To many baseball fans, Leslie Nielsen, who died yesterday at the age of 84, is better known as “Enrico Palazzo”, the dysfunctional national anthem singer turned home plate umpire that he portrayed in a scene from The Naked Gun. Nielsen’s outrageous parody yielded one most memorable comedic depictions of the game in movie history. However, the former dramatic actor, whose career turned toward parody-based comedy after being cast in Airplane, was also a big baseball fan. In addition, during the 1960s, Nielsen also regularly played in a weekend baseball league along with numerous other Hollywood actors. According to a February 10, 1966 article appearing in the Toledo Blade, the actors involved in the league took it so seriously that they were regularly scouting their studio sets for new talent as well as soliciting tips and advice from L.A.-based major leaguers. Perhaps that’s how former major league infielder John Beradino (or Johnny Berardino, as he was known during his playing days) earned his role opposite Nielsen in the short-lived crime series The New Breed?
Click the following links for Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day promos recorded by Nielsen for radio station 700 WLW: promo 1, promo 2 and promo 3.
What a Comedian! Thanks for the clips… And soccer, who knows!
Lt. Frank Drebin holds his spot in the hearts of baseball fans…
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