Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker

Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker
Other namesKentucky Fried Theatre
Notable workThe Kentucky Fried Movie
Airplane!
Top Secret!
Ruthless People
The Naked Gun
Comedy career
Years active1971–1994
MediumFilm
GenreSlapstick comedy
Subjects
Members

Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (abbreviated to ZAZ) was an American comedy filmmaking trio consisting of Jim Abrahams and brothers David and Jerry Zucker who specialised in writing slapstick comedy films during the 1980s. Members of the team have often collaborated with writer Pat Proft.

History

David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker knew one another as children while growing up in Shorewood, Wisconsin and while attending Shorewood High School, which is sometimes referenced in their work. While attending the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the trio founded a small theater known as The Kentucky Fried Theater in 1971 which led to their sketch comedy film The Kentucky Fried Movie in 1977. This was followed by the trio's breakout hit Airplane! in 1980, which remains a revered comedic milestone. Subsequent collaborations include Top Secret!, Ruthless People, and The Naked Gun.

All of their projects relied heavily on parodies, visual gags and breaking of the fourth wall, and established a strong 1980s cult following. The notable stylistic exception is Ruthless People; a more traditional farce that was directed by the trio but, unlike their other productions, not written by them. The trio's status as a three-person team of co-directors is highly unusual, although some of their later projects were directed by David Zucker working solo and with Jerry Zucker and Abrahams credited only as producers and/or writers.

The trio split up in the 1990s for fiscal and creative reasons, stating that there were "too many guys sitting in the same chair". They also said that they had been treated unfairly by the studios that produced their films, claiming that they failed to see any profits from Ruthless People. Nevertheless, the three still maintained a close friendship until Abrahams died in 2024.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Filmography

Television

Year Title Directors Writers Executive Producers Notes
1976 Big John, Little John No Yes No Episode "Abracadbra"[7]
1982 Police Squad! Yes Yes Yes Episode "A Substantial Gift (The Broken Promise)" (pilot); also series creators

Film

Year Title Directors Writers Executive Producers Notes
1977 The Kentucky Fried Movie No Yes No Also cameos
1980 Airplane! Yes Yes Yes
1984 Top Secret! Yes Yes Yes Co-written with Martin Burke; also cameos
1986 Ruthless People Yes No No
1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! David Zucker only Yes Yes Co-written with Pat Proft
1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear David Zucker only David Zucker only Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker only co-written with Pat Proft; David Zucker cameo
1992 Brain Donors No No Yes
1994 Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult No David Zucker only Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker only David Zucker cameo

Solo work

Jim Abrahams

Year Title Director Writer Executive Producer Notes
1988 Big Business Yes No No
1990 Cry-Baby No No Yes
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael Yes No No
1991 Hot Shots! Yes Yes No
1993 Hot Shots! Part Deux Yes Yes No
1994 An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet Yes No No Documentary short
1997 ...First Do No Harm Yes Yes Yes TV movie
1998 Mafia! Yes Yes No
2006 Scary Movie 4 No Yes No
2018 Voice of the Epilepsies No No Yes Documentary film

David Zucker

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1987 Our Planet Tonight No No Executive TV movie
1993 For Goodness Sake Yes Yes Yes Short film
1995 A Walk in the Clouds No No Yes
1996 High School High No Yes Yes
For Goodness Sake II No No Executive Short film
1998 BASEketball Yes Yes Yes Also executive music producer
2000 Absolutely True No No Executive
2002 Phone Booth No No Yes
2003 My Boss's Daughter Yes No No Also wrote early draft screenplay
Scary Movie 3 Yes No No
2006 Scary Movie 4 Yes No No
2008 An American Carol Yes Yes Yes
The Onion Movie No No Yes
Superhero Movie No No Yes
2013 Scary Movie 5 No Yes Yes Also directed additional scenes
2019 Late Night Berlin No No Creative Episode "Folge 42"

Jerry Zucker

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1987 Our Planet Tonight No No Executive TV movie
1990 Ghost Yes No No
1993 My Life No No Yes
1995 A Walk in the Clouds No No Yes
First Knight Yes No Yes
1997 My Best Friend's Wedding No No Yes
2001 Rat Race Yes No Yes
2002 Unconditional Love No No Yes
2010 Fair Game No No Yes
2011 Friends with Benefits No No Yes
2012 Mental No No Yes
2013 Dear Dumb Diary No No Executive
2019 Late Night Berlin No No Creative Episode "Folge 42"

References