{"id":2379567,"date":"2024-12-12T23:52:02","date_gmt":"2024-12-13T04:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jim-abrahams-1944-2024-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2024-12-12T23:54:56","modified_gmt":"2024-12-13T04:54:56","slug":"jim-abrahams-1944-2024-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/jim-abrahams-1944-2024-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"Jim Abrahams, 1944-2024 &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">12<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fjim-abrahams-1944-2024-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2379567&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Jim Abrahams, \u200da <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/campaign-2024-an-early-look-at-the-possible-republican-contenders\/\" title=\"Campaign 2024: An Early Look At The Possible Republican Contenders\">notable figure<\/a> in the\u200c world of comedy, passed \u2063away\u2064 at the age of 80 on november 26, 2024. Born on May 10, 1944, in Shorewood,\u2062 Wisconsin, he was a key collaborator with the Zucker brothers, David and Jerry, \u2064with\u2062 whom \u2064he founded the Kentucky\u2064 Fried Theater Company in 1971. \u200bThis group gained attention for\u200c it&#8217;s improv skits and parodies, leading Abrahams and the Zucker brothers \u2062to\u2063 create iconic comedy films like the 1980 spoof *airplane!*, \u200dknown\u200d for its memorable lines and \u2064influence on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/lindsay-lohan-reacts-to-news-that-her-return-to-acting-in-christmas-film-hits-number-1-on-netflix\/\" title=\"Lindsay Lohan Reacts To News That Her Return To Acting In Christmas Film Hits Number 1 On Netflix\">comedy genre<\/a>. This film paved \u200cthe way for a legacy of spoof movies and remains a classic,\u2064 beloved for its humor and innovation.\u2063 Abrahams&#8217; contributions\u200c to cinema,\u200b especially in \u200ccrafting comedies\u200b that\u2064 resonate with audiences, are\u200b celebrated as\u200b part of his significant impact on the film industry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Jim Abrahams, 1944-2024<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>&ldquo;Can you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/aviation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">fly this plane and land it<\/a>?&rdquo; &ldquo;Surely you can&rsquo;t be serious.&rdquo; &ldquo;I am serious &mdash; and don&rsquo;t call me Shirley.&rdquo; This seriously hilarious line, which is in the running for most often-quoted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/movies\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">movie line<\/a> ever, is from the 1980 disaster movie spoof <em>Airplane!<\/em>, one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/comedy\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">greatest comedies<\/a> of the past 50 years. <em>Airplane! <\/em>initiated a run of spoof movies that led to <em>Hot Shots! <\/em>and <em>The Naked Gun <\/em>and whose comedic DNA can be found in the <em>Scream <\/em>series, <em>Austin Powers<\/em>, and <em>Tropic Thunder<\/em>. But for many cinephiles, none of those movies can rival <em>Airplane! <\/em>itself, which contains so many memorable gags and jokes that it seems semi-miraculous that they could all be squeezed into an under-90-minute movie. If you dare to sit through all two hours and 40 minutes of <em>Wicked <\/em>(and that&rsquo;s only Part 1!), you may find yourself wanting to go back to tidier, lighter, and funnier movies like <em>Airplane! <\/em>and <em>The Naked Gun. <\/em>And you may find yourself thinking about Jim Abrahams, one of the three pioneering comedic filmmakers who created them.<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>James Steven Abrahams, who died on Nov. 26 at the age of 80, was born on May 10, 1944, in Shorewood, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wisconsin\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Wisconsin<\/a>, a suburb of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/milwaukee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Milwaukee<\/a>. He and his future filmmaker collaborators, David and Jerry Zucker, knew each other from youth; all three had attended the same high school and college. After having bonded over their mutual love of humor, when the Zucker brothers were thinking about starting their own comedy troupe, they reached out to Abrahams, asking him if he could help them write material for their sketches. With Abrahams on board, they founded the Kentucky Fried Theatre Company in 1971, a kind of Second City (the famous<a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/chicago\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\"> Chicago<\/a> comedy club) for Wisconsin, where they presented improv skits as well as parodies of TV shows and commercials. After experiencing some success in their home state, the following year they moved the theater to Los Angeles, hoping to catch the attention of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/hollywood\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Hollywood directors<\/a> and producers. Their plan worked. During one performance, the young director John Landis (of future <em>Animal House <\/em>and <em>Trading Places <\/em>fame) was in the audience. Impressed with the trio&rsquo;s comedy chops, Landis connected with Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker &mdash; or &ldquo;ZAZ,&rdquo; as they&rsquo;d later be known &mdash; and talked them into compiling their sketches into a movie that he&rsquo;d direct. The resulting film, <em>Kentucky Fried Movie <\/em>(1977), put ZAZ squarely on the American comedy map.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Director Jim Abrahams. (Stefanie Keenan\/Getty Images for TCM)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even so, they struggled to find a taker for their next project, a parody of flight disaster movies in which an angst-ridden former army pilot is called on to fly and land a plane after the pilots are knocked out of commission after having eaten spoiled fish. (Lesson: Airplane sushi is probably never a good idea, especially if you happen to be one of the plane&rsquo;s pilots.) When they finally got a studio to sign on to it, Paramount did so on condition that they could fire ZAZ a week after shooting if they were unsatisfied. When the studio executives saw some of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/you-need-to-create-a-conspiracy-to-claim-the-moon-landing-was-a-hoax-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"You need to create a conspiracy to claim the Moon landing was a hoax - Washington Examiner\">movie&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s first filmed scenes, though, they quickly relented, realizing that they had stumbled on comedic gold. Their bet on ZAZ, and ZAZ&rsquo;s bet on themselves, paid off more spectacularly than any of them could have imagined. Made for only $3.5 million, <em>Airplane! <\/em>went on to make over $171 million, becoming the third <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">highest-grossing box-office comedy<\/a> of all time up to that point.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><strong><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Abrahams and the Zucker brothers declined to participate in Paramount&rsquo;s sequel to <em>Airplane!<\/em>, turning their attention instead to TV, where they were developing <em>Police Squad!<\/em>, a spoof series of police procedurals. The series, which featured Leslie Nielsen as the bumbling, self-serious detective Frank Drebin, was critically successful but was canceled after only six episodes, prompting ZAZ to turn back to film. When their follow-up to <em>Airplane!<\/em>, <em>Top Secret! <\/em>(1984), misfired, and when their subsequent movie <em>Ruthless People <\/em>(1986) proved to be only mildly better, they realized that they had to rethink their approach to moviemaking. Abrahams discerned that their movies needed to be more than just &ldquo;stringing a bunch of scenes together&rdquo; &mdash; that their films needed solid stories and not only a series of good jokes.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Naked Gun<\/em> (1988) demonstrated that they had learned their lesson. Returning to the formula that had worked so well in <em>Airplane!<\/em>,<em> The Naked Gun <\/em>gave Nielsen&rsquo;s Frank Drebin character a starring role as the inept cop who tries to foil a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II. With almost as many quotable lines as <em>Airplane! <\/em>and a cast of respected dramatic actors acting seriously in a silly comedy, <em>The Naked Gun <\/em>became an instant comedy classic, cementing ZAZ as the Pepsi of spoof movie comedy next to Mel Brooks&rsquo;s Coke &mdash; or the other way around, depending on your taste. <em>Airplane! <\/em>or <em>Spaceballs<\/em>? <em>The Naked Gun <\/em>or <em>Young Frankenstein<\/em>? Luckily for movie fans, we don&rsquo;t have to choose. As Frank Drebin says in <em>The Naked Gun, <\/em>&ldquo;You&rsquo;re both right.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em>Daniel Ross Goodman is a&nbsp;<\/em>Washington Examiner<em>&nbsp;contributing writer and the author, most recently, of&nbsp;<\/em>Soloveitchik&rsquo;s Children: Irving Greenberg, David Hartman, Jonathan Sacks, and the Future of Jewish Theology in America<em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jim Abrahams, 1944-2024: &#8220;Can you fly this plane?&#8221; &#8220;Surely you can&#8217;t be serious.&#8221; &#8220;I am serious \u2014 and don&#8217;t call me Shirley.&#8221; This iconic line from the 1980 spoof Airplane! is among the most quoted in film history, showcasing its status as a top comedy of the last 50 years<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2854,"featured_media":2379568,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-666564652.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[7958,39780,46699,32229,32076],"class_list":["post-2379567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-comedy","tag-filmmaking","tag-jim-abrahams","tag-obituary","tag-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/GettyImages-666564652.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2379567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2854"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2379567"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2379567\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2379571,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2379567\/revisions\/2379571"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2379568"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2379567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2379567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2379567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}