As a cinephile with a penchant for slapstick humor and satire, I can hardly contain my sorrow upon hearing the news of Jim Abrahams‘ passing. The man was a comedy titan, a veritable colossus who left an indelible mark on the genre with his ingenious creations.
Jim Abrahams, a key creator known for hit comedies like ‘Airplane!’, the ‘Naked Gun’ film series, and ‘Police Squad!’ TV show, passed away at his Santa Monica, California residence on November 26, 2024, as reported by Deadline. He was 80 years old.
I, born on May 10, 1944, in Shorewood, WI, had the pleasure of growing up with my brothers David and Jerry Zucker. Together, we are known as “ZAZ.” Our Hollywood journey began with the production of The Kentucky Fried Movie. This film, written by us and directed by John Landis, features a collection of rough, occasionally provocative skits – a concept that might be difficult to execute in today’s standards. In this movie, I had the honor to share the screen with George Lazenby, who played James Bond, Donald Sutherland, and Bill Bixby, famously known for his role as The Incredible Hulk, among other talented actors.
In 1980, the group had their major breakthrough with the movie “Airplane!”, a hilarious parody of ’70s catastrophe films such as “Airport” and “The Poseidon Adventure”. Featuring Leslie Nielsen, Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, Robert Stack, Peter Graves, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and numerous amusing guest appearances, “Airplane!” was both critically acclaimed and commercially successful. It’s one of the most cherished comedies in history. The film received a BAFTA Award nomination for best screenplay, a Golden Globe nomination for best motion picture comedy or musical, and a Writers Guild Award for best comedy adapted from another medium. Interestingly, many people don’t realize that “Airplane!” is actually a humorous and absurd remake of the 1957 action film “Zero Hour!”.
A Career Rich in Comedy
In the year 1982, coinciding with the release of “Airplane 2: The Sequel”, the team of Abrahams and the Zucker brothers debuted their creation, “Police Squad!”, on television screens. Lead character Frank Drebin, portrayed by Nielsen, was a Los Angeles cop. Despite only six episodes being aired before its cancellation, it paved the way for one of ZAZ’s biggest successes – the 1988 film titled “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!“. Nielsen reprised his role in this adaptation of the series, which also featured Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and notably, O.J. Simpson. The movie spawned two sequels – “The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear ” in 1991 and “The Naked Gun 33⅓” in 1994 – and amassed a staggering global box office revenue of over $216 million.
Additionally, ZAZ (the initials of the team consisting of Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker) was responsible for films such as “Top Secret!“, a comedic take on spy movies featuring Val Kilmer and Omar Sharif, and “Ruthless People“, starring Bette Middler and Danny DeVito. Individually, Abrahams created comedies like “Mafia!” (a humorous spin-off of films like “The Godfather” about organized crime) and the two “Hot Shots” movies, which parodied “Top Gun” and “Rambo“. In a shift from his usual genre, Abrahams directed the offbeat drama-comedy “Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael“, starring Winona Ryder and Jeff Daniels in 1191.
Abraham leaves behind his beloved wife, Nancy Cocuzzo, who he shared almost half a century with; sons Joseph and Charles; daughter, Jamie; and three cherished grandchildren. Farewell to an iconic figure and the voice that shaped a comedy era.
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2024-11-27 04:33