Charlotte Zucker, 86: did roles in her son's movies
Garrett
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=658385
Zucker's favorite role was that of mother
Shorewood woman acted in sons' films
By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
asil...@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Sept. 6, 2007
It's all who you know in Hollywood - or Shorewood - and no one knew that
better than Charlotte Zucker.
So when Jerry and David Zucker began making their movies, they knew just who
they wanted to cast.
"She was in 17 movies," said son David.
Her roles included some of the more notable lines and sight gags in their
films.
"She was the Lipstick Lady in 'Airplane,' " he said. "She kept putting her
lipstick on during turbulence, and she got her face all messed up."
Other credits included a bank scene in "Ghost" with Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick
Swayze and Demi Moore. She was a judge in "Ruthless People," with Danny
DeVito.
In "Naked Gun," she played the secretary hypnotized by Ricardo Montalban's
character, falling into a zombielike state and saying, "I must kill
Papshmir."
"She was always game for anything we threw at her," David said.
Charlotte Zucker died Wednesday, just two weeks after being diagnosed with
advanced cancer. She was 86. She died in hospice care at the east side
apartment she shared with her husband, Burton Zucker. The couple long lived
in Shorewood.
Zucker always said the stage was her first love.
The former Charlotte Lefstein grew up on the lower east side of New York
City, studying and performing with the Henry Street Neighborhood Playhouse
in Manhattan and with other productions.
"Then came a time when I had to be practical and prepare for a career in
which I could make a living," Zucker later said.
The logical choice was speech teacher.
Salutatorian of her 5,000-student Brooklyn high school at 16, she graduated
from Brooklyn College at 19. Then it was off to the University of Wisconsin
in Madison.
"At Madison I met Burt, and got my Mrs. before I earned my M.A.," she said.
"She really devoted herself to raising the three of us kids," David said.
Zucker never lost her interest in theater and the arts. She was a founding
member of the Saturday Arts Club, with members meeting and performing
wherever there was a piano. Often that meant Saturday get-togethers at the
Zucker home.
As her own children grew up, Zucker began teaching, including freshman
composition at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and English at Henry
Clay School in Shorewood.
By all accounts, Zucker didn't push her sons into the entertainment
business, but the dinner table did safely nurture the offbeat Zucker family
humor.
"She would laugh even at my brother's jokes," David said, tongue firmly in
cheek.
The brothers were happy to put family in the movies, especially their mom.
"She loved it," David said. "She always loved hanging around the set and
watching us direct, and always told us we were doing a good job."
Zucker was sweetly matter-of-fact in her favorite role as proud mother.
"People say, 'I want to tell you, Mrs. Zucker, your sons are so wonderful,'
" she said in 1994. "And, you know what? I believe every word."
After appearing in her sons' movies, Zucker returned to the stage in 1991.
She played the murderous Aunt Martha in the Milwaukee Chamber Theatre's
production of "Arsenic and Old Lace" at the Pabst Theater.
Zucker was also involved with other groups, including the Shorewood Players
and the Readers Theater.
"She was always interested in drama from the time she was a little girl,
reciting humorous poems growing up," David said. "She still remembered them,
reciting them to my kids last week when she was in the hospital."
In addition to her husband and sons, Zucker is survived by daughter Susan
Breslau and grandchildren.
The funeral services will be at 11 a.m. today at Congregation Emanu-El B'ne
Jeshurun, 2020 W. Brown Deer Road, River Hills.
Garrett
"Garrett" <sain...@sprintmail.com> wrote in message
news:13e2vl4...@corp.supernews.com...
>
Correcting the header.
R H Draney
>
>
>http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=658385
>
>
>
>Zucker's favorite role was that of mother
>Shorewood woman acted in sons' films
>By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
>asil...@journalsentinel.com
>Posted: Sept. 6, 2007
>It's all who you know in Hollywood - or Shorewood - and no one knew that
>better than Charlotte Zucker.
>
>So when Jerry and David Zucker began making their movies, they knew just who
>they wanted to cast.
>
>"She was in 17 movies," said son David.
>
>Her roles included some of the more notable lines and sight gags in their
>films.
>
>"She was the Lipstick Lady in 'Airplane,' " he said. "She kept putting her
>lipstick on during turbulence, and she got her face all messed up."
>
>Other credits included a bank scene in "Ghost" with Whoopi Goldberg, Patrick
>Swayze and Demi Moore. She was a judge in "Ruthless People," with Danny
>DeVito.
>
>In "Naked Gun," she played the secretary hypnotized by Ricardo Montalban's
>character, falling into a zombielike state and saying, "I must kill
>Papshmir."
>
>"She was always game for anything we threw at her," David said.
She was featured in one of my favorite bits in "Kentucky Fried Movie", where
everyone in the courtroom starts arguing about how to pronounce the word
"heinous"....r
--
"You got Schadenfreude on my Weltanschauung!"
"You got Weltanschauung in my Schadenfreude!"
Hoodude
> She was featured in one of my favorite bits in "Kentucky Fried Movie", where
> everyone in the courtroom starts arguing about how to pronounce the word
> "heinous"....r
One of the memorable scenes/segments to me within that film was
the one including the command, "Send him to... Detroit!", and, a
kung-fu fighter raising an automotive transmission over his head.
Great low-class comedy flick!
--
Transduce That Marimba
R H Draney
Loo: And who are they?
Dr. Klahn: Refuse, found in waterfront bars.
Loo: Shanghaied?
Dr. Klahn: Just lost drunken men who don't know where they are and no longer
care.
Prisoner #1: Where are we?
Prisoner #2: I don't care!
Loo: And these?
Dr. Klahn: These are lost drunken men who don't know where they are, but do
care! And these are men who know where they are and care, but don't drink.
Prisoner #3: I don't know where I am.
Prisoner #4: And I don't drink!
Dr. Klahn: Guards! (move prisoners) Do you care?
Prisoner #5: No.
Dr. Klahn: Put this man in cell #1, and give him a drink.
Guard: What do you drink?
Prisoner #5: I don't care.