Most folks remember Peter Graves, the Minneapolis native who died Sunday, as the solemn spy in "Mission: Impossible" or the even more solemn host of A&E's "Biography."
For some of us, though, he's the guy who ruined gladiator movies -- at least until Russell Crowe came along.
As Captain Oveur in the pun-flinging, jive-talking, pre-PC quipfest "Airplane!" Graves was at his deadpan best in delivering zingers and come-ons.
Wisconsinites Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams, who wrote and directed the now-classic comedy, might even have been paying tribute to Graves' roots with an Upper Midwest- related groaner.
When Captain Oveur is on the phone with the Mayo Clinic, an operator tells him about an emergency call from a Mr. Hamm on line 5.
"OK, give me Hamm on 5, and hold the Mayo," Oveur said.
But Graves' character is remembered primarily for his thoroughly embarrassing queries of a young lad named Joey, who was visiting the cockpit.
"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?" "You ever hang around a gymnasium?" And, alas, "Joey, you like movies about gladiators?"
