David Zucker (filmmaker)

Not to be confused with David Zuckerman or David W Zucker.
David Zucker
Born (1947-10-16) October 16, 1947
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Occupation Film director, Film producer, Screenwriter
Years active 1976-present
Spouse(s) Danielle (Ardolino) Zucker (1997–present; 2 children)

David S. Zucker (born October 16, 1947) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Associated mostly with parody comedies, Zucker is mostly recognized as the director and writer of the critically successful 1980 film Airplane! as well as being the creator of the The Naked Gun franchise.

Personal life

Zucker was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Charlotte A. (Lefstein) and Burton C. Zucker, who was a real estate developer.[1][2] He graduated from Shorewood High School.[3] Zucker is married to Dr. Danielle (Ardolino) Zucker, with whom he has two children, Charles and Sarah. David was raised Jewish from both parents. David and Danielle married in May 1997.[4] His younger brother, Jerry, is his filmmaking partner. The Zucker brothers have a sister, Susan Breslau.

Career

Zucker's movies include The Kentucky Fried Movie in 1977, 1986's Ruthless People, The Naked Gun in 1988, The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear in 1991, BASEketball in 1998, Scary Movie 3 in 2003, its sequel Scary Movie 4 in 2006. Out of 18 works he is associated with, 2002's Phone Booth, which he produced, is the only non-comedic film.

He co-directed several films including Airplane! in 1980 and Top Secret! in 1984; along with his brother, Jerry, and Jim Abrahams, the trio make up the ZAZ team of directors. He has also worked with Pat Proft (with whom he first teamed up on the Naked Gun show Police Squad!) and Craig Mazin (writer of three of the five Scary Movies).

ZAZ and Proft helped develop the parody genre of films, in which jokes are spit out with rapid-fire, using puns, physical humor, wit, and double entendres. Some of the veteran actors of ZAZ's vision of parody include Leslie Nielsen, Lloyd Bridges, Charlie Sheen, Julie Hagerty, and Anna Faris (Faris starred in four of the Scary Movie series).

Looking back on his career in 2009, Leslie Nielsen said the best film he appeared in was The Naked Gun, and that Zucker was his favorite director to work with. Nielsen said of him, "He came to me one time and said, 'Leslie, I'll never make you do anything that is not funny.' And he kept his word."[5] Most consider his greatest work to be Airplane!, which has brought on many accolades (including preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress).

In his movies, his mother, Charlotte (March 10, 1921 - September 5, 2007) was often cast in a small bit part (like the lady trying to put on make-up in Airplane!, one of the Lucille Ball impersonators in Rat Race, and Vincent Ludwig's secretary, Dominique, in The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!).

Zucker has stated that his dream project is a Davy Crockett biopic. He mentioned his enthusiasm for the Davy Crockett project during an interview in 2006 for the feature-length documentary, That Guy: The Legacy of Dub Taylor,[6] on the life of Dub Taylor, which has received support from the Taylor Family and many of Dub's previous co-workers, including Bill Cosby, Peter Fonda, Dixie Carter, Don Collier, Cheryl Rogers-Barnett, as well as many others. The project had its World Premiere at Taylor's Childhood Hometown of Augusta, Georgia on April 14, 2007. The project is from Executive Producers Stokes and James Kicklighter from JamesWorks Entertainment and Professor Pauper Productions. Part of his interview is on YouTube.[7]

Zucker began to focus more on politics starting in 2004 when he began working on political ads for the Republican Party.[8] In 2008, he made the political parody movie An American Carol.[9] In 2015, he made a video he called Side Effects attacking President Barack Obama for his Iran nuclear deal in the form of a parody prescription drug ad.[10][11]

Recurring cast members

Among all of his directed and/or produced parody films, Zucker had frequently cast the late Leslie Nielsen.

Actor Airplane!
Ruthless People
Naked Gun: From
the Files of
Police Squad!

The Naked Gun
2½: The
Smell of Fear

BASEketball
My Boss'
Daughter

Scary Movie 3
Scary Movie 4
An American
Carol

Anthony Anderson No No
Carmen Electra No No
Anna Faris No No
Regina Hall No No
Kevin Hart No No
George Kennedy No No
Michael Madsen No No
Jenny McCarthy No No
Edward Moss No No No
Leslie Nielsen No No No No No No
Priscilla Presley No No
Bill Pullman No No
Simon Rex No No No
Molly Shannon No No
Charlie Sheen No No
O. J. Simpson No No
Ed Williams No No

Filmography

Year Film Director Producer Writer Role
1977 The Kentucky Fried Movie Yes Man/Technician #2/Grunwald
1980 Airplane! Yes Yes Ground Crewman #2
1984 Top Secret! Yes Yes German Soldier in Prop Room
1986 Ruthless People Yes
1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Yes Yes
1991 The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear Yes Yes Davy Crockett
1993 For Goodness Sake Yes
1994 Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult Yes Yes Teleprompter Guy
1995 Your Studio and You Himself
1996 High School High Yes Yes
1998 BASEketball Yes Yes Yes Man with Shooting Hot Dog
2002 Phone Booth Yes
2003 My Boss's Daughter Yes
Scary Movie 3 Yes Yes
2006 Scary Movie 4 Yes Yes Zoltar (voice)
2008 The Onion Movie Yes
Superhero Movie Yes
An American Carol Yes Yes Yes
2013 Scary Movie 5 Yes Yes Packer Fan

References

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