Can’t see the lines, can ya, Russ? It wasn’t just Chevy Chase and his video camera that wanted a glimpse of Beverly D’Angelo in the shower in National Lampoon’s Vacation, but also her onscreen son, Anthony Michael Hall, who recently fessed up to trying to sneak a peek while she filmed her brief nude scene.
Attending Fan Expo Chicago (via EW) with fellow castmates D’Angelo, Randy Quaid (Cousin Eddie), Dana Barron (Audrey Griswold), and Christie Brinkley (the unforgettable Girl in Red Ferrari), Hall – who was just 14 while filming National Lampoon’s Vacation – was called out by his onscreen sister for once trying to spy on D’Angelo. Hall cut her off, saying, “So, I got busted because I tried to sneak onto the set when Beverly was doing the shower scene.” (Hall declined to elaborate any further; while he said this was out of solidarity with SAG-AFTRA, one can imagine he has other reasons…) D’Angelo seems to take it all in stride, though, saying, “I get a lot of guys who say I was the first boobs they saw.” No word on if Johnny Galecki, Jason Lively or Ethan Embry ever tried to see what Ellen was hiding…Sorry, folks!
But it wasn’t just D’Angelo that was eye candy to some, with Brinkley’s character proving to be the fantasy of both Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold and plenty of men who watched National Lampoon’s Vacation. Still, she wasn’t nude in the pool scene as many remember. As Barron put it, “Christie wore a suit that made her look nude…but she wasn’t nude because she was, or is, a top model and you don’t want to reveal everything, she used to say.” The National Lampoon’s Vacation reunion was sadly missing Chase due to ongoing health issues.
Directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes, National Lampoon’s Vacation remains one of the great comedies, packed with laughs that frequently hit dark moments, whether it’s holding a theme park security guard at gunpoint or strapping a dead grandmother to the top of the car. With bits like that – and endless quotes – you’ll need plastic surgery to remove your smiles!
What is your favorite scene from National Lampoon’s Vacation? Where does it rank in the Vacation movie series? Let us know below!