Animal House Oral History: From Richard Pryor to a Real Melee The New York Times

Table Of Content

• Cast
• ‘Good Times’ Boss Defends Animated Reboot, Telling Viewers: “I Understand If This Is Jolting”
• Facts about the movie The King of Comedy
• Facts About National Strawberries And Cream Day May 21st
• National Lampoon’s Animal House Filming Locations
• Popular movies coming soon
• Lane County, Oregon
• The film’s influence on college comedy tropes

At a 1962 College, Dean Vernon Wormer is determined to expel the entire Delta Tau Chi Fraternity, but those troublemakers have other plans for him. It is occasionally funny, always zany, sometimes sophomoric, even freshmaneric, a 1970's view of the 60's from the long end of a telescope. It's endlessly quotable (“Fat, drunk, and stupid is no way to go through life, son”), packed with excellent performances and unique characters, and blessed with a great score that mixes Elmer Bernstein’s orchestral maneuvers with catchy oldies. They are in favor of beer, women, song, motorcycles, Playboy centerfolds, and making rude noises.

Cast

It stars John Belushi, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce and Donald Sutherland. The film is about a trouble-making fraternity whose members challenge the authority of the dean of the fictional Faber College. Animal House introduced and solidified many college comedy tropes, such as wild parties, outrageous pranks, and clashes with authority.

‘Good Times’ Boss Defends Animated Reboot, Telling Viewers: “I Understand If This Is Jolting”

Larry and Kent are accepted as Delta pledges and given fraternity names "Pinto" and "Flounder," respectively. Meanwhile, Chip Diller is accepted into Omega house and given a paddling as part of his initiation. National Lampoon's Animal House is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller.

Facts about the movie The King of Comedy

The “toga” chant scene in Animal House has become a memorable cultural reference and a symbol of college party culture. Animal House was primarily shot on location at the University of Oregon, giving it an authentic college campus feel. The Delta Tau Chi fraternity depicted in Animal House had a set of unconventional rules, including “No studying” and “No girls in the frat house. Due to its raunchy humor and rebellious depiction of college life, Animal House faced controversy and criticism upon its release.

In the 1980s, it was difficult for Titans to throw a Valentine's Day function because the vast majority of members were busy attending Valentine's Day functions put on by the Women's Social Clubs on campus. In a stroke of genius, the Titans administration decided to celebrate Groundhog Day rather than Valentine's Day. Over time, the Groundhog Day party evolved into the famous TOGA banquet and concert it is today. The members and their dates dress up in their togas and attend a dinner where superlatives are distributed and other activities occur.

National Lampoon’s Animal House Filming Locations

Now that the movie has reached its 40th birthday — it first hit theaters July 28, 1978 — The Hollywood Reporter breaks down what the principal actors have been doing since the fraternity members' expulsion from Faber College. The script, by Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller and Harold Ramis, aimed to capture the rude, subversive humor of the magazine, but the story — about the unruly fraternity Delta House at fictional Faber College — left Hollywood’s establishment cold. They recalled the film’s breakout star, John Belushi, who died of a drug overdose in 1982 at 33, as well as a real food fight and an on-campus melee. Filming began on October 24, 1977, and concluded in the middle of December 1977.[1] and Landis brought the actors who played the Deltas up five days early to bond. Belushi and his wife Judy rented a house in south Eugene to keep him away from alcohol and drugs;[13][24] she remained in Oregon while he commuted to New York City for Saturday Night Live.

Popular movies coming soon

While the Johnson Hall in Central Campus doubled for the Administration Building of Faber College, the Gerlinger Hall on the Women’s Memorial Quadrangle stood in for the Emily Dickinson Hall of the fictional college. Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House’ were lensed in Eugene, the second largest city in Oregon, right after Portland. The Dr. A.W. Patterson House at 751 East 11th Street doubled for the Delta House, but the property has been demolished. As for the interior scenes involving the Omega House were recorded in the Phi Kappa Psi house and the Sigma Nu house at 729 East 11th Street and 763 East 11th Avenue, respectively.

Lane County, Oregon

They are opposed to studying, serious thought, the Dean, the regulations governing fraternities, and, most especially, the disgusting behavior of the Omegas -- a house so respectable it has even given an ROTC commander to the world. Many Deltas achieve unexpected success, with Bluto becoming a United States senator and marrying Mandy, while most of the Omegas have less fortunate outcomes. Wormer organizes a kangaroo court led by the Omegas, which revokes the Deltas' charter and confiscates the contents of their house. Otter, Boon, Pinto, and Flounder take a road trip in Flounder's brother Fred's borrowed Lincoln Continental. They arrive at Emily Dickinson College, an all-girls institution, where Otter poses as Frank, the fiancé of a recently deceased student named Fawn Liebowitz to find dates for himself and the others. They stop at a roadhouse bar where Otis Day and the Knights are performing, unaware that the clientele is exclusively Black.

Directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, and Chris Miller, this movie has become a cultural phenomenon and a beloved favorite among moviegoers. Set in 1962 at fictional Faber College, Animal House follows the misadventures of a rowdy fraternity, Delta Tau Chi, and their clashes with the college administration. Filled with irreverent humor, outrageous pranks, and unforgettable characters, Animal House broke new ground in the comedy genre and inspired a generation of filmmakers. In this article, we will delve into 34 fascinating facts about the making of this iconic film, from behind-the-scenes anecdotes to its lasting impact on popular culture. Animal House was the first film produced by National Lampoon, the most popular humor magazine on college campuses in the mid-1970s.[12] The periodical specialized in satirizing politics and popular culture. Many of the magazine's writers were recent college graduates, hence its appeal to students all over the country.

"What we need right now," Otter tells his fraternity brothers, "is a stupid, futile gesture on someone's part." And no fraternity on campus -- on any campus -- is better qualified to provide such a gesture than the Deltas. They have the title role in "National Lampoon's Animal House," which remembers all the way back to 1962, when college was simpler, beer was cheaper, and girls were harder to seduce. The talents of director John Landis and Saturday Night Live's irrepressible John Belushi conspired to create a rambunctious, subversive college comedy that continues to resonate. Animal House inspired the creation and popularity of college humor publications, fostering a sense of irreverent satire and comedy. The cast of comedy classic 'Animal House' have pursued careers in acting, directing and producing since the film's release 40 years ago.

“Animal House,” which was made for $2.1 million, went on to gross $141.6 million domestically after its release on July 28, 1978. Nearly 40 years later, we caught up with many of the cast members including Kevin Bacon (who made his film debut in the comedy) and Donald Sutherland, along with Mr. Landis and the producer Ivan Reitman to tell the back story of the quintessential summer comedy. In the fall of 1962, Faber College freshmen Larry Kroger and Kent Dorfman seek to pledge a fraternity.

Not Everyone At The National Lampoon Was Happy With The Success Of Animal House - imdb

Not Everyone At The National Lampoon Was Happy With The Success Of Animal House.

Posted: Sun, 18 Jun 2023 17:35:41 GMT [source]

Besides, some key scenes were recorded in Dexter, an unincorporated community in the county. For instance, the filming unit was spotted taping several scenes in and around the Dexter Lake Club at Dexter Road. Directed by John Landis, ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House’ is a 1978 comedy movie set in 1962 that revolves around the two fraternities at the fictional Faber College — Omega Theta Pi House and Delta Tau Chi House. When two socially awkward freshmen, Larry and Kent, arrive at the college, they attempt to become a part of the Omegas but are rejected. Now, with their feet on the ground, Larry and Kent turn to the notorious fraternity of the Deltas, where they are accepted.

Various incidents deepen the animosity between Delta, Omega, and Wormer, including the accidental death of Neidermeyer's horse during a retaliatory prank for bullying ROTC member Flounder. Decades after its release, Animal House remains a beloved and influential comedy that continues to entertain audiences of all ages. Animal House paved the way for a new wave of college comedies in the 1980s and beyond, influencing films like Revenge of the Nerds and Old School. Animal House, directed by John Landis, was released in 1978 and became an instant classic. For shooting purposes, the production team of ‘National Lampoon’s Animal House’ also traveled to Los Angeles County, the most populous county in the country. As per reports, they utilized the facilities of Universal Studios Lot at 100 Universal City Plaza in Universal City, an unincorporated area located within the San Fernando Valley.

In addition, the scenes set in Otter and Hoover’s bedrooms were shot on a film studio’s soundstage. The toga party scene in Animal House has become legendary and is often referenced in popular culture. Animal House tells the wonderfully chaotic story of college fraternity misfits who battle with their dean and the rival fraternity’s president to keep their spot on campus. One death of a horse, "double-secret probation," multiple failed exams and a one-night stand with the dean’s wife later, the members of Delta Tau Chi get (spoiler alert!) expelled — and plot out an elaborate revenge. Furthermore, the Relax Inn at 1030 North Pacific Highway in Cottage Grove doubled for the Rainbow Motel in the John Landis directorial.

The film studio is home to over 30 sound stages spread across over 400 acres, production offices, dressing rooms, rehearsal halls, and a massive backlot area. In the United States, it is currently more popular than Doorways but less popular than Something's Gotta Give. He's played by John Belushi, and the performance is all the more remarkable because Bluto has hardly any dialogue. His best scenes are played in silence (as when he lasciviously scales a ladder to peek at a sorority pillow fight). Animal House revolutionized the comedy genre by combining satire, slapstick, and outrageous humor with social commentary. The spirit and energy of Animal House continue to inspire college fraternities and their traditions to this day.