50 Fun Facts About National Lampoon's Vacation

Who directed National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)?

Ramis and Chevy Chase rewrote Hughes's first draft to tell the story from the father's point of view instead of the son's. Ramis also voices Marty Moose's recorded message.

The screenplay was based on a John Hughes short story with what title?

Hughes started it during the Chicago blizzard of 1979 for a vacation issue of National Lampoon; it was bumped and finally ran that September.

Which Paramount executive told producer Matty Simmons the story "would never make a movie" for being too episodic?

Simmons replied that it was a road trip and supposed to be episodic. Warner Bros. executive Mark Canton eventually championed it.

How is Walley World billed on its signs and in Clark's plans?

It was Disneyland in Hughes's story; the name was changed to a sound-alike to avoid legal trouble, and mascot Marty Moose stands in for Mickey.

What is the name of the ugly, oversized car Clark is forced to buy for the trip?

Eugene Levy's shady salesman had crushed Clark's trade-in. It is a modified 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire in 'metallic pea' green with eight headlights.

What colour is the Family Truckster's paint scheme called?

Warner Bros. designed it with fake wood-panel decals, an oddly placed fuel door and an airbag made from a trash-can liner.

How many headlights does the Family Truckster have?

The second pair was taken from another Country Squire and mounted upside-down above the stock ones. The car was based on a 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire.

Which future sitcom star plays Ed, the car salesman?

He claims Clark's ordered car will not be ready for six weeks. Brian Doyle-Murray plays the Kamp Komfort clerk and James Keach the motorcycle cop.

In which city are the Griswolds tagged by vandals after taking a wrong turn?

Later Clark aggravates a bartender in Dodge City, Kansas. St. Louis was one of the real filming locations.

What car does the beautiful blonde who keeps tantalising Clark drive?

Christie Brinkley made her acting debut as the unnamed woman and reprised the role in Vegas Vacation, a DirecTV ad and The Goldbergs.

In which Kansas town do the Griswolds visit Cousin Eddie and Catherine?

Eddie is lazy and unemployed even then. The couple foist Aunt Edna and her dog on the Griswolds for delivery to Phoenix.

What is the name of Aunt Edna's mean dog?

Clark forgets to untie the leash from the bumper when leaving a Colorado campground, and a motorcycle cop lectures him on cruelty to animals.

Which comedy legend plays Aunt Edna?

She was Sid Caesar's partner on Your Show of Shows. Edna is Ellen's maternal aunt, headed for her son Norman's house in Phoenix.

What do the Griswolds do with Aunt Edna after she dies in her sleep on the road?

She is wrapped in a tarpaulin, and since Norman is out of town they leave her with a note and an umbrella.

Near which landmark do the Griswolds crash and get stranded in the desert?

Clark wanders off for help and gets lost, while a mechanic who is also the sheriff extorts the family's remaining cash.

At which Grand Canyon hotel does Clark raid the cash register when the concierge won't cash his cheque?

His credit cards had been reported lost along with Ellen's bag. He leaves the cheque behind the counter.

What do the Griswolds discover when they finally reach Walley World?

Clark buys a realistic BB gun and forces guard Russ Lasky to take them round, which brings a SWAT team.

Who plays Russ Lasky, the Walley World security guard Clark takes hostage?

His scenes were shot months after the rest of the film as a replacement ending, by which time Anthony Michael Hall had visibly grown.

What did the original, test-screened ending of Vacation involve?

Audiences hated it, so the John Candy ending was filmed months later. The original has never been released in any format.

Which veteran actor plays park owner Roy Walley, who lets the family off?

Walley remembers his own family vacation troubles and lets the Griswolds and the SWAT team enjoy the park. The name nods to Disney's brother Roy.

What is the name of the Walley World mascot voiced by the film's director?

He is a nod to Mickey Mouse, just as the park parodies Disneyland. Ramis also voices an offscreen cop asking whether to book the family.

Which two California locations stood in for Walley World?

The racetrack's parking lot and blue fascia were the exterior; the coasters seen are La Revolución and the wooden Colossus.

The film's popularity gave rise to which nickname for Walmart?

It is usually spelled without the 'e'. In Hughes's story the park had been Disneyland outright.

Which Fleetwood Mac member wrote and sang 'Holiday Road', the film's theme?

It reached No. 82 on the Hot 100 and returned in European Vacation. Ralph Burns wrote the score.

Which punk band's 'Blitzkrieg Bop' appears on the Vacation soundtrack?

The album also had Vanity 6, June Pointer and Nicolette Larson, and did not chart.

How long did filming of Vacation take after starting in Boone, Colorado, in July 1982?

Locations included Monument Valley, Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, southern Colorado and St. Louis, plus the racetrack and Magic Mountain in California.

How much did Vacation gross in the US against a roughly $15M budget?

It opened at No. 1 with $8.3 million in July 1983. Total Film readers later voted it the 46th greatest comedy of all time.

What CinemaScore grade did audiences give National Lampoon's Vacation on release?

CinemaScore founder Ed Mintz said in 2016 he could never figure out why people did not love it more. It now sits at 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Which future 30 Rock star plays Cousin Eddie's daughter Vicki?

Harold Ramis's daughter Violet plays her sister Daisy Mabel, born without a tongue.

How many sequels followed the 1983 film, counting the 2015 reboot?

European Vacation (1985), Christmas Vacation (1989), Vegas Vacation (1997), Christmas Vacation 2 (2003) and Vacation (2015).

Who directed National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)?

The Fast Times at Ridgemont High director had both children recast after Anthony Michael Hall chose Weird Science instead.

How do the Griswolds win their trip to Europe?

The show is 'Pig in a Poke'. Their plane goes on to knock the torch off the Statue of Liberty.

At which London junction does Clark circle for hours, unable to exit, announcing Big Ben on every loop?

He also runs over Eric Idle's character in Notting Hill and knocks over Stonehenge like dominoes.

What does Clark do to Stonehenge in European Vacation?

All but one of the stones go down. The West Germany scenes were actually shot in Brixen, a German-speaking part of Italy.

Why were Rusty and Audrey recast for European Vacation?

Heckerling then asked for both children to be recast; Jason Lively and Dana Hill took over. The kids changed with almost every film.

Which John Hughes short story inspired the 1989 holiday sequel?

Jeremiah Chechik directed and Hughes wrote and produced. Mae Questel, the voice of Betty Boop, appears in her final film role.

Which Las Vegas entertainer takes a shine to Ellen in Vegas Vacation (1997)?

Tickets to his show and a dress for Ellen turn up at the hotel room. Clark, meanwhile, gets lost inside the Hoover Dam.

How does Clark end up climbing scaffolding to the top of the Hoover Dam in Vegas Vacation?

The tour guide is Arty. Vegas Vacation was Stephen Kessler's feature directing debut and opened at No. 4.

Who plays the grown-up Rusty Griswold in the 2015 reboot Vacation?

He is a pilot for the budget airline Econo-Air, married to Christina Applegate's Debbie. Chris Hemsworth plays his brother-in-law.

What is the Tartan Prancer, rented for the 2015 road trip?

It stands in for the Truckster. The family had previously spent every summer at a cabin in Cheboygan, Michigan, secretly nicknamed 'Cheboring'.

Which writing-directing duo made the 2015 Vacation?

They had written Horrible Bosses and went on to Game Night. The film grossed $107.2 million on a $31 million budget despite poor reviews.

How much did European Vacation gross against its $17M budget?

Reviews were mixed. Charles Fox replaced Ralph Burns as composer, and the soundtrack included the Jam and Plastic Bertrand.

Which model made her acting debut as the unnamed woman in the red Ferrari?

Clark ends up swimming naked with her in a motel pool, and his screams of cold wake the whole motel.

Who plays Ellen Griswold?

Miriam Flynn plays Ellen's cousin Catherine and Dana Barron plays daughter Audrey.

Who plays Cousin Eddie Johnson?

Doyle-Murray plays the Kamp Komfort clerk and Keach plays the motorcycle cop.

During which event did John Hughes begin writing the short story 'Vacation '58'?

The story was bumped from National Lampoon's vacation-themed issue but ran in September 1979 and was optioned for film.

How did Harold Ramis and Chevy Chase change the point of view of John Hughes's first draft?

Hughes's original story had been told from the child's perspective.

The Wagon Queen Family Truckster was built from which real station wagon?

Warner Bros. designed the car specially for the film, adding imitation wood panels and extra headlights.

Where did 'Holiday Road' peak on the Billboard Hot 100?

The soundtrack album itself did not chart.

Who composed the film's musical score?

The original songs were by Lindsey Buckingham, and the soundtrack came out on Warner Bros. Records in 1983.