James S. Abrahams is an American movie director and writer, best known as a member of the team Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker.
Abrahams was born to a Jewish family May 10, 1944 in Shorewood, Wisconsin, the son of Louise M. (née Ogens), an educational researcher, and Norman S. Abrahams, a lawyer. He attended Shorewood High School.
He has a home in Eagle River, Wisconsin where he has spent summers since he was a child.
He is best known for the spoof movies that he co-wrote and produced with brothers Jerry Zucker and David Zucker, such as Airplane! and The Naked Gun series.
The team of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker (also referred to as “ZAZ”) began when the three men grew up together in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He directed movies on his own, such as Big Business, and then the parody Hot Shots! and its 1993 sequel, Hot Shots! Part Deux.
1978
The Kentucky Fried Movie, wrote
1980
Airplane! directing debut
Religious Zealot #6
1984
Top Secret!
1986
Ruthless People
1988
Big Business
Coming to America, produced
Face on Cutting Room Floor
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!, wrote
1990
Cry-Baby, produced
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
1991
Hot Shots!
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear, produced
1993
Hot Shots! Part Deux
1994
Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult, produced
An Introduction to the Ketogenic Diet (short docu)
1998
Mafia!
2006
Scary Movie 4, writer