Animal House with Chevy Chase and Dan Aykroyd

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     National Lampoon's Animal House was originally written with different actors in mind. D-Day was based on Dan Aykroyd. I remember hearing how he would ride his motorcycle from Canada to New York for SNL. a story that I have since heard might be apocryphal. Before SNL, John Belushi and Chevy Chase a stage in National Lampoon's stage show "Lemmings" in 1973. Belushi, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle-Murray had worked with Animal House co-writer Harold Ramis on National Lampoon's next stage show, appropriately called "The National Lampoon Show".  

     The producers really wanted Chevy Chase as Otter, but director John Landis didn't. According to Landis he used reverse psychology to get Chase to pass, telling to do this instead Foul Play. He told him that the frat comedy is a great ensemble movie where he could share the screen with Belushi like the Lemmings show. If he did Foul Play, that would be a leading man type of role, with just him and Goldie Hawn in scenes. Chase wisely chose the romantic comedy and it worked out well for everyone.

  

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