30 YEARS OF THE GRISWOLDS!
In honour of Christmas Vacation’s 30th anniversary, Woman’s Day shares surprising facts about the classic holiday flick
1 The movie is based on the short story Christmas ’59, penned in 1980 by screenwriter John Hughes for National Lampoon magazine.
2
Clark Griswold (played by Chevy Chase) wears a black Chicago Bears hat in all four films of the original
National Lampoon series: Vacation (1983), European Vacation (1985),
Christmas Vacation
(1989) and Vegas Vacation (1997) (1997).
3 Christmas
Vacation was one of two holiday films released in 1989. The other was the children’s flick Prancer, and actor Johnny Galecki – aka Russ – starred in both.
4
Most of the movie was shot in LA using fake snow. But the famous scene where the Griswolds go hunting for the perfect Christmas tree was filmed on location in Breckenridge, Colorado. (The hill where the kids go sledding is also a popular ski slope in the area.) 5 Randy Quaid (right) based crazy cousin Eddie’s mannerisms on a guy he knew growing up in Texas. The character went on to become his best-known role. “People still come up to me and quote lines,” the actor once said.
6
Cousin Eddie’s son Rocky (Cody Burger) doesn’t speak a single word in the entire film. 7 Christmas Vacation is the only movie in the franchise that doesn’t feature the song Holiday Road. Instead, songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil composed a festive new tune, appropriately titled Christmas Vacation.
8
Actress Ellen Latzen (aka Ruby Sue Johnson) later admitted she had a “huge crush” on Johnny, who played her cousin, during filming. “I remember having little marshmallow fights with him,” she said, “and always trying to get his attention”. 9 Chevy broke his pinky finger while filming the scene where his character destroys a Santa holiday lawn ornament after failing to get the Christmas lights to turn on. “It hurt so much,” recalled the star, adding that it’s the reason he “kept kicking” all the decorations.
10
If Aunt Bethany’s voice sounds familiar, it’s because the actress who portrayed her, Mae Questel, voiced iconic animated characters Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.
11 The film’s executive producer Matty Simmons has a hidden cameo in the film: His face is on the cover of the magazine that gets stuck to Clark’s hand as he lays in bed talking to Ellen.
12
Despite being a Christmas movie, no part of Christmas Vacation takes place on Christmas Day. 13 Clark’s boss Frank Shirley was played by Bill Murray’s brother Brian DoyleMurray (right).
14
Frank Capra III, the grandson of
It’s A Wonderful Life director Frank Capra, was an assistant director on Christmas Vacation. His grandad’s 1946 film can be seen playing on the Griswolds’ TV when they’re putting up the tree. 15 Famed film critic Roger Ebert wasn’t a fan of the movie, giving it just two stars. But Vacation fans clearly felt differently – it was the highest grossing film in the series.
16
Beverly D’angelo improvised in that now famous scene where her character Ellen grabs husband Clark’s crotch when the SWAT team storms their home. “I did that spur of the moment, just to see if anyone on set noticed,” shared the actress. “We did a couple of takes and no one mentioned it!”
17 Four former Saturday Night Live cast
members appear in the film: Chevy, Randy, Brian and Julia LouisDreyfus (right).
18
Did you recognise the Griswolds’ neighbour’s home? It’s the same house where the Murtaugh family lived in the Lethal Weapon films. 19 Chevy, Beverly and Juliette Lewis (who played their daughter Audrey) reprised their roles in 2012 for an Old Navy commercial.
20
It’s the only film in the franchise to get a sequel. In 2003, the TV movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure, was released, starring Randy and series regular
Miriam Flynn.