August 17, 2020
'Caddyshack'
The Ringer's Bill Simmons and Sean Fennessey are just a couple of former assistant groundskeepers about to become Masters champions. It looks like a miracle, it's a... it's a... it's 'Caddyshack,' starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, and Bill Murray.
Cast
Chevy Chase as Ty Webb
Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik
Ted Knight as Judge Elihu Smails
Bill Murray as Carl Spackler
Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan
Cindy Morgan as Lacey Underall
Directed by: Harold Ramis
Written by: Harold Ramis, Brian Doyle-Murray, Doug Kenney
Notes
- Cocaine was a massive presence on set. Michael O'Keefe: 'It would be lunch and someone would say, do you want to do a line?' Harold Ramis: 'The cocaine business in South Florida was mammoth. Everyone was doing everything.' The accounting department leaked that everyone was taking per diems in cash.
- Bill Murray was still on SNL during filming – went back and forth and only shot for 6 days total.
- The Murray/Chase ad-libbed scene ('Cannonball coming!') was created last-minute when they realized the two stars had no scene together. This connects to their famous backstage fight before Chase hosted SNL.
- Ted Knight was a traditional 'follow the script' actor surrounded by improvisers; had real-life tension with Rodney Dangerfield, who didn't even know what 'action' meant on a movie set.
- Doug Kenney co-founded National Lampoon, co-wrote the original script (more of a John Hughes-style story about caddies' lives), was devastated the movie changed. Went to Hawaii with Chevy Chase, fell from a cliff in Kauai and died shortly after the film's release – unclear if suicide or accident.
- John Peters arranged a Playboy shoot for Cindy Morgan without her consent; she declined, he threatened to end her career. Harold Ramis stepped in and canceled the shoot, but Morgan's career suffered.
- Carl Spackler was not in early drafts of the script – the original was a love triangle with Danny, Maggie, and D'Annunzio.
- Movie made $40 million, was 17th at the box office in 1980. Shot for 11 weeks in 1979 in Florida.
Categories
Roger Ebert's review
Quote from Rog's review:
“Caddyshack feels like a movie that was written rather loosely so that when shooting again there is freedom – too much freedom – for it to wander off in all directions in search of comic inspiration.”
Simmons says Ebert should have upped it by a star.
Most re-watchable scene
- Ty playing golf with Danny ('You take drugs, Danny? Every day. Good.').
- Country club dinner – Judge Smails's outfit, Al Czervik's one-liners, Spalding drinking half-finished cocktails.
- Baby Ruth bar / pool scene ('Jaws' parody).
- Ty and Lacey's date at Ty's house.
- Cinderella Story / Carl's monologue, followed by the Bishop's round.
- Simmons's pick: The Smails kid picking his nose and the guys betting on it (double or nothing when he eats it).
- Fennessey's pick: Carl and Ty together in Carl's shack – the Murray/Chase ad-libbed scene, compares it to LeBron and Steph teaming up in an All-Star Game.
What aged the best?
- Al Czervik's golf bag (phone, stereo, quarter keg, electronic tracking putter, clubs that shoot up).
- The fake names: Mitch Cumstein, Lacey Underall, Dr. Beeper, Al Czervik, Carl Lipbaum, Chuck Schick.
- Lacey Underall / Cindy Morgan's performance and her yellow Mercedes 450SL.
- The Dalai Lama scene – Fennessey calls it possibly 'the funniest scene in movie history.'
- 'Noonan!' – became integrated into culture for 40 years as a way to mess with people.
- Kenny Loggins' 'I'm Alright' theme song.
- Ted Knight Edition: 'Well, we're waiting'; 'You'll get nothing and like it'; 'I've sentenced boys younger than you to the gas chamber'; 'How about a Fresca?'; the Billy Baroo scene; his golf outfits; every single line delivery.
What aged the worst?
- Golf announcers forcing 'Caddyshack' lines into tournament coverage.
- D'Annunzio's golf swing and outfit (looks like he's headed to Chippendales).
- The Gopher – not funny, doesn't work, and they doubled down on it in the sequel.
- Maggie – 'one of the worst sports movie characters in a long time,' inexplicable Irish accent, unnecessary pregnancy subplot.
- Baby Ruth as a 'Jaws' parody – great idea in 1980, less effective 40 years later.
- The 'Caddyshack' sequel (Jackie Mason replacing Rodney was 'reprehensible').
Casting what-ifs
- Mickey Rourke was the other finalist for Danny Noonan – they decided he wasn't funny enough.
- Michelle Pfeiffer turned down the role of Lacey Underall because she didn't want to get naked.
- Don Rickles was originally considered for Al Czervik – Simmons says he's too mean, you wouldn't root for him; he'd be better as Judge Smails.
- Pink Floyd was wanted for the music; they said no.
Best "that guy"
- Nominees: Dr. Beeper (Dan Resin), the Bishop, Wang, Lou the caddy master, the attendant.
- Simmons's winner: Tony D'Annunzio / Scott Colomby – also 'that guy' from Porky's, then never seen again. Played the Italian-American archetype in 'Caddyshack', the Jewish-American archetype in Porky's.
Over-acting award
- Winner: Maggie – her dramatic 'I'm still willing to marry you!' scene.
- Runner-up: The Bishop (literally calling out to God, then losing his faith).
- Judge Smails explicitly ruled out – 'Smails is perfect.'
Re-casting couch
- Dr. Beeper: Simmons suggests Robert Wagner was supposed to play Dr. Beeper and canceled last minute. Also suggests Rob Lowe from 1993 onward.
- Judge Smails: Harvey Korman could have done it; Norman Fell (Mr. Roper) mentioned but not big enough. Ted Danson if the movie came 15 years later. They emphasize how impossible that role is to recast beyond Ted Knight.
Apex Mountain
- Michael O'Keefe: Yes – coming off an Oscar nomination for The Great Santini, then starring in the funniest movie of the year.
- Rodney Dangerfield: No, his apex is mid-80s / Back to School era.
- Ted Knight: Retroactively yes for legacy – 'Caddyshack' outlived him.
- Chevy Chase: No – gave it to him for 'Fletch'.
- Bill Murray: No, but 'it's so pure' – everything he did in six days is golden.
- Cindy Morgan: Sadly yes (John Peters blacklisting).
- Cocaine: Simmons says yes – 'it's all downhill right after this for cocaine.'
Picking nits
- Why did Judge Smails accept double or nothing? He had nothing to lose if Danny halved the hole. By accepting, he risked losing $80K instead of either winning $40K or nothing. Terrible gambling.
- Ty Webb completely choked in the big match despite being established as an incredible golfer.
- Caddy Day at the pool would never happen in real life.
- Why is the diving board so high? Basically Olympic height at a country club.
- Judge Smails's boat was absurdly small – like 8 feet.
- Lacey went from Ty Webb to Danny Noonan in about 12 hours.
(Probably) unanswerable questions
- Who carried more clubs in their bag, Judge Smails or Al Czervik?
- Greatest sports movie putt ever – 'Happy Gilmore' or Danny Noonan?
- What happened to Rodney Dangerfield's career after this era?
- Do they still sell Baby Ruth bars? Did the pool scene ruin the brand?
- How was there never a 'Caddyshack' video game?
Who won the movie?
- Fennessey's pick: Bill Murray – for what he gives in the performance and how it influenced culture.
- Simmons's pick: Ted Knight – hardest part, if his character doesn't work the whole movie falls apart. Everyone else just played their existing persona. 'Still the one that makes me laugh the most.'
- Simmons notes Bill Murray got the most *out of* the movie – 40 years of mileage, Pebble Beach persona, etc.
Half-assed (internet) research
- Film inspired by Brian Doyle-Murray's memories of working as a caddy at Indian Hill Club in Winnetka, where his brothers and Harold Ramis also caddied.
- Michael O'Keefe wouldn't play golf for 25 years after the film because people wouldn't leave him alone on the course.
- Scott Colomby (D'Annunzio) and Cindy Morgan dated for two years after the movie.
- John F. Barmon Jr. (Spalding) became a realtor in Boston.