His humor made the whole world laugh. Jim Abrahams, the writer and director to whom we owe cult comedies Is there a pilot on the plane?, Hot shots!, Top secret! AND Is there a policeman to save the queen?He died this Tuesday, November 26.
According to his son Joseph, contacted by the American media The Hollywood Reporter, the filmmaker died of natural causes at his home, located in Santa Monica. He was 80 years old.
Comedy revival with “ZAZ”
Forming the cult trio nicknamed “the ZAZ” with brothers David and Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams contributed to the resurgence of comedy in the United States by dynamiting its codes with unconventional humor and a unique sense of absurdity and parody.
The three friends first became known in 1977 when they worked on the script for the sketch film. Hamburger Movie Sandwich by John Landis. But it was in 1980 when ZAZ achieved recognition with Is there a pilot on the plane?a hilarious parody of the disaster movies of the 60s and 70s (Airport, at zero hour), full of original visual jokes and absurd lines, now cult.
A real success at the time, Is there a pilot on the plane? It will generate 158 million dollars in revenue worldwide and just under 3 million viewers in France and will consolidate Jim Abrahams and the Zucker brothers as important figures in comedy.
Success of the trilogy “Is there a police…”
Having difficulty matching the success of Is there a pilot on the plane? ZAZ turned to television in 1982 and produced the series. police squadfor ABC, with Leslie Nielsen, who will give rise to the trilogy Is there a police…?
In 1984, Jim Abrahams co-wrote and co-directed with David and Jerry Zucker a new parody, Top secret!an anachronistic pastiche of World War II films, starring Val Kilmer as a rock star invited to perform at a festival in the German Democratic Republic. Despite the crazy jokes and crazy staging, Top secret! will fail with the general public.
However, ZAZ was successful again in 1986 with Is there someone who will kill my wife? but especially two years later with the cult Is there a policeman to save the queen?first part of the crazy adventures of Inspector Frank Drebin, played by Leslie Nielsen, adapted from his television series Police Squad.
Three sequels will follow this classic. A fourth part is also expected for 2025, directed by Akiva Schaffer, with Liam Neeson in the role of Frank Drebin.
In addition to ZAZ, Jim Abrahams also shined alone when directing the film in 1991. hot shotsparody of Top gun with Charlie Sheen and its sequel, Hot shots! 2in 1993, which this time made fun of the saga. Rambo. Among his latest contributions, the filmmaker had scripted the film scary movie 4 in 2006.
Source: BFM TV
