Yuletide Facts About ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’
On December 1, 1989, Warner Bros. released the third instalment in the National Lampoon Vacation film franchise: Christmas Vacation. It didn't disappoint, being equally as outrageous as its two predecessors.
Despite receiving mixed reviews from the public and critics, the movie's regarded as a modern Christmas classic. It debuted at No. 2 at the box office, grossing an impressive $11,750,203 during its opening weekend. Let's take a look at some of the lesser-known facts about Christmas Vacation.
'Christmas Vacation' is Based on a Short Story
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation is actually based on the short story, Christmas 59, written by John Hughes for National Lampoon Magazine in 1980. The piece was a follow up to Vacation 58, which was made into the original Vacation movie in '83.
The film pays tribute to Hughes' original short story when Clark is in the attic pulling out old family Christmas films to watch. During the process, he reveals one is titled X-Mas '59. This definitely wasn't a coincidence, either.
John Hughes Didn't Like the Idea of Vacation Sequels
While many of Hughes' films had sequels, he was never excited about any of them. In an interview with William Ham, he said, "The only sequels I was involved in were under duress." Even though he was a writer on European Vacation, he claims it was only because he'd created the characters.
When the studio begged him for another Vacation movie, Hughes said he went along with it because he'd written a short story that would work for it already. As the Vacation films started to deteriorate in quality, he tried to distance himself from them as much as possible.
Clark's Childhood Home May Look Familiar
If Clark's childhood home in the old tapes looks familiar, it's because you've most likely seen it before! It was the same one featured on Bewitched and New Gidget. That house is part of the Warner Bros. backlot, also known as "Blondie Street." The rest of the Griswolds' neighborhood was filmed there, as well.
The house owned by the family's uptight neighbors, Todd and Margo, was also used by the character Roger Murtaugh and his family in Lethal Weapon.
Roger Ebert Didn't Enjoy The Film
While the film's considered a Christmas classic, not everyone fell in love with Christmas Vacation. Well-respected film reviewer Roger Ebert even gave it a two-star review!
He described Christmas Vacation as such: "[It's] curious in how close it comes to delivering on its material: Sequence after sequence seems to contain all the necessary material, to be well on the way toward a payoff, and then it somehow doesn't work."
It doesn't appear Ebert's opinion had much influence on the public's opinion, however!
An Easily Forgettable Sequel Was Made in 2003
Many mightn't realize it even exists, but National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure was released for television in 2003. It features Randy Quaid and Miriam Flynn as Eddie and Catherine, a couple stranded on an island in the South Pacific.
Christmas Vacation 2 currently holds a low 13 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While Cousin Eddie in Christmas Vacation may have been Randy Quaid's most recognizable role, it didn't pan out the same way for the sequel.
Attribute the Film's Success to Stanley Kubrik
Christmas Vacation was the directorial debut of Jeremiah Chechik, who began his career as a fashion photographer for Vogue. He went into commercial directing where his dark, sexy and progressive style turned some heads, including that of famed director Stanley Kubrick.
Kubrick claimed his commercials were his favorite in American filmmaking, and it didn't take long for studios to begin sending Chechik scripts.
Cousin Eddie Was Based on a Real Person
While the character of Cousin Eddie might seem like someone right out of person's twisted mind, that's not entirely the case. Apparently, Randy Quaid based the character off of somebody that he grew up with in Texas, even down to the tongue-clicking.
Quaid's wife lent a hand, as well, and encouraged him to wear Eddie's sweater and Dickie's combo for the character's outfits. While dealing with the person Eddie was based on may have been difficult, we're glad hr and Quaid crossed paths to give us such an unbelievable character.
Ellen Griswold Lied to Police
After the police raid the Griswold home, Ellen apologizes to Mrs. Shirley, the wife of Clark's boss whom Eddie had kidnapped. She claims, "This is our family’s first kidnapping." That's not true, as it was actually their second.
In the first Vacation movie, the Griswolds force Lasky, a security guard at Wally World, to open the park for them - at least we're led to believe that was their first family kidnapping. You can never be too sure with the Griswold clan.
Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany Literally Made the Set Shake
The arrival of Uncle Lewis and Aunt Bethany wasn't just a stressful time for Clark, but apparently the Earth's crust, as well. While filming the scene where Lewis and Bethany arrive at the Griswold home, you may notice a small shaking of the camera as they walk through the front door. This was the result of a minor earthquake during production that wasn't even really noticed until after the scene had already been filmed.
The Opening Credits Were a Rarity
During an age when films were trying to use the latest technology, animation seemed to be on its way out - especially animated intros. That's what made the intro to Christmas Vacation such a rarity, especially considering the movie itself was live-action.
Christmas Vacation was only one of three films in 1989 to use animated opening credits. The others were Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and Troop Beverly Hills.
Connections to It's A Wonderful Life
Believe it or not, there are a lot of ties between Christmas Vacation and the 1946 classic, It's A Wonderful Life. To begin, Frank Capra III was the assistant director for Christmas Vacation. Coincidentally, he's the grandson of Frank Capra, who directed It's A Wonderful Life.
Secondly, the scene where Clark takes a chainsaw to the wobbly newel post is a reference to the broken newel post at the Bailey house in the 1946 flick. Finally, Russ can be seen watching the movie on the couch when his grandparents first arrive.
The Cast of the Movie Was Top-Notch
Christmas Vacation had a pretty impressive cast, especially considering it was a goofy comedy film. One of its stars, Juliette Lewis, would score an Oscar nomination in a few years.
However, according to Beverly D'Angelo, it was the older cast members who were equally, if not more, impressive. She claimed, "I attribute that to Jeremiah Chechik and his direction in bringing in E.G. Marshall, Doris Roberts and Diane Ladd [...] That was really a special cast.”
No 'Holiday Road' for 'Christmas Vacation'
Christmas Vacation is the only film in the franchise to not feature the song "Holiday Road" by Lindsey Buckingham. Considering the movie was Christmas-themed, they, instead, created a new song, titled "Christmas Vacation."
The track was written by couple Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, and it was considered very appropriate compared the other original Vacation soundtrack. The hit was later covered and can be found on the 2007 Disney Channel Holiday album.
Jeremiah Chechik Had Never Seen a 'Vacation' Movie
When Jeremiah Chechik signed on to direct Christmas Vacation, he hadn't even seen the other two films in the franchise. He told Den of Geek, "I hadn't seen the first two [Vacation movies], and so I wasn't really influenced by anything other than the fact that it was a big - at the time - their big Christmas movie, and comedy."
After successfully directing Christmas Vacation, Chechik went on to direct such hits as Benny & Joon, Diabolique and The Avengers, as well as episodes of The Bronx is Burning, Gossip Girl, Chuck and Burn Notice.
'Christmas Vacation' Had a Massive Budget
Christmas Vacation had a surprisingly giant budget for a comedy film. It was $27 million, although there weren't nearly as many special effects as a movie like Ghostbusters, which was made similarly for around $30 million.
The size of the budget proved to not be an issue, as Christmas Vacation made it back (and then some) - the film's final domestic gross was $71,319,526.
The Griswold's Reuinted for an Old Navy Commercial
During the holiday season of 2012, Old Navy released a series of ads promoting their holiday sweaters, featuring various members from the original Griswold family. One of the commercials even included the majority of the gang. However, actor Johnny Galecki was noticeably missing, along with Dana, Hill who had passed away in 1996.
Another one of the TV spots only featured Beverly D'Angelo and Chevy Chase, along with Johnny Mathis.
Rusty Paid Homage to One of Chevy Chase's SNL Gags
During the scene when the lights on the house fail to work for the first time, Clark asks Rusty to double check them for him. At that moment, his son looks at a non-existent watch on his bare wrist. He pretends to check the time and then excuses himself to go inside.
This was a classic move frequently done by Chevy Chase on Saturday Night Live, so it's no surprise they added it into Christmas Vacation for a similar effect. It was also a nice Easter egg for SNL fans.
The Cat Electrocution Scene Almost Didn't Make the Cut
While trying to plug lights into the Christmas tree, Clark accidentally ends up electrocuting the cat... And killing it. While no cats were actually harmed in the making of the film, the scene was almost cut before its release. Warner Bros. executives wanted it removed over fears of offending some viewers, especially animal rights activists.
Producer Matty Simmons convinced studio executives to leave the scene, although they hesitantly obliged. As it turns out, after the first test screening, the audience claimed the cat electrocution was one of the funniest scenes of the movie.
A Connection to the Rocky Franchise
Cousin Eddie has a son named Rocky in the film. This is a direct nod to the character Rocky from the boxing films of the same name, starring Sylvester Stallone. As it turns out, Stallone picked up on the reference and included footage from Christmas Vacation in his film the next year, Rocky V.
Furthermore, Rocky's Las Vegas shirt in Christmas Vacation hinted at where the next Vacation film would take place: Las Vegas, Nevada.
It Doesn't Have an Official Soundtrack - But Someone Released a Fake One
While it included many classic holiday tracks, no official soundtrack for Christmas Vacation was ever released. In 1999, however, a bootleg version appeared, claiming to be the "10th Anniversary Limited Edition." These were being sold in online auctions that alleged Warner Bros. had pressed 20,000 given out specifically at Six Flags amusement parks.
They were deemed fan-made, with the biggest clue being that the soundtrack had the wrong version of the film's title track!
Rusty Morphed Into a Younger Brother
In the original 1983 Vacation movie, Rusty was the elder brother in the Griswold family, but in Christmas Vacation, he became the youngest. It's unclear exactly why the writers did this, but many fans mightn't have noticed this change.
In the original Christmas 59 short story, John Hughes doesn't distinguish which child is older. Perhaps the writers made Rusty younger to shape the dynamic between he and his sister.
Two Christmas Movies Were Released in 1989
When Christmas Vacation first came out, it wasn't a popular year for holiday movies. In 1989, only two were released. It and John Hancock's Prancer, about a woman who finds Santa's famed reindeer, Prancer, in a forest. Even stranger? Johnny Galecki starred in both features!
Usually, dozens of Christmas movies come out between November and December each year. Perhaps part of the popularity of Christmas Vacation was a lack of holiday releases in '89.
Audrey Was The Only Griswold To Appear In The Sequel
When most people think of sequels, they assume the main characters reappear, but when it came to Christmas Vacation 2, the focus was on Cousin Eddie. Dana Barron, who portrayed Audrey, was the only Griswold member to make an appearance.
The third movie, Vegas Vacation, doesn't feature any Griswolds. However, an actor from one of the original films appeared in Christmas Vacation 2. Eric Idle, who acted in the 1985 film European Vacation, makes a cameo in the sequel, playing a minor role called "English Victim" as a nod to the fans.
Cousin Eddie is the Most Recognizable Character
Cousin Eddie is by far one of the most recognizable characters in the Christmas Vacation series. Even today, people seem to identify him with the franchise. In a 1980 interview with the Los Angeles Times, actor Randy Quaid said fans often approach him about the role.
"People still come up to me and quote lines from that part," he said. "I get a lot of recognition from that role - probably as much, if not more, than any other." That explains why the sequel, Christmas Vacation 2, is entirely based around the Cousin Eddie character.
You Can Buy Cousin Eddie's Dickie
Did you know you can shop for merchandize related to the Christmas Vacation movies online? If you want the dickie Cousin Eddie wears underneath his sweater, you can buy it!
These stores have many other merchandise pieces for sale, including ornaments, Funko Pops!, home decor and action figures. Christmas Vacation remains so popular that these products get refreshed every Christmas for fans. How exciting is that?
Aunt Bethany Was Once Betty Boop
Aunt Bethany was played by actress Mae Questel, who you might recognize as the voice of Betty Boop in the 1930s. Before that, she was a singer and actress. In fact, Christmas Story was the last ever film role she took on!
Questel appeared in many movies, TV shows and Broadway plays throughout the 20th century. She worked in Hollywood for over 60 years, until her passing in 1998. She stopped acting about 30 years before that.
Cousin Catherine Usually Appears in Animated Movies
Fans might have a hard time recognizing Miriam Flynn, who played Cousin Eddie's wife in the Vacation series, but you might recognize her voice. Flynn's best-known for her voice acting roles, such as Taz's mother in the Looney Tunes movie Taz-Mania and Grandma Longneck in The Land Before Time.
Flynn has also written and produced stories. She was a writer for The Tim Conway Show and a co-producer of Black Cadillac. That being said, she's still acted in front of the camera plenty of times.
Christmas Vacation Went Straight to Video in England
In England, Christmas Vacation went straight to video. A bare-bones DVD came out in 1990 and, in 2003, it was released on Blu-Ray.
While the critical response was fairly positive in the United States, international audiences were not as thrilled. It's amazing how much change a theatrical release can make.
Chevy Chase Gave Johnny Galecki a Peoples' Choice Award
In 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald asked Johnny Galecki if he'd reconnected with Chevy Chase. Galecki admitted hadn't for 21 years. The last time they were together was at the Peoples' Choice Awards in 1990.
At the ceremony, Christmas Vacation won an award for the favorite comedy movie. Chase presented the award onstage to the rest of the actors.
Another Vacation Movie Was Made in 2015
In 2015, the latest film in the series, simply titled Vacation, hit theaters. In it, a grown-up Rusty Griswold, played by Ed Helms, plans his own family vacation. For fans, it was like the Griswold family growing up with them. The movie had low critical reviews, but a high gross, earning over $100 million against a $31 million budget.
The Actors Wanted Another Vacation Movie
When Vacation came out in 2015, a few of the original actors advocated for more movies in the series. Both Chevy Chase and Beverley D'Angelo expressed their support for new films in the franchise.
In 2011, Chase said Warner Bros. had considered making another movie about the Griswold grandchildren. He and Beverley both said they'd be interested in helping with the writing, but "it's very hard to get the time."
Fortunately, Vacation came out just as the two actors had planned!
Clark's Boss Was Bill Murray's Brother
Mr. Shirley, Clark's boss, might look familiar to some audiences, as he's portrayed by Brian Doyle-Murray, better known as Bill Murray's older brother. Doyle-Murray was no stranger to the Vacation series, having appeared in two of the films. He also frequently participated in The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a comedy show.
The Murray family is filled with actors. The two younger brothers, Joel and John, are actors, as well.
Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
Chevy Chase was a well-known comedian by the time he appeared as the hilarious Clark Griswold in the 1983 film, National Lampoon’s Vacation. He reprised the role in National Lampoon’s European Vacation, before the Christmas rendition came out.
Like so many comedy actors, Chevy’s rise to fame was on Saturday Night Live, which was still relatively new when he became a cast member.
Chevy Chase's Career After Christmas Vacation's Release
Clark remains one of Chevy Chase’s most well-known characters, and the actor even reprised the role a few times decades later, appearing in Vegas Vacation and Vacation. He also voiced his beloved character in a 2007 episode of Family Guy.
Outside of his National Lampoon’s fame, Chase appeared Snow Day, Orange County and Hot Tub Time Machine. He was also a lead in the popular sitcom Community, but was removed from the series.
Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold
As with Chevy Chase, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was Beverly D’Angelo’s second time reprising the role of Ellen Griswold. Prior to getting the part, she'd appeared in hits like Annie Hall and Finders Keepers. The actress even earned a Golden Globe nomination for her portrayal of country singer Patsy Cline in Coal Miner’s Daughter.
Beverly also won an Emmy for her lead role as Stella in the TV film adaptation of A Streetcar Named Desire.
Beverly D’ Angelou Has Continued to Act
Beverly D'Angelo also reprised her role as Ellen Griswold in Vegas Vacation and the 2007 episode of Family Guy. In the ‘90s, she starred in Man in Trouble, Eye for an Eye, American History X and Rude Awakening.
Beverly later appeared in The House Bunny and Mom. She additionally showed up in the television series Entourage and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
Randy Quaid as Eddie Johnson
Randy Quaid, the older brother of Dennis Quaid, was already a well established actor before playing as Eddie Johnson in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He'd performed on Saturday Night Live with Chevy Chase, and he acted in A Streetcar Named Desire with Beverly D’Angelo.
Randy earned Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for his role in the 1973 film, The Last Detail. He was also in Midnight Express and Long Riders. In 1987, he scored an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in LBJ: The Early Years.
What is Randy Quaid Up to Today?
Randy’s role as Eddie Johnson made such a splash that it inspired the aforementioned TV movie spinoff, Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie’s Island Adventure. Before that, he also showed up in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle and The Adventures of Pluto Nash.
Randy tried his hand at voice acting in the animated movie Home on the Range. In 2005, he acted in Brokeback Mountain and Elvis, the latter of which earned him an Emmy nomination. Clearly, his acting career is still going strong far beyond Christmas Vacation.
Juliette Lewis as Audrey Griswold
Juliette Lewis appeared in Home Fires, I Married Dora and My Stepmother Is An Alien throughout her teen years, before starring as Audrey Griswold in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. The same year, she also appeared in Meet the Hollowheads and The Runnin’ Kind.
Shortly thereafter, the child actress guest-starred on The Wonder Years and co-starred with a young Brad Pitt in Too Young To Die?. She later received critical acclaim for her appearance in the 1991 film, Cape Fear.
Juliette Lewis is More Than an Actress
After receiving Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Cape Fear, Juliette continued her blastoff career with films like What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Natural Born Killers and The Other Sister. She earned an Emmy nomination for her role in Hysterical Blindness. She also performed in Old School, Starsky and Hutch, Whip It, Conviction, The Firm and The Act, among other titles.
If her acting career weren’t successful enough, she also stepped into the world of music, forming the rock band Juliette and the Licks in 2003.
Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold
Johnny Galecki was a relatively unknown actor when he took on the role of Rusty. Even when he got the role in Christmas Vacation, he had zero speaking lines! Seriously. No lines.
However, Christmas Vacation wasn't Galecki's first gig. His first acting role was the 1980s CBS show, Murder Ordained. His other movie roles include A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon and Prancer. He also appeared in a string of short films and had a promising career ahead of him.
John Galecki Became Known for Another Major Role
Most audiences recognize John Galecki as Leonard Hofstadter from The Big Bang Theory. By 2014, he was earning around $1 million per episode. He also appeared in several other films, such as Hancock and In Time, but Galecki's acting first skyrocketed in the '90s. He appeared in I Know What You Did Last Summer, Roseanne and Suicide Kings.
In the 2000s, Galecki seemed to focus more on sitcoms and comedies, which eventually led him to working on The Big Bang Theory.
John Randolph as Clark Griswold
By the time John Randolph appeared in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, he was already a Hollywood veteran. He'd first acted on Broadway, appearing in the original New York production of The Sound of Music. His first TV appearance was on the 1979 show, Angie.
Some of Randolph's other notable titles included Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Serpico, King Kong and Prizzi's Honor. He remained a prolific actor in the late-20th century and even in the 1990s showed no signs of stopping.
John Randolph Sadly Passed Away
John Randolph's acting career tapered off in the early 2000s. In '03, he appeared in his final film, Numb. By that time, his career had spanned for a whopping 65 years. Some of his later films included Sibling Rivalry, A Price Above Rubies and You've Got Mail.
A year after his final role, Randolph passed away at age 88. He's survived by his two children.
Doris Roberts as Frances Smith
Doris Roberts played Francis Smith, the maternal grandmother of the Griswold children. Her award-winning career already spanned almost 40 years by the time she appeared in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
Roberts appeared in numerous television shows throughout the 1960s, including The Naked City, Way Out and The Defenders. She also starred in such movies as The Honeymoon Killers, Ruby and Oswald and The Rose. In 1976, she joined the cast of All in the Family.
Remembering Doris Roberts
Doris became famous among younger generations for her role as Marie Barone in Everybody Loves Raymond. Her performance garnered her four Emmy awards and another three nominations. She also starred in Our House and Grandma’s Boy.
Doris stayed busy with guest appearances, as well. She had a spot on Step by Step, The King of Queens, Lizzy McGuire, Melissa & Joey, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent, among others. The actress was also in Used People, The Grass Harp and Madea’s Witness Protection.
Ellen Hamilton Latzen as Ruby Sue
Actress Ellen Hamilton Latzen was only nine years old when she acted in Christmas Vacation. She played Ruby Sue, the daughter of Cousin Catherine and Cousin Eddie.
Believe it or not, Latzen's career began when she was six years old! In 1986, her mother saw a role for Adrian Lyne's new film, Fatal Attraction. She'd never imagined her daughter in the film industry, but Latzen auditioned and secured the part. By the time she came to Christmas Vacation, she already had acting experience.
Ellen Hamilton Latzen Now
Today, Ellen Hamilton Latzen no longer acts. She ended her acting career at 15, leaving her New York hometown for a boarding school in Vermont. Christmas Vacation remains one of her best-known roles.
Latzen now runs a podcast about her experiences as a child star. Called Watched, it reveals the ups and downs of the young Hollywood industry.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Margo Chester
Julia Louis-Dreyfus is so well-known for her role as Elaine on Seinfeld that some may be surprised to hear that she first rose to prominence on Saturday Night Live. She reunited with her SNL cast members on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, playing their snobby neighbor, Margo Chester.
Earlier in the decade, Julia also starred in Troll, Hannah and Her Sisters, and Soul Man. She was also in a Family Ties spinoff that didn’t make it to air.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus' Career is Still Going Strong
Julia Louis-Dreyfus has gone on to win an astounding 11 Emmy awards, three of which were for producing. She's also been inducted into the Television Hall of Fame and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.
After the conclusion of Seinfeld in the late 1990s, Julia appeared in Curb Your Enthusiasm, Arrested Development and Watching Ellie. She also led Veep and The New Adventures of Old Christine.
Jackson Sawa
