>>120408704It was. Same for Stack, Graves, and Bridges; the entire point was for the film to be loaded down with people capable of playing the material perfectly straight.
That sort of casting doesn't work these days because people are used to that sort of actor being in comedies; that really wasn't the case back then.
Sure, people would sometimes shift over to comedy films after careers as heavies or serious leading men types like Fred MacMurray did but they usually altered their performances to be more goofy and over the top.
Airplane! had them just turn in their normal performances but with goofy material, which was a lot less common back then than it is now,.
