Jim Abrahams
- Writing
- May 10, 1944 · Shorewood, Wisconsin, USA
- November 26, 2024
Biography
Jim Abrahams (May 10, 1944 – November 26, 2024) was an American movie director and writer. Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, to a Jewish family, and attended Shorewood High School. He was 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. Abrahams later produced 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.
Known for
Filmography
- The Naked Gun · Original Film Writer
- Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty · Jim Abrahams
- FAT: A Documentary · Self
- Kareem: Minority of One · Self
- Scary Movie 4 · Screenplay
- Jane Austen's Mafia! · Director, Screenplay
- ...First Do No Harm · Director, Producer
- Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult · Executive producer
- An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet · Director
- Hot Shots! Part Deux · Director, Screenplay
- Hearts of Hot Shots! Part Deux—A Filmmaker's Apology
- Brain Donors · Executive producer
- Hot Shots! · Director, Writer
- The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear · Executive producer, Original Series Creator
- Oscar · Postman (uncredited)
- Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael · Director
- Cry-Baby · Executive producer
- The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! · Writer, Executive producer
- Coming to America · Face on Cutting Room Floor
- Big Business · Director
- Ruthless People · Director
- Top Secret! · German Soldier in Prop Room (uncredited), Director
- Cocaine Blues · Self
- Police Squad! · Writer, Producer
- Airplane! · Religious Zealot #6, Director
- The Kentucky Fried Movie · Various, Writer
- Big John, Little John · Writer