Background
Abrahams was the son of a stockbroker.
Abrahams was the son of a stockbroker.
Among his credits are nine episodes of spy series The Manitoba from United Network Command for Law and Enforcement and, as associate producer, the films Doctor Dolittle, Planet of the Apes, Goodbye, Mr. Chips and Beneath the Planet of the Apes, co-writing the story of the latter. His interest in film was piqued while he worked at Bank of America who tasked him to try and sell several unsuccessful films the bank had invested in to the television market.
He began his career by producing several early science fiction series: Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1950-1955) and Tales of Tomorrow (1951-1953).
And then a live anthology series for General Electric Theater (1954-1955) which included actors James Dean and Natalie Wood. As a producer at Music Corporation of America in the 1950s, Abrahams was an exec producer on early television shows including "Suspicion," "Kraft Suspense Theatre" and "General Electric Theatre," hosted by Ronald Reagan.
Foreign Herbert B. Leonard Prods. and American Broadcasting Company, he produced the on-the-road adventure "Route 66" in 1962-1963 and the spy-themed "United Network Command for Law and Enforcement" in 1964-1965. From 1969-1971, he was vp in charge of production at Ray Stark"s Rastar Prods., which during his tenure produced 1970"s "The Owl and the Pussycat." Abrahams joined the American Film Theatre company in 1972 as an executive, and he closed production on eight films – including John Frankenheimer"s "Iceman" and the Katharine Hepburn-starring "A Delicate Balance" – in a span of 10 months.
In the 1980s, Abrahams worked on telefilms including "Separate Tables" starring Julie Christie and "The Architecture of Triumph" starring Anthony Hopkins.
He worked as vp production in 1986 for World Media Prods. He later worked as producer-in-residence for the Center for Advanced Film and Television at the American Film Institute, serving from 1989 to 1994.