Charlotte Ann Zucker (née Lefstein; March 10, 1921 – September 5, 2007) was an American actress. She was the mother of filmmakers

David David (; , "beloved one") (traditional spelling), , ''Dāwūd''; grc-koi, Δαυΐδ, Dauíd; la, Davidus, David; gez , ዳዊት, ''Dawit''; xcl, Դաւիթ, ''Dawitʿ''; cu, Давíдъ, ''Davidŭ''; possibly meaning "beloved one". w ...

and

Jerry Zucker Jerry Gordon Zucker (born March 11, 1950) is an American film producer, director, and writer known for his role in directing comedy spoof films such as ''Airplane!'' and ''Top Secret!'', and the Best Picture-nominated supernatural drama film ''Gh ...

, and appeared in many of their films.

Early life and education

Zucker was born on March 10, 1921, and grew up in Manhattan. Her father, Harry Lefstein, was a tailor, and her mother, Sarah (née Seiden) was a housewife. She earned a degree in speech and theater at

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

, and appeared in stage performances at the Henry Street Neighborhood Playhouse. She then moved to Milwaukee to teach English at a junior high school. She graduated from the

University of Wisconsin in Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

with a master's degree.

Career

Zucker had appeared in community theater productions in Florida and in

Shorewood, Wisconsin Shorewood is a village in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 13,859 at the 2020 census. History In the early 19th century when the first European American settlers arrived, the Shorewood area was controlled by Nativ ...

. She was a member of the Jewish Community Center Readers Theater-Milwaukee. She made her screen debut on ''

The Kentucky Fried Movie ''The Kentucky Fried Movie'' is a 1977 American independent sketch comedy film, produced by Kim Jorgensen, Larry Kostroff, and Robert K. Weiss, and directed by John Landis. Among the numerous star cameos are George Lazenby, Bill Bixby, Henry Gi ...

'' (1977). She appeared in a total of 17 films, including ''

Airplane! ''Airplane!'' (alternatively titled ''Flying High!'') is a 1980 American parody film written and directed by the brothers David and Jerry Zucker, and Jim Abrahams in their directorial debuts, and produced by Jon Davison. It stars Robert Hay ...

'', ''

Ghost A ghost is the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to rea ...

'', ''

First Knight ''First Knight'' is a 1995 medieval film based on Arthurian legend, directed by Jerry Zucker. It stars Sean Connery as King Arthur, Richard Gere as Lancelot, Julia Ormond as Guinevere and Ben Cross as Malagant. The film follows the rogue La ...

'' and ''

Rat Race A rat race is an endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit. The phrase equates humans to rats attempting to earn a reward such as cheese, in vain. It may also refer to a competitive struggle to get ahead financially or routinely. The term is ...

'', which were directed and produced by her sons,

and

. She also appeared at the Second Avenue Theater, New York, reading selections from

Molly Picon Molly Picon ( yi, מאָלי פּיקאָן; born Malka Opiekun; February 28, 1898 – April 5, 1992) was an American actress of stage, screen, radio and television, as well as a lyricist and dramatic storyteller. She began her career in Yidd ...

's autobiography.

Personal life

From 1941 to her death in 2007, she was married to Burton Zucker, who was a real estate developer. She had three children,

Jerry Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

and Susan. On September 5, 2007, Zucker died from cancer in

, aged 86. She was buried at Second Home Cemetery in

Greenfield, Wisconsin Greenfield is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Milwaukee County, Greenfield is one of many bedroom communities in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 37,803 as of the 2020 Census. History On March 8, 1839, the To ...

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Zucker, Charlotte 1921 births 2007 deaths 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses Brooklyn College alumni Burials in Wisconsin Deaths from cancer in Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni