Chevy Chase to attend ‘Christmas Vacation’ screening in Detroit
“We're gonna press on, and we're gonna have the hap-haphappiest Christmas since Bing Crosby tap-danced with Danny (expletive) Kaye!”
That's Clark Griswold predicting an enjoyable holiday in 1989's “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation,” ranked No. 2 on Esquire's list of “The 40 Best Christmas Movies.”
Its star, Chevy Chase — a member of the original “Saturday Night Live” cast, who also starred in the comedies “Caddyshack” and “Fletch” — will host a screening of “Christmas Vacation” in “An Evening with Chevy Chase” Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, where Chase will answer questions and speak about his career.
“I'm (touring) many cities,” Chase says in a telephone interview. “(People) get to see ‘Christmas Vacation' — a movie I loved — then they get to see the star — me. That's a big deal for thousands; they love it. I love it because I love to be reminded again of that movie and how much fun it was to make it.”
In “Christmas Vacation” — the third in Lampoon's “Vacation” franchise — the clueless Clark wants to have a traditional family Christmas with his wife, Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo), son Rusty (Johnny Galecki) and Audrey (Juliette Lewis). In every “Vacation” movie, Russ and Audrey have been portrayed by different actors.
“It's a long-running joke,” says Chase, 78, who lives in Westchester, N.Y. “It's too much fun to keep these kids young.”
Clark also invites extended family, played by actors from yesteryear: John Randolph, Diane Ladd, E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts, William Hickey and Mae Questel, who originally voiced Betty Boop, in her final film.
“I loved being with those older actors; they made me look better,” Chase says.
Things go badly, of course. Clark can't get the Christmas lights to work. Dinner is a debacle. The cat gets electrocuted. The Christmas tree burns down. There's trouble with the neighbors (one's played by Julia LouisDreyfuss). Uncouth Cousin Eddie (Randy Quaid) shows up uninvited. Clark learns he's not getting his Christmas bonus, so Cousin Eddie kidnaps Clark's boss (Brian Doyle-Murray), prompting a SWAT team response.
Chase broke his pinky punching a yard decoration during filming — and it was used in the final cut.
“Here's what happened,” he says. “I couldn't get the lights on. I kept trying to make it work and got so upset about it. This is for real, by the way, as I looked to my right while they were shooting, I realized a there was this group of reindeer on the lawn. I decided, ‘Why not go over there and punch them in anger?' In my head, I thought they'd be made out of rubber, anything but what they were made out of, which was a hard plastic. I punched that thing and — whoa! — broke my finger. We still kept shooting right there, but I could feel that broken finger for some time. What a great joy!”
“Christmas Vacation” was based on a short story, “Christmas '59,” which the late John Hughes — a Lansing native who wrote the first three “Vacation” movies — penned for “National Lampoon” magazine in 1980.
“I thought John was a good writer,” Chase says. “(He) handed us something really good.”
Chase says he keeps in touch with D'Angelo, his onscreen wife throughout the franchise.
“I love her,” he says. “We're still very close. We talk all the time. She knows every big star in the business. She's just a funny, lovely woman. In putting together the first film, they auditioned many girls — they were called ‘girls' back then. She stood out because she was riotously funny and fun to be with — that's my Bev.”
“National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” will play at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 9, at the Masonic Temple, 500 Temple St., Detroit. Following the screening, star Chevy Chase will speak about his career and answer audience questions. Tickets are $49.50 to $755 at AXS.com.