[Quick Summary: Lt. Frank Drebin comes out of retirement to go undercover to stop a terrorist bomber who is targeting the Academy Awards ceremony.]
Trying to top a gag with more gags is tricky.
This script has a good example, and relies on exaggerating the next gag in line:
- Frank, Nordberg, and the Captain are hiding in plain sight.
- They are waiting for goons to appear.
- Three women are trying to drag four carriages up or down the stairs. The cops help them, reluctantly.
- The goons arrive. The cops let go of the carriages to fire at goons.
- Then the writers mock this whole stair situation by the worst possible things into this tense moment, ex. politicians, etc.
- It's also quite funny to even mock the seriousness of this situation by distracting Frank and have him pick up a shiny object during the gun battle.
INT. TRAIN STATION - DAY
ANGLE - NORDBERG
starts FIRING, realizes he's let go of both his baby carriages. He runs out of FRAME chasing them. Right behind Nordberg, a runaway lawnmower careens through FRAME, followed by a Japanese GARDENER who throws up his hands and mouths the words, "My lawnmower!" [This parodies the "preciousness" of the carriages.]
ANGLE - FRANK
Guns blazing, diving, FIRES at the Goons.
ANGEL - GOONS
One is hit, rolls down the stairs. The Other is hit -- he rolls up the stairs. [This gag tops the previous one because it's so random and we know people can't roll UP the stairs.]
ANGLE - FRANK
His eyes spot something on the ground. A surprised look crosses his face. Still FIRING, he bends down and picks the object up -- it's a bright, shiny quarter. What luck! Happily, Frank pockets the coin, his gun still blazing away. [Another nonsequitur that works because it's such a ridiculous tangent.]
ANGLE - ED
still struggling to free his gun from his sock. He sits down on the top stair, really goes at it.
ANGLE - FRANK
FIRING away.
O.S. VOICE: Hey, look, it's the President!
ANOTHER ANGLE
It's BILL CLINTON coming down the stairs with his Secret Service entourage. [This tops the lawnmower as "things that shouldn't be in a shootout."]
RESUME - FRANK
surprised to see the President.
O.S. VOICE: And the Pope!
ANGLE - HIS HOLINESS
is also coming down the stairs with his Security People. [The Pope definitely tops the President as people who would never be here.]
ANGLE - HEZBOLLAH FANATIC
his body rigged with grenades and dynamite suddenly comes out of nowhere, rushes toward the President and the Pope.
FANATIC (screaming): Yee ah! [Fanatics are the absolute worst people to have in a shootout with babies, the President and the Pope.]
ANGLE - FRANK
can't believe this is happening. He whips his gun up, shoots the Hezbollah.
RESUME - HEZBOLLAH
Clothes-lined by Frank's bullet, drops like a rock.
RESUME - FRANK
O.S. VOICE: Oh my God! Look! It's disgruntled Postal Workers!
Frank turns to see
ANGLE - TOP OF STAIRS
It's a human wave attack of Postal Workers, all in uniform, all with automatic weapons, some with mail sacks. They start spraying the place with AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE. [This made me laugh the hardest because we expect the writers to top the fanatics with someone more traditionally physically violent, and they went the emotional route to long-suffering government workers.]
WHAT I'VE LEARNED: When trying to top a gag, it's helpful to try unexpected, unusual ways to exaggerate the next gag in line (emotional, physical, psychological, etc.)
Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)(2nd draft, 8th revision, 8/13/93)
by Pat Proft
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