Peter Graves: The Movieline Interview

That's for sure. You also starred in a series of a sci-fi films in the '50s, including one directed by Billy Wilder's brother, I believe.

Geez, that's right, of course! Of course! W. Lee Wilder, was it?

That's right.

Which one was that? I made three or four of those.

Killers From Space.

Killers From Space! I did three or four of them. That was a wonderful way to learn your craft. We didn't waste any time -- we made most of those in ten days.

Wow.

Yeah. I did one for Roger Corman. He's still with us. He was brilliant -- he knew story and character very well. I think he made as good sci-fi pictures as anyone, no matter what their budget. The only thing that we were missing in those days were the special effects, of course. But his screenplays were certainly as good as anything like Jurassic Park, which cost what, $100 million?

They'd later go on to have a second life on Mystery Science Theater 3000. Are you familiar with that show?

Yeah, right. I've caught some of those.

You have?

Yeah. With the idiots sitting in the front row and commenting on what they see on the screen.

You weren't too pleased with those?

No, I wasn't too pleased with those.

OK. But that brings us to Airplane!, and the fact that you were willing to spoof your own image.

Mm-hm.

I had read that when you first read the script, you called it "the worst piece of junk you had ever seen." Is that true?

[Laughs] I don't know if I really said that. When I read it, I knew it was the craziest thing I had ever read, surely.

Don't call me Shirley.

[Laughs] Right, right. Of course. But more than that, I was concerned about playing this pilot who would say things like, "You ever see a grown man naked?" to a 12-year-old boy.

That was a concern to you?

My career had been built really on the solid, straightforward, honest, hardworking guy. I played the iron-bound father in Fury and the impervious genius in Mission: Impossible. My whole career had been pretty good guys, and I saw danger in Cpt. Oveur. That I could have been spoofing myself, and maybe lose a twenty year buildup that I had made by that time. So I did call my agent and said, "I don't think I can do this." And he said, "OK, I'll tell them." And about ten minutes later, I got a call from Howard Koch, who was the executive producer overseeing the three young guys who were making this thing. And he said, "Why don't you come in and talk to the guys, and let them explain to you what they're looking for."

And I did so, and I really went in with the thing in mind that they should have Harvey Korman play this pilot. And they smiled at each other, and said, "No -- you don't get what we're talking about yet." They explained to me that they wanted all these characters to play it as real as anything we'd ever played on the screen, and straight. Never thinking that we were making a joke or saying a funny line. And that appealed to me. I thought man, I'm onto something, crossed my fingers and said, "Sure. I'll do it." And it's become a happy experience.

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