Jim Abrahams | |
|---|---|
| Born | James S. Abrahams May 10, 1944 Shorewood, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Occupation | Film director, film producer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse(s) | Nancy Cocuzzo |
James S. Abrahams (ˈeɪbrəmz) (born May 10, 1944) is an American movie director and writer, best known as a member of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.
Life and career[]
Abrahams was born to a Jewish family[1] in Shorewood, Wisconsin, the son of Louise M. (née Ogens), an educational researcher, and Norman S. Abrahams, a lawyer.[2] He attended Shorewood High School.[2] He has a home in Eagle River, Wisconsin where he has spent summers since he was a child.[3]
He may be best known for the spoof movies that he co-wrote and produced with brothers Jerry Zucker and David Zucker, such as Airplane! (for which he was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay) and The Naked Gun series. The team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (also referred to as "ZAZ") really began when the three men grew up together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He directed movies on his own, such as Big Business, and further honed his skills in parody with Hot Shots! and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux. [citation needed]
Abrahams and his wife, Nancy (née Cocuzzo) co-founded The Charlie Foundation To Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy.
Filmography[]
Films[]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | No | Yes | No | |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
| 1986 | Ruthless People | Yes | No | No | |
| 1988 | Big Business | Yes | No | No | |
| The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! | No | Yes | Yes | ||
| 1990 | Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael | Yes | No | No | |
| 1991 | Hot Shots! | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1993 | Hot Shots! Part Deux | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 1994 | An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet | Yes | No | No | Documentary short |
| 1998 | Mafia! | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2006 | Scary Movie 4 | No | Yes | No |
Executive Producer only
- Cry-Baby (1990)
- The Naked Gun 2 1⁄2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
- Naked Gun 33 1⁄3: The Final Insult (1994)
Acting roles[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | The Kentucky Fried Movie | Technician #1 / Announcer |
| 1980 | Airplane! | Religious Zealot #6 |
| 1984 | Top Secret! | German Soldier in Prop Room |
| 1988 | Coming to America | Face on Cutting Room Floor |
| 1991 | Oscar | Postman |
Television[]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Police Squad! | Yes | Yes | Executive | Creator; Episode "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" |
| 1997 | ...First Do No Harm | Yes | No | Executive | TV Movie |
| 2019 | Late Night Berlin | No | No | Creative | Episode "Folge 42" |
Acting roles[]
| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | Performer | Part as Kentucky Fried Theatre in one episode |
| 1974 | The Midnight Special |
References[]
- ↑ Desser, David; Friedman, Lester D. (2004). American Jewish Filmmakers. pp. 166. ISBN 9780252071539. https://books.google.com/books?id=W4Aqh7u9qCQC&q=Jim+Abrahams+jew&pg=PA166.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Jan Uebelherr (December 28, 2012). "Louise Abrahams Yaffe: 'Airplane' co-creator's mother set her own course: Yaffe was advocate for the aging, occasional actress". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.jsonline.com/news/obituaries/airplane-cocreators-mother-set-her-own-course-m686cai-185107091.html.
- ↑ Up-North Escape – All Ways Forward Retrieved 2018-11-01.
External links[]
- Jim Abrahams at the Internet Movie Database
- biodata, The New York Times; accessed April 23, 2014.
- Charlie's Story; accessed November 25, 2014.
| Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker | ||
|---|---|---|
| Main | David Zucker • Jim Abrahams • Jerry Zucker | |
| Collaborative works | The Kentucky Fried Movie (1977, writers only) • Airplane! (1980) • Police Squad! (1982) • Top Secret! (1984) • Ruthless People (1986) • The Naked Gun series (1988–1994) | |
| Solo works | David Zucker | BASEketball (1998) • My Boss's Daughter (2003) • Scary Movie 3 (2003) • Scary Movie 4 (2006) • An American Carol (2008) |
| Jim Abrahams | Big Business (1988) • Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990) • Hot Shots! (1991) • Hot Shots! Part Deux (1993) • ...First Do No Harm (1997) • Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998) | |
| Jerry Zucker | Ghost (1990) • First Knight (1995) • Rat Race (2001) | |