5 Fun Facts About National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

With the holiday season upon us, many people will be settling in and watching their favorite Christmas movies. One film that's usually on everyone's list is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

The 1989 comedy is the third film in the Vacation franchise and has Chevy Chase reprising his role as Clark Griswold. As he tries to give his family a good, old-fashioned Christmas, Clark is plagued by a string of bad luck, including a visit from Cousin Eddie.

Many fans love watching this holiday classic and quoting its famous lines. But what they don't know is these fun behind-the-scenes facts about the making of the film.

5. Christie Brinkley Was Supposed To Make An Appearance

Supermodel Christie Brinkley made her film debut in the first Vacation movie in 1983. Fans loved the Ferrari driving Brinkley who flirted with Clark while on the family road trip to Wally World.

For Christmas Vacation, the director and producers wanted Brinkley to make a cameo. The model was supposed to play Mary, the lingerie sales lady who flirts with Clark. Unfortunately, Brinkley turned down the part, fearing she'd be typecast. The role then went to Nicolette Scorsese.

4. Clark's Mother's Age

Diane Ladd gave a memorable performance as Clark's mother Nora Griswold. While Ladd definitely looked the part of the matronly Griswold matriarch, she wasn't that much older than her onscreen son Chevy Chase. Ladd, born in 1935, was only eight years older than Chase, who was born in 1943. At the time of the filming, Ladd was 54, while Chase was 46.

3. Deleted Scenes

As with many films, Christmas Vacation had a few scenes that didn't make the cut. One scene featuring the Griswolds' snobbish neighbors Todd and Margo was removed from the film's ending credits. In the scene, the couple is asleep in bed when the Santa and reindeer from the sewer explosion crashes through their house.

Another scene that didn't make the movie is a father and son moment between Clark and Rusty (Johnny Galecki). In the previous Vacation films, Clark and Rusty usually had a heartfelt chat, where Clark dishes out advice to his young son.

In the original Christmas Vacation script, no father and son talk was included. The writers toyed with the idea of adding a father and son scene, something Chase wanted, but his co-star didn't. When Galecki was approached with the idea, the actor turned it down because he felt the scene wasn't needed. Galecki later said turning down the scene was a decision he regrets.

2. This Wasn't Brian Doyle-Murray's First Vacation Film

Brian Doyle-Murray played Clark's grumpy boss Mr. Shirley who gifts the employees a Jelly of the Month membership instead of a bonus. But this wasn't the only Vacation film Murray was in.

The actor had a small part in the first Vacation film, playing the watermelon eating clerk of the camp the Griswolds stay at. While Murray's cameo may have gone unnoticed in the first film, years later he gave a hilarious performance as Mr. Shirley.

1. Cat Scene Almost Got Cut

One of the funniest moments in the film is when Aunt Bethany's cat gets electrocuted while chewing on the Christmas lights. However, if the producers had their way, the scene might not have made it in the movie.

The producers thought the cat scene would upset movie goers and wanted to delete it. However, director Jeremiah Chechik wanted the scene to stay. So they decided to let a test audience determine their decision. When it was shown to the audience, it received positive reactions and so the cat scene was included in the final cut.