SANTA MONICA, California — Jim Abrahams, the writer-director who helped create such comedic classics as “Airplane!” and the “Naked Gun” series of films, has died at the age of 80, reports say.
Variety reports that Abrahams’ son confirmed his father died Tuesday of natural causes while at home in Santa Monica, Calif.
“Jim Abrahams redefined the boundaries of humor through groundbreaking works like ‘Airplane!’ and ‘The Naked Gun’ series,” National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson said in a statement to Variety. “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.”
Abrahams and the Zucker duo first gained attention with “The Kentucky Fried Movie,” released in 1977, but it was their collaboration on 1980′s “Airplane!” that really took off. The spoof remains one of the most popular and most quoted comedies of all time.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, “Airplane!” grossed $83.5 million after being made on a budget of $3.5 million. At the time of its released, it was the No. 3 grossing big-screen comedy in history, behind “Animal House” and “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Abrahams went on to write three “Naked Gun” movies, as well as “Hot Shots” and “Scary Movie Part 4,” all of which followed the rapid-joke pattern of “Airplane!”
Abrahams was born in Shorewood, Wisconsin, on May 10, 1944, according to IMDB.com. He met the Zuckers in 1971 while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The successful trio would later be referred to as ZAZ.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy Cocuzzo, three children, and three grandchildren.