National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation began with a short story, took shape across Colorado locations and a Burbank studio street, and underwent a director change before its December 1989 release. Here are 15 documented details about how the holiday comedy was adapted, made, and released.
Story and series origins
1. Clark Griswold’s Christmas began as a short story
John Hughes based the screenplay on his short story “Christmas ’59,” written for National Lampoon magazine, according to the AFI Catalog. The film turns that premise into a feature-length family comedy centered on Clark’s plans for an ideal holiday.
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2. It was the third Vacation film—and the last with the National Lampoon’s branding
The American Film Institute’s AFI Movie Club identifies it as the third installment in the Vacation series and the final film in the series branded “National Lampoon’s.”
Who made the movie
3. Jeremiah Chechik directed it after Chris Columbus left
Columbus was initially hired to direct and began work on the film. AFI Movie Club says he left after a strained relationship with Chevy Chase; the AFI Catalog credits Chechik as director. AFI also notes that establishing shots Columbus worked on remain in the finished movie.
#1 Best Overall
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- Chevy Chase, Beverly DAngelo, Diane Ladd, Juliette Lewis
4. Four cast members had been on Saturday Night Live
Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Brian Doyle-Murray were all Saturday Night Live alumni, a connection highlighted by AFI Movie Club. Their presence links the film’s comic cast to the television show that helped launch Chase’s career.
5. Diane Ladd was one year older than Chevy Chase
Ladd plays Clark’s mother, even though she was one year older than Chase, according to AFI Movie Club. The casting reverses the usual expectation that a parent character will be played by a substantially older performer.
Rank #2
6. Mae Questel’s final film appearance was in this movie
AFI Movie Club says Christmas Vacation marked Questel’s final film appearance. She was especially known for voicing Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.
Where and how it was filmed
7. Principal photography started in Colorado on March 27, 1989
The AFI Catalog records March 27, 1989, as the start of principal photography and lists locations in the Breckenridge area. AFI Movie Club describes Colorado filming as taking place in summer 1989; the snowy look in the finished film also came from studio work in Burbank, rather than Colorado locations alone.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →8. Colorado locations doubled for several different places
The AFI Catalog lists Highway 9, a ski slope used as a sledding hill, the Breckenridge Golf Course used as a Christmas-tree lot, Summit County High School’s gymnasium, and the local Wal-Mart among the area locations. In the film, these settings serve the story’s different holiday errands and family activities.
9. The Griswold street was built on a Burbank studio lot
After Colorado, production moved to Warner Ranch, formerly Columbia Ranch. The Griswold neighborhood was filmed on “Blondie Street,” with cotton batting, sawdust, and sparkles used to give the houses a snow-covered appearance, according to the AFI Catalog.
10. The home interiors were shot on two soundstages
The Griswold house interiors were filmed on two soundstages at Burbank Studios, the AFI Catalog records. That studio work supplied the interior scenes, while the exterior street set helped create the neighborhood’s wintry atmosphere.
Music and a memorable line
11. The catalog lists “The Star-Spangled Banner,” but not in the onscreen music credits
The AFI Catalog identifies John Stafford Smith and Francis Scott Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner” as used in the film, although it is absent from the onscreen music credits. The catalog separately credits Angelo Badalamenti for music.
12. One of Clark’s lines captures the film’s holiday ideal
AFI Movie Club reproduces Clark’s line: “Christmas is about resolving differences and seeing through the petty problems of family life.” It is the character’s statement in the film, not a remark attributed to Chase in an interview.
Best Value
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- National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Production, release, and reception
13. Three weeks of local filming reportedly brought $1.5 million to Breckenridge
For the three weeks of filming in the Breckenridge area, $1.5 million — Back Stage, 1989 (as cited by the AFI Catalog) was the reported contribution to the local economy. This is a contemporary estimate relayed by AFI, not a present-day economic calculation.
14. The reported production budget was $22 million
$22 million — Daily Variety, 1989 (as cited by the AFI Catalog) is the reported production budget. The figure comes from a trade-publication report cited in AFI’s catalog history.
15. The release date shifted, and the end credits thanked Breckenridge
An earlier planned release date of November 22, 1989, was moved to December 1, 1989, according to the AFI Catalog. The film opened on 1,744 screens — The Hollywood Reporter, 1989 (as cited by the AFI Catalog). Its end credits thank “the town of Breckenridge, Colorado.” AFI also reports that $70 million — Los Angeles Times, 1990 (as cited by the AFI Catalog) was the film’s gross as of a March 25, 1990 article; that is a time-specific report, not a final lifetime total. In a remark reported by AFI and attributed to Daily Variety, Chase called it “definitely the best” sequel he had done. AFI Movie Club describes it as the highest-grossing film in the series, a characterization from that source rather than a newly reconciled franchise comparison.
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