmas Tree (—forTV) (as Willowby’s butler)

1996 Harvey (—for TV) (as Dr. Chumley); Spy Hard (as DickSteele—Agent WD-40) (+ exec pr)

1997 Family Plan (as Harry Haber); Leslie Nielsen’s Stupid LittleGolf Video (as Himself); Mr. Magoo (as Mr. Quincy Magoo)

1998 Wrongfully Accused (as Ryan Harrison); Safety Patrol (—forTV) (as Mr. Penn)

1999 Camouflage (as Jack Potter); Pirates: 3D Show (as Cap-tain Lucky)

2000 2001: A Space Travesty (Goldstein) (as Marshall Dix) (+ sc)

Publications

By NIELSEN: articles—

Duncan, A., ‘‘I Don’t Have Anything Important to Do—Except MakePeople Laugh,’’ in Radio Times (London), vol. 281, no. 3664,2 April 1994.

On NIELSEN: articles—

Sandomir, Richard, ‘‘For His Hamlet, a Whoopie Cushion, Nota Skull,’’ in New York Times, 25 August 1993.

Heinz, Rainer, ‘‘Ein Kasper auf Verbrecherjagd,’’ in Film-Dienst(Cologne), vol. 49, no. 18, 27 August 1996.

* * *

Leslie Nielsen became a leading comedian with his role in 1980’sAirplane! ‘‘Surely you can’t be serious!’’ a man demanded ofNielsen’s character. ‘‘I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley!’’a straight-faced Nielsen responded. As Airplane! audiences groaned,one of the unlikeliest career transformations in Hollywood historybegan, almost equal to that autumn’s election of a cowboy actor to the

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presidency. Leslie Nielsen, heretofore known as a consummatedramatic leading man and sidekick of three decades’ standing,reinvented himself into a star of over-the-top movie parodies duringthe 1980s and 1990s.

The Canadian-born Nielsen (whose uncle was screen legend JeanHersholt) acted in literally hundreds of movies and television pro-grams from the 1950s through the 1970s, invariably in dramaticroles—Commander John J. Adams in the sci-fi classic ForbiddenPlanet (1956) and as a crewman in The Poseidon Adventure (1972)—or as the set-up man in light comedies; he was Debbie Reynolds’square-jawed beau in Tammy and the Bachelor (1957), and BobHope’s romantic rival in How to Commit Marriage (1969). Ontelevision, he was best known for dual roles of a doctor and his twinbrother on the long-running prime time soap opera Peyton Place. Hisdeep, resonant voice and silvery hair allowed him to play authorita-tive figures unusually well. Often appearing in low-budget movies,Nielsen was usually the best thing about them; his role as a sleazydrug kingpin lent Viva Knievel! (1977) its sole touch of competence.

Moviegoers were surprised, therefore, to see Nielsen in one of themost uproarious films ever, Airplane! Abrahams and the Zuckersconsciously wanted this parody of 1970s disaster films to star suchactual 1960s and 1970s TV dramatic stars as Nielsen, Robert Stack,Lloyd Bridges and Peter Graves, deadpanning their way throughatrocious puns, double entendres and scatological jokes. ‘‘It’s likethey said to me, ‘Leslie, come out and play,’’’ Nielsen told the NewYork Times. ‘‘Thank God for them.’’ The MAD Magazine/NationalLampoon style of humor appealed to filmgoers of all ages; against themuch-hyped Caddyshack and The Blues Brothers, Airplane! was thesleeper comedy hit of 1980.

Nielsen worked with the Airplane! trio again on Police Squad!,a brilliant 1982 situation comedy spoofing Dragnet ‘67 and The FBI.As Lt. Frank Drebin, Nielsen perfectly satirized the genre he’dworked in for so many years; at the end of each episode he’d freeze inmid-laugh while behind (and in front of) him his coworkers (andcriminals) went about their work. The series lasted just six epsiodes,but enjoyed a cult following. Nielsen returned to serious work inCreepshow (1982) and Soul Man (1986), but audiences were begin-ning to expect irreverence from him.

In 1988 Nielsen reprised his role of Frank Drebin in the first ofthree Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad theatrical movies,produced by Abrahams and the Zuckers. Alongside such B-moviestars as Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy and O. J. Simpson, Nielsenskewered the police movie genre and most others as well, provingequally adept in both physical comedy (practicing safe sex with a fullbody condom) and verbal jousting (Presley: ‘‘Can I interest you ina nightcap?’’ Nielsen: ‘‘No, thank you, I don’t wear them’’). TheNaked Gun films were successful in the theaters, and their rapid-firestyle held up well on video and TV, one reason why Naked Gun 2 1/2(1991) actually outgrossed its predecessor.

The comedic success liberated Nielsen, and he played similarlymanic roles in other film spoofs during the 1990s, including Dracula:Dead and Loving It (1995), Spy Hard (1996) and Wrongfully Accused(1998). If these films weren’t as successful as Airplane!, it might havebeen because by the 1990s, Nielsen was overly familiar as a wackycomedic lead. When he appeared in Airplane!, audiences knew himfrom dramatic work, and were thus surprised to see him doingcomedy. By the late 1990s, audiences already expected him to do

comedy. The element of surprise was gone, and so were some ofthe laughs.

At the turn of the century, Nielsen is also in his mid-70s, and thepublic might not wish to see a man at his age doing excessive physicalshtick. He might now be best suited to doing more cerebral, verbal-based work. Indeed, Nielsen has, in fact, been performing throughoutAmerica a one-man show about one of the more cerebral, less ironicfigures of the 20th century—Clarence Darrow. Surely, Leslie Nielsencan be serious.

—Andrew Milner

NIKULIN, Yuri

Nationality: Russian. Born: Smolensk, Soviet Union (now Russia),18 December 1921. Family: Son: Maksim Nikulin. Career: Clownin the Moscow Circus, from mid-1950s; director of Tsvetnoy Boule-vard circus, Moscow, from mid-1980s. Died: Moscow, Russia, 21August 1997, after heart operation.

Films as Actor:

1958 Devushka s gitaroy (A Girl with a Guitar) (AleksandrFajntsimmer)

1959 Nepoddayushchiyesya (The Unamenables) (Yuri Chulyukinand Yuli Raizman) (as Klyachkin)

1961 Sovershenno seryozno (Absolutely Seriously) (Leonid Gaidai);Kogda derevya byli bol’shimi (When the Trees Were Tall)(Lev Kulidzhanov) (as Kuzma Kuzmich Iordanov); Drugmoy Kolka (My Friend, Kolka!) (Aleksandr Mitta andAleksei Saltykov); Samogonshchiki (Bootleggers) (LeonidGaidai) (as Booby)

1962 Bez strakha i upryoka (No Fear, No Blame) (AleksandrMitta); Molodo-zelyono (Young-Green) (Konstantin Voinov)

1963 Delovye lyudi (Business People) (Leonid Gaidai) (as the Robber)1964 Dayte zhalobnuyu knigu (Give Me the Complaints Book)

(Eldar Ryazanov) (as Booby); Ko mne, Mukhtar! (ComeHere, Mukhtar!) (Semyon Tumanov) (as Glasychev)

1965 Fantazyory (Fantasizing) (Isaak Magiton); Operatsiya Y idrugiye priklyucheniya Shurika (Operation Y and OtherShurik’s Adventures) (Leonid Gaidai) (as Booby)

1966 Malen’kiy beglets (Little Fugitive) (Chiisana tobosha) (EduardBocharov and Teinosuke Kinugasa); Kavkazskaya plennitsa,ili Novye priklyucheniya Shurika (Prisoner of the Cauca-sus, or Shurik’s New Adventures) (Leonid Gaidai) (as Booby)

1968 Brilliantovaya ruka (Diamond Arm) (Leonid Gaidai) (asSemyon Gorbunkov); Novenkaya (The Rookie) (PavelLyubimov); Sem starikov i odna devushka (Seven Old Menand a Girl) (Yevgeni Karelov—for TV) (as Booby)

1969 Andrei Rublyov (Andrei Rublev) (Andrei Tarkovsky) (asMonk Patrikey)