My list of things to watch before Christmas is getting longer, and yet the time in which to do it shrinks everyday! Every year has it’s list of new Christmas movies to check out. This year has A Christmas Story Christmas, which I reviewed on yesterday’s blog. It’s also has The Santa Clauses with Tim Allen reprising his role as Santa as well as Scott Clark. I’m still trying to fit in Wednesday and Andor into my viewing schedule! But, we always make room for the classics. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is one of them. On the blog, we’re going to explore some of the little known facts about what went into the making of the Christmas classic. How much do you know?
Something seems familiar… The Griswold’s house from the film is the same house that the television show Bewitched filmed in. Also, it’s not a house at all but part of the Warner Bros. back lot. The Griswold’s lovely neighbors next door actually live in the house where Danny Glover’s character lived in Lethal Weapon.
Slim pickings. It’s hard to believe, with Christmas being such a huge holiday to release and theme movies after, but in 1989 Christmas Vacation was one of only two Christmas themed movies released that year. The other was John Hancock’s Prancer.
From commercials to classic. Christmas Vacation was Jeremiah Chechik’s directorial debut. He got his start as a fashion photographer for Vogue. Soon he was shooting commercials. It was Stanley Kubrick who gave his a career a boost when he mentioned that Chechik’s commercials were his favorite piece of American Filmmaking. This, he mentioned in a New York Times article. Soon after that, Chechik’s phone began ringing and studios began to send him scripts. Vacation was the first one that piqued his interest.
Take all of our money! For a movie comedy that had little special effects, the budget was huge for the film. $27 million to be exact. Compare that to the effects laden Ghostbusters whose budget was $30 million.
Taking inspiration from life. Randy Quaid’s Cousin Eddie character is based off of someone he knew in real life, and from Texas no doubt. Quaid said it was in the form of the tongue clicking that Eddie does. But the sweater/Dickie combo he wears? That idea came from Quaid’s wife.
Famous Aunt. Aunt Bethany, who plays the slightly looney old aunt in the film is actually pretty famous. She began her career as the voice of Betty Boop in 1931.
A little help from your cast-mates. Chevy Chases expletive filled tirade that happens near the end of the film was helped along with cue-cards. Beverly D’Angelo revealed in an interview, “this particular scene … was blocked in a way that would allow each of us to have around our necks a piece of rope that was attached to a big cue card. The rant was divided into sections so that he could go all the way through from the beginning to the end without a chance of forgetting his lines … If you watch it, you can see him. His eyes go from character to character as he’s going on in the speech because we’ve got the lines there.”
There have been a few sequels to this Christmas classic, but none can quite measure up to the success of the original. Lighting doesn’t seem to strike twice with these things. But, really, who needs sequels when the first is so iconic?