Ethel Merman's cameo role in this film as Lieutenant Hurwitz was her last film appearance.
Ethel Merman's cameo role in this film as Lieutenant Hurwitz was her last film appearance. One character in this film accidentally rips out another character's IV drip with her guitar while singing "River of Jordan". One character in this film asks Joey whether he's ever been in a Turkish prison before. An old white lady in this film translates jive for two African-American men who can't communicate with other white people. In this film, McCroskey declares that he picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue, Roger Murdock denies that he is really Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Dr. Rumack repeatedly tells various characters not to call him "Shirley". For 10 points, rampant food poisoning necessitates Ted Striker taking over as pilot in what 1980 Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker spoof film that revived the careers of Robert Stack, Lloyd Bridges, and Leslie Nielsen? 
Ethel Merman's cameo role in this film as Lieutenant Hurwitz was her last film appearance.
Airplane! 