Jim Abrahams, co-writer of ‘Airplane!’ and ‘The Naked Gun,’ dies at 80

Jim Abrahams, a writer and manager down slapstick comedies similar “Airplane!” and “The Naked Gun” series, has died. He was 80 years old.

The origin of decease was earthy causes, his lad Josh said successful a statement. He died astatine his location successful Santa Monica.

Along with puerility friends Jerry and David Zucker, the trio of Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker helped popularize the spoof genre, filling their movies with word play and sight gags.

The 3 started The Kentucky Fried Theater astatine the University of Wisconsin, which led to Abrahams penning “Kentucky Fried Movie” successful 1977 for manager John Landis.

Clockwise, from bottom-left: David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Howard Koch, Robert K. Weiss and Jim Abrahams connected the acceptable of “Airplane!,” successful 1980, (Paramount / courtesy Everett Collection)

They went connected to marque “Airplane!,” a rotation connected catastrophe movies, successful 1980; “Top Secret!” successful 1984, a parody of some Elvis and spy films, starring Val Kilmer; and “Ruthless People”, with Danny DeVito and Bette Midler, successful 1986.

The ZAZ drama squad went connected to co-create the TV bid “Police Squad,” different deadpan showcase for “Airplane!” prima Leslie Nielsen. The short-lived amusement led to 3 “Naked Gun” movies and a caller vocation section for Nielsen arsenic a comedic actor. Abrahams besides has a posthumous recognition connected the upcoming sequel starring Liam Neeson.

On his own, Abrahams wrote and directed “Hot Shots!,” a parody of “Top Gun,” “Hot Shots! Part Deux,” a parody of the “Rambo” series, “Jane Austen’s Mafia!,” a spoof of “The Godfather” and “Scary Movie 4,” which marked his past screenplay and a last collaboration with David Zucker.

Abrahams was calved May 10, 1944, successful Shorewood, Wisconsin.

(L-R) Actor Robert Hays, NBA great/actor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, manager Jim Abrahams and producers Jerry Zucker and David Zucker be the “Airplane!” 30th Anniversary Reunion property announcement astatine Air Hollywood Studio connected September 19, 2013 successful Pacoima, California. (Photo by David Livingston/Getty Images)

He is survived by his wife, Nancy Cocuzzo; children Jamie, Joseph and Charlie; and grandchildren Caleb, James and Isaac, according to Variety.

Abrahams was the laminitis of the Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies, a nonprofit that fights epilepsy, different neurological disorders and prime cancers and is named aft his son.

“I had to bash thing I could to assistance different families who were surviving the nightmare from which we had yet awoken,” helium wrote successful an effort for Cure Epilepsy.