Jim Abrahams, "Airplane!," "Naked Gun" and "Hot Shots!" Master of Mirth, Dies at 80

[branfont]

Jim Abrahams, the writer-director who with brothers Jerry and David Zucker turned the comedy genre on its ear with such zany efforts as "Airplane!", "Police Squad!" and "The Naked Gun" films, died Tuesday. He was 80.

 

Abrahams died of natural causes at his home in Santa Monica, his son Joseph told The Hollywood Reporter.

 

The trio made their first mainstream impression by writing the sketch-filled "Kentucky Fried Movie" (1977), directed by John Landis in his prelude to "Animal House", and they also combined for "Top Secret!" (1984), starring a young Val Kilmer, and "Ruthless People" (1986), featuring Bette Midler and Danny DeVito.

Without his childhood buddies from Wisconsin, Abrahams directed "Big Business" (1988), starring Midler and Lily Tomlin, and co-wrote and helmed "Hot Shots!" (1991) and its 1993 sequel, both starring Charlie Sheen.

 

Joke-filled and laden with sight gags and puns, the humor of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker, or ZAZ as they came to be known, was fast, frenetic and just downright silly. Parody was their specialty. Everything was ripe for ridicule — the more absurd, the better. Nothing demonstrated this better than "Airplane!" (1980).

 

While scouring TV for material, they stumbled upon "Zero Hour!" (1957), a black-and-white melodrama co-written by Arthur Hailey about a troubled World War II pilot (Dana Andrews) who has to overcome his fear of flying when the crew of the commercial plane he’s on falls ill (from eating bad fish!) and he’s the only one who can land the aircraft. They immediately saw the potential for parody.

 

To make it all the more perfect, "Zero Hour!" was owned by Paramount, which was looking to greenlight a ZAZ project in the wake of "The Kentucky Fried Movie". The filmmakers secured the rights for $2,500, commandeered the film’s plot and dialogue and even named their hero Ted Striker (played by Robert Hays) after Andrews’ character.

 

 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/jim-abrahams-dead-airplane-naked-gun-hot-shots-1236071689/

[JustGeorge]

I never saw Mirth, but the others are classics. 

[branfont]

On 26/11/2024 at 17:01, JustGeorge said:

I never saw Mirth, but the others are classics. 

That's because there's no such movie, it's also why I didn't add double quotation marks around it. He was a 'master of mirth.'

Mirth means: gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter.

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I admit that I didn't know him, but going through his list of films I realise that he was a huge influence on my childhood. I think I've seen almost all of them, and every single one was great.

Funny, "Top Secret" came up earlier. It's obviously a sign, I'll be rewatching that this evening.

[Riggers]

[JustGeorge]

On 27/11/2024 at 11:23, branfont said:

That's because there's no such movie, it's also why I didn't add double quotation marks around it. He was a 'master of mirth.'

Mirth means: gladness or gaiety as shown by or accompanied with laughter.

Lol my bad 😆 I tend to miss alot of things, while reading on my phone. 

[+Peter Alexander London Subscriber²]

I worked in a cinema when I  saw Kentucky Fried Movie the first time and after three weeks I must have seen it more than 60 times; I was the only one who could operate the equipment. Every time I saw other details and I realized this is one of the most funniest partnership since Laurel and Hardy and all the original comedians all time. When the other movies; Hot shots, Top Secret, came out I bought the Video Tapes,  Yesss dvd was not invented these days, Blockbuster et al ruled ; those were the days my friend, I hoped they never end. RIP my friend