Comedy legend Chevy Chase is inviting his fans in Los Angles out to a special screening of the holiday classic “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.” He’s also sticking around for a special Q&A session about that film, his life and career at Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, Dec. 5.
As he looks back fondly on the series of “Vacation” films, the one all about the holidays and family dysfunction is certainly a standout. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the film which had Chase reprising his role as Clark “Sparky” Griswold, alongside Beverly D’Angelo as Ellen Griswold, Juliette Lewis and Johnny Galecki as Audrey and Russ Griswold, the late Doris Roberts as Frances Smith and Randy Quaid as the unforgettable Cousin Eddie.
“I loved all of the physical stuff in the movie,” Chase, now 76, said during a recent phone chat. In recent years, he’s been going around the country and sitting in on screenings of some of his most famous films and hosting intimate chats with the audience afterwards.
“I loved the stuff on the roof, which was typical of Clark Griswold,” he continued. “I loved sliding down the roof and hanging on. It was all very funny and I love Ellen (D’Angelo) coming out and going ‘Um…Clark?’ Nothing seems to bother her. It’s time for dinner and Clark is outside in a bush somewhere. Anything with Randy … that was funny. He’s just the troublemaker and that’s the thing, when you see Cousin Eddie show up, you know the movie is gonna blow up, ya know?”
Did you know that parts of the dialogue from the often quoted scene where Cousin Eddie is emptying his RV septic tank into the sewer were ad-libbed? That’s the kind of stuff Chase will talk about after the screening.
“That shot on me and Beverly wasn’t in the script, but it turned out,” he said. “I said ‘Yeah, you checked our (toilets), honey?’ That’s one of my favorites right there.”
At Christmas, Chase said he and his family usually go on vacation, but they’re also fond of staying home and throwing a fun Christmas party for family, friends and neighbors. As families around the world gather to watch holiday films such as “Miracle on 34th Street,” “Elf,” “A Christmas Story” and “Home Alone” play back-to-back across multiple dates and times on numerous TV channels just after Halloween and all the way up until the New Year, “Christmas Vacation” is right there in the mix.
“It makes me feel like Jimmy Stewart in ‘It’s a Wonderful Life,’” Chase said of becoming a part of that annual tradition. “I love it and it’s one of the unusual ones, to say the least. But I think the movie is terrific and the movie is about a family at Christmas time and it’s quite realistic. From the second you hear ‘The little lights are not twinkling’ you know it’s starting to go wrong and the next thing you have is Cousin Eddie and Clark going ‘Eddie? Is that you?’ And you just know all things are going to go awry.”
Of all the holiday films, Chase said that the 1946 film “It’s a Wonderful Life” is still his favorite.
“It’s beautifully acted and written,” he said. “It really gets to my heart and not a lot of things do. I really do love that movie.”
On top of doing the screenings and Q&A sessions, Chase said he has a few new projects in the works. He’s also a big fan of the award-winning series “Downton Abbey” and he’s glad baseball season is over and we’re now in the thick of football. He also likes to go to the movies.
“I want to see that ‘Ad Astra’ with Brad Pitt,” he said. “I heard it’s good. I did go see the one with Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio (Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’) and it was very good. It’s fun to watch two really great actors like the two of them play roles like that.”
An Evening with Chevy Chase & ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’ Screening
When: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5
Where: Microsoft Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles
Tickets: $44.50-$99.50 at AXS.com
