How can I sum up Lloyd Bridges’ effect on me? Simple. Two words : Flying High. Oh, and Hot Shots. Ok, thats more than two, but this man deserves to break the rules. The first movie I saw him in – that I can remember – was the original Flying High, which I watched as a wee tacker back when I was living in Sydney. As a kid most of the humour went over my head. I guess it was the fact that my mum and dad were laughing so hard at it, that I had a ‘contact-high’ version of laughter. I couldn’t help but find it funny.

Bridges plays Steve McCroskey, the gravel-toned, highly addicted air traffic controller who has to somehow convince Ted Striker (best name ever!) he can land the plane. Ted is reluctant due to his past experiences over Mucho Grande. The movie is made up of so many layers of comedy, that to detail it would take years. Even now, havin re-watched it just last week, you pick up on things you never noticed before. One of the funniest things we noticed this time was when McCroskey enters air traffic control, he puts on a tie…only to seconds later loosen it! And then minutes later he removes the tie, showing his exhaustion, only to reveal he was wearing another underneath! These little pieces of comedy gold are what make these movies the funniest of all time.

And I can sum it all up in just one word: courage, dedication, daring, pride, pluck, spirit, grit, mettle, and G-U-T-S, *guts*. Why, Ted Striker’s got more guts in his little finger than most of us have in our large intestine, including the colon!

The thing about that quote that doesn’t translate that well into text is his timing. It is perfect. When he says “Including the colon” he times it to perfection, with an ever so subtle pause after intestine. He was a true comic genius. McCroskey is a completely odd bastard to, much like the next character of note that he plays in Hot Shots: Admiral Thomas ‘Tug’ Benson. Hot Shots is a brilliant piss-take movie, a league, world, universe, and more above the tripe that gets vomited out in the name of ’spoof-ing’. The movie lampoons Top Gun and all things Hollywig action with a real sense of humour and cleverness that I haven’t seen in a long time. Bridges’ character ‘Tug’ Benson is perhaps the funniest character ever, thanks largely to his ability to hit the right note every time.

I look out there on all you wonderful guys and I say to myself “What I wouldn’t give to be 20 years younger… and a woman”. You know, I’ve personally flown over 194 missions and I was shot down on every one. Come to think of it, I’ve never landed a plane in my life.

Ok just you try not to laugh at that. Go on, I dare you! Lloyd Bridges will be fondly remember for the rest of my life as one of the most important comedic figures in my life. What, with his outrageously good timing, you would think I would be funnier. Alas, that isn’t the case. I do try though. For those who haven’t seen those movies in a while, watch ‘em and do yourself a favour.

Every now and then an actor comes along, seemingly genetically pre-disposed to certain roles. Being type-casted as a certain character or type of role is often seen as losing your indiviuality in the world of acting. People like Peirce Brosnan suffered this, for he will always be remembered for his time as Bond. David Spade has been type-casted by me as a little dweeb, with no redeeming features. Daniel Radcliffe will always be Harry Potter, regardless of how many times he gets his dong out on stage. Cate Katral will always be known as the mother of the whores in Sex and the City as well. Some actors manage to break free of these shackles; or at least attempt to, with varying degrees of success. Jim Carrey emerged with growing class after playing Andy Kaufman, Truman and later in his brilliant role in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Daniel Craig has broken free in reverse – his roles prior to Bond wont be taken over by his current 007 work, I reckon. So this brings me to two of my favourite characters, both coming from the eighties and both very similar. I speak of Principal Strickland from the Back to the Future trilogy and Commander Tom “Stinger” Jardian from Top Gun. Both roles were played with exemplary skill by James Tolkan. We need more guys like him!

You’re a slacker!

Strickland was the principal or school authority figure we all had, and all loved to hate, despite a secret admiration for his disciplinary and twisted well-meant intentions. Our first meeting with him, we are sharing Marty and Jennifer’s sneaky entrance to school. Unfortunately, Strickland is too good for them, and catches them in the act of being late. And for Marty, thats the fourth time in a row! Strickland is a hard man, with strict rules and appropriate advice for young people. Noticing Marty’s band was playing in the school’s battle of the bands, Strickland, leaving nothing open for interpretation, tells McFly that no one in his family “ever amounted to anything in the history of Hill Valley”. Heed it, or beware, Marty.

Do not fire until fired upon…!

For Tolkan’s next major appearance, he was to don a military uniform and take up cigar smoking. As Stinger in Top Gun, he showed us all how truly tough he could be. With an unflinching disciplinary mind, much like Strickland before him, Stinger was to Maverick and Goose, the kick up the butt that would make them go on to bigger and better things over at Miramar’s Fighter Weapons School. Where the best of the best battled it out for aerial supremacy; TOP GUN. His ultimate pearl of wisdom was telling Mav the cold hard truth of where he stands in the Navy. Sure, Mav was one hell of an instinctive pilot, but his name wasn’t the best in the Navy. Stinger saw this, and urged him to fly “better, and cleaner than the other guy”.

I wish I had this kind of authority figure when I was at school and/or Fighter Weapons School. I reckon he would have gotten the best outta me. It really is a shame I am such a slacker!

//Slacks off.