Alan Hale Jr. Had A Small Role In One Of Michael Keaton's Most Underrated Movies

When it comes to great spoof movies, too many people forget about Amy Heckerling's 1984 "Johnny Dangerously." "Johnny Dangerously" — one of Michael Keaton's best movies — was a sendup of crime movies and gangster pictures, lampooning the likes of "The Untouchables" and old-timey James Cagney movies. Keaton starred as the title character, giving a flippant, wiseacre performance for the ages. He's the sweet-hearted gangster who has a lifelong rivalry with the oddball and wicked Danny Vermin (Joe Piscopo). Throughout the film, Vermin notes that he was abused by a family member once. Then he repeats, threateningly: "Once." The abuse gets more outlandish as the film progresses. My sister kicked me in the balls once. Once.

Roman Dimitri plays Roman Moronie, a rival club owner, and a man with an implacable Italian-adjacent accent; Moronie is fond of phrases like "cork suckers" and "fargin' ice-holes." If you've ever heard your Gen-X dad cuss in such a fashion, know that he was inspired by "Johnny Dangerously." It's one of those movies that many might forget is one of the funniest spoofs of its era, merely because it was overshadowed by the likes of Monty Python, "Airplane!," "History of the World, Part I," and "Top Secret!" Make no mistake, though. "Johnny Dangerously" is a stone-cold slapstick classic, possessed of the usual level of self-aware non-reality that such films typically possess. To give you an idea of the kind of comedic metier we're working with, the movie's theme song, "This is the Life," was composed and performed by "Weird Al" Yankovic. 

And, to perhaps put a stamp of approval on the movie, comedy legend Alan Hale, best known for playing the Skipper on Sherwood Schwartz's 1964 sitcom "Gilligan's Island," had a brief role as a uniformed desk sergeant. 

Alan Hale's role isn't huge or even particularly notable in "Johnny Dangerously," but his presence is appreciated. He was joined by multiple other comedy actors from the era, including Danny DeVito, Dom DeLuise (who played the Pope), and Ray Walston. Maureen Stapleton played Johnny's concerned mother, and Peter Boyle played a crime boss named Jocko Dundee. Also in a small role was Neal Israel, the writer of the original "Police Academy" and "Real Genius," and the director of notable comedy hits like "Tunnel Vision," "Bachelor Party," and "Surf Ninjas." Israel, it should be noted, married Amy Heckerling in 1984. 

Alan Hale's presence was just a cherry on top of the cake. It should be noted that Hale, while best known for his work on "Gilligan's Island," was an amazingly prolific character actor with hundreds of credits. He rose through the ranks on TV thanks to his impeccable work ethic, and his talent for comedy. He played the title roles in both 1952's "Biff Baker, U.S.A." and in 1957's "Casey Jones," both respectably popular TV shows of the time. Prior to "Island," Hale spent most of his career appearing in single episodes of all the era's hottest shows and went straight back to that when "Island" went off the air. 

Leading up to 1984, he turned up on "The Love Boat," and starred in a film called "The Red Fury." He frequently reprised his role of the Skipper during this era, appearing in "Gilligan's Planet," guest-spotting on an episode of "ALF," and bantering with his "Gilligan" co-star Bob Denver in the 1987 comedy "Back to the Beach."

For Hale, then, "Johnny Dangerously" wasn't any different than the gigs he was already taking. He likely approached the role with skill and professionalism.