An Evening with Chevy Chase
Dec. 21 |The Palace Theatre | 7 p.m.
Break out your dickie and pour some eggnog, the holidays are finally here. For 30 years, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation has captivated audiences of all ages and for one night only, Columbus will have the chance to spend the evening with Clark W. Griswold, Jr. himself.
Actor and comedian Chevy Chase is visiting the Palace Theatre for a special screening of the timeless movie for an Evening with Chevy Chase. Immediately following the show, he will host a Q&A session.
Over the last few months, he has also screened Caddyshack on the very same tour.
In anticipation of his visit, CityScene Magazine caught up with Chase and discussed Christmas Vacation, stories from the set and a surprising injury he sustained in one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
A Chat with Chevy
CityScene: It’s been 30 years since Christmas Vacation was released. During filming, did you ever think that Christmas Vacation would remain so widely popular after all these years?
Chevy Chase: There’s no way to know that, but one hopes all your films would be. It was a lot of fun making the movie and I knew it covered a wide range of audience. It’s funny, but not sadistic. I think it’s a pretty good movie.
CS: Let’s talk about your time on set. What are some memories that stick out in your mind?
CC: Oh wow, let’s see. Well, the house that we inhabited during filming was basically the same house they shot Lethal Weapon in. That scene when I am trying to put the lights on the roof and fall off, I actually landed on a toilet. I had forgotten all about the toilet explosion in Lethal Weapon, and it turned out to be the same one. It was a pretty good omen, I thought. Oh, and I broke my leg. Just kidding.
CS: What was your favorite scene to shoot?
CC: There’s so many little things throughout the movie that lend themselves to my humor. When you’re coming down the line as I’m showing off my twinkling lights on the roof and E.G. Marshal says, “The little lights aren’t twinkling,” I keep moving down the line and you discover cousin Eddie is there; I love that kind of double take. Randy (Quaid) was very good at playing that part. He called his dog Snots. I mean, that’s such a nice name.
CS: Did you actually break your pinky during one of the scenes?
CC: (Laughs) I did. There were a lot of extremely organic scenes in the movie. It just sort of happened through improv. (In the scene) I was going nuts because the lights wouldn’t go on when I plugged them in, and I got angry at these four deer on my lawn. They turned out to be made of plastic, but to me, they looked like they’d be fluff. I ran over and hit one of them so hard and, unfortunately, broke my pinky.
CS: While you’ve been on the road, screening your films, what’s it been like to revisit some of your work?
CC: It’s a big favor to audiences. I’m very much in touch with every scene that I’m in. I know what’s going on, I dealt with (the movie) in post-production. I love it.
CS: Your holidays may not be as chaotic as a Griswold Christmas, but what are some of your family’s traditions?
CC: Every year, I punch those plastic reindeer and hope someone can readjust my pinky (laughing). But no, my three children and my wife, we’re just a normal kind of family in the middle of all of this.
Rocco Falleti is an editor. Feedback welcome at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com.
