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Source: Deadline
Since the earliest days of cinema, filmmakers have sought to use their creations to entertain the masses however they could, with one of the most effective means of getting an emotional response from them was to simply make them laugh. Even before the innovation of sound and the ability for actors to say funny things, comedians have been a staple of the cinematic art form, with the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and Harold Lloyd using their silent comedies to put a smile on those fortunate enough to see them. In the time since, countless actors, writers, and directors have stepped up to demonstrate their exceptional comedic talents: the 1940s saw the rise of comedic duo Abbott and Costello, the 1970s saw British comedy troupe Monty Python cement its legendary status with films like “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, and in the 21st century, people like Paul Feig and Judd Apatow continue to uphold the legacy of comedy cinema that had been established by all those who’d come before them. While it’s hard to pinpoint a specific individual or group as the embodiment of a certain era’s preferred choice of cinematic comedy, there are nonetheless those that stand out more than others. In the 1980s, for example, a trio of filmmakers produced some of their finest works to date – a collection featuring such films as 1980’s “Airplane!” and 1988’s “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” – and more or less redefined what could be achieved with the cinematic medium in terms of humor. This trio consisted of brothers David & Jerry Zucker and Jim Abrahams, the latter of whom has sadly passed away at the age of 80, leaving behind an incredible and unrivaled legacy for future generations to admire and be enraptured by.
Born on May 10th, 1944 to a Jewish family living in Shorewood, Wisconsin, Abrahams had been close companions with the Zucker brothers since as far back as the earliest days of his childhood. The friendship they shared continued to persist into their adulthood, with the three enrolling at the University of Wisconsin – Madison starting in 1971 and forming their own comedy troupe referred to as the Kentucky Fried Theater (an amusing reference to the popular fast food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken). As Abrahams and the Zuckers spent their college years honing their talents as comedic performers, they conceived a variety of humorous sketches and set-ups that, as they also became more familiar with the process of filmmaking, gradually transformed into the foundation of their very first feature film. That film, appropriately titled “The Kentucky Fried Movie”, was released in the year 1977 and acted as an anthology of loosely related sketches that Abrahams had written with the Zuckers. With a budget of $650,000 and the direction of John Landis, the film’s $7.1 million gross was enough to confirm that Abrahams and his collaborators had what it took to break out as successful comedy filmmakers. Landis quickly went off on his own, ultimately directing future comedy classics like 1978’s “Animal House” and 1980’s “The Blues Brothers”, but Abrahams and the Zucker brothers remained a unit, one that allowed them to make more comedy films even better and funnier than they what they had made up to that point.
As a team – one referred to as Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (or ZAZ for short) – Abrahams and the Zucker brothers would simultaneously write and direct two major comedy films during the 1980s and share writing credits for one that David Zucker would direct single-handedly. Easily the most famous of these films was 1980’s “Airplane!”, a spoof of the 1957 film “Zero Hour!” as well as the “Airport” series of the 1970s (many of which have ironically been eclipsed in terms of popularity and recognition by the aforementioned parody). Not only did the team receive both a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and a BAFTA nomination for Best Screenplay, but the film continues to be cherished as one of the best in the history of comedic cinema, even ranking #10 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 funniest American films. Even if Abrahams and the Zuckers’ subsequent films weren’t quite able to reach this same degree of success, they have nonetheless proven capable of showing off their exceptional talents. 1984’s “Top Secret!” took aim at the spy genre the same way “Airplane!” took aim at the disaster genre, and 1988’s “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” (a film adaptation of a short-lived television series Abrahams and the Zucker brothers developed for ABC) did just the same for the police procedural. The latter film may not have had Abrahams directly behind the camera during its production, but the screenplay he contributed to for it still includes a variety of humorous lines and gags that only someone like Abrahams could conceive.
Even after he and the Zuckers chose to go separate ways, Abrahams continued to put his skills as a comedic filmmaker to good use wherever he could, including 1988’s “Big Business” and 1990’s “Welcome Home, Roxy Charmichael”. The year 1991, meanwhile, saw the release of “Hot Shots!”, which he directed and co-wrote alongside Pat Proft, and two years later, its sequel “Hot Shots Part Deux!” made its way to the big screen. With the former being mostly a parody of “Top Gun” and the latter mostly parodying the Rambo franchise (although countless other films are also parodied to a certain extent), Abrahams proved he was more than capable of making quality comedy films without the assistance of the Zuckers. That capability, however, would not last for much longer though; his final directorial effort was the critically panned 1998 crime drama spoof “Mafia!”, and his final writing credit came in 2006 with the release of “Scary Movie 4”, also the recipient of less than stellar critical reviews.
His lowest points, however, are practically nothing compared to the finest feats of comedic cinema he contributed to, and with his passing on Tuesday, November 26th, many have expressed their sadness over the loss of such a beloved talent. While Abrahams is survived by his wife Nancy, their two sons, and three grandchildren, it was Journey Gunderson of the National Comedy Center that best summed up the impact Abrahams left on the medium of cinema. “Jim Abrahams redefined the boundaries of humor through groundbreaking works like ‘Airplane!’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ series,” Gunderson remarks in a statement released shortly after news of Abrahams’ passing broke out. “Together with Jerry and David Zucker, he transformed satire into an art form, inspiring generations of comedians and filmmakers and leaving an indelible mark on the world of comedy.”
