National Lampoon 's Vacation - wikipedia National Lampoon 's Vacation `` Walley World '' redirects here. For the retail store, see Walmart. This article is about the original film. For the entire series, see National Lampoon 's Vacation ( film series ). National Lampoon 's Vacation Theatrical release poster by Boris Vallejo Directed by Harold Ramis Produced by Matty Simmons Written by John Hughes Based on `` Vacation ' 58 '' by John Hughes Starring Chevy Chase Beverly D'Angelo Imogene Coca Randy Quaid John Candy Christie Brinkley Music by Ralph Burns Cinematography Victor J. Kemper Edited by Pembroke J. Herring Distributed by Warner Bros. Release date July 29, 1983 ( 1983 - 07 - 29 ) Running time 98 minutes Country United States Language English Budget $15 million Box office $61.4 million National Lampoon 's Vacation, sometimes referred to as Vacation, is a 1983 American road comedy film directed by Harold Ramis and starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid, Dana Barron, and Anthony Michael Hall. John Candy, Imogene Coca, Christie Brinkley, and a young Jane Krakowski appear in supporting roles. The screenplay was written by John Hughes, based on his short story `` Vacation ' 58 '' which appeared in National Lampoon. The film was a box - office hit, earning more than $60 million in the US with an estimated budget of $15 million, and received positive reviews from critics. As a result of its success, four sequels have been produced over the last three decades : European Vacation ( 1985 ), Christmas Vacation ( 1989 ), Vegas Vacation ( 1997 ), and most recently, Vacation ( 2015 ) which serves as both a reboot and a continuation. In 2000, readers of Total Film voted it the 46th greatest comedy film of all time. It continues to be a cult film and a staple on cable television. Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 3.1 Filming 3.2 Walley World 3.3 Wagon Queen Family Truckster 3.4 Music 4 Release 4.1 Box office 4.2 Critical reception 5 Home media 6 References 7 External links Plot Clark Griswold, wanting to spend more time with his wife Ellen and children Rusty and Audrey, decides to lead the family on a cross-country expedition from the Chicago suburbs to the southern California amusement park Walley World, billed as `` America 's Favorite Family Fun Park. '' Ellen wants to fly, but Clark insists on driving, so he can bond with his family. He has ordered a new car in preparation for the trip, but the dealer claims that it will not be ready for six weeks. Clark is forced to accept a Wagon Queen Family Truckster, an ugly, out - sized station wagon, as the car he brought to trade in has already been hauled away and crushed. During the family 's travels, they run into numerous mishaps, such as being tagged by vandals in a rundown area of St. Louis, Missouri, while Clark is tantalized numerous times by a beautiful young woman driving a flashy red 1983 Ferrari. They stop in Coolidge, Kansas to visit Ellen 's cousin Catherine and her husband Eddie, who foist cranky Aunt Edna and her mean dog Dinky on the Griswolds, asking them to drop her off at her son Norman 's home in Phoenix. After stopping at a decrepit and dirty campground in Colorado for the night, Clark forgets to untie Dinky 's leash from the bumper before driving off the next morning, killing the dog. A state trooper pulls the Griswolds over and angrily lectures Clark over animal cruelty but accepts Clark 's apology ; Edna learns of her dog 's death and becomes more irate with Clark. Exiting Colorado, Ellen loses her bag which had her credit cards, forcing Clark to have to cash a check for future spending. While Ellen and Clark argue during a drive between Utah and Arizona, they crash and become stranded in the desert. After setting off alone in the desert to look for help, Clark eventually reunites with his family, who have been rescued and taken to a local mechanic. The mechanic extorts the remainder of Clark 's cash only to make the car barely operational. Frustrated, they stop at the Grand Canyon ; when Clark can not convince a hotel clerk to cash a personal check because his credit card was reported stolen, he takes cash from the cash register behind the clerk 's back and leaves the check. Leaving, they find that Aunt Edna has died in her sleep. They tie the deceased to the roof of the car, wrapped in a tarpaulin. When they reach Norman 's home, they discover he is out of town and leave Edna 's body at the back door. Having enough of the road - trip and of the mishaps they encountered, Ellen and the children want to go back home, but Clark has become obsessed in reaching Walley World and they continue on. After an argument with Ellen, Clark eventually meets the Ferrari - driving blonde beauty at a hotel and goes skinny - dipping with her in its pool, but they are discovered by the family before anything untowards can transpire. Ellen forgives Clark, and the couple goes skinny - dipping as well. Despite the family 's misfortunes, they finally arrive the next day, only to find that the park is closed for the next two weeks for repairs. Finally slipping into madness and realizing that all his efforts have been for nothing, Clark buys a realistic - looking BB gun and demands that park security guard Russ Lasky take them through Walley World ; Ellen and the kids follow, attempting to placate Clark. Eventually, an LAPD SWAT team arrives, along with park owner Roy Walley. Roy understands Clark 's impassioned longing to achieve the perfect vacation, bringing back memories of his own family 's vacation headaches. He decides not to file criminal charges against the Griswolds and lets the family -- and the SWAT team -- enjoy the park as his guests. Cast Chevy Chase as Clark W. Griswold Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold Imogene Coca as Aunt Edna Anthony Michael Hall as Russell `` Rusty '' Griswold Dana Barron as Audrey Griswold Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie Miriam Flynn as Ellen 's cousin Catherine Christie Brinkley as the Girl in Red Ferrari John Candy as Russ Lasky Eddie Bracken as Roy Walley Brian Doyle - Murray as Kamp Komfort clerk James Keach as Motorcycle cop Eugene Levy as Ed the car salesman Frank McRae as Grover Jane Krakowski as Cousin Vicki John P. Navin Jr. as Cousin Dale Production During the Chicago Blizzard of 1979, writer John Hughes began developing a short story entitled `` Vacation ' 58 '' for an issue of the National Lampoon. While the story ended up being bumped from the initial vacation - themed issue, it was eventually published in September 1979 and subsequently optioned by Warner Bros. `` When I brought it to Hollywood, the first guy I brought it to was Jeff Katzenberg who was at Paramount, '' recalled producer Matty Simmons, who worked as a publisher at the National Lampoon. `` He said it would never make a movie, it was too episodic, too consequential. I said, ' Yeah, it 's a road trip. It 's supposed to be episodic. You go from town to town, place to place. ' But he did n't like it, so then my agent brought it to Warner Brothers, and I met with them. Most of them said the same thing, but there was one executive over there -- a guy named Mark Canton -- who really pulled for it and it got made. '' Upon Simmons ' agreement with Warner Bros., Hughes was assigned the task of adapting his original story into a screenplay. Filming Filming lasted 55 days beginning in July 1982. Parts of the film were shot in Monument Valley, Utah ; Flagstaff, Sedona, and the Grand Canyon in Arizona ; Santa Anita Racetrack in Arcadia and Magic Mountain in California ; and St. Louis, Missouri. Walley World In Hughes ' original short story, the theme park was Disneyland. To avoid legal troubles, all of the names associated with Disneyland were altered to sound - alikes. For instance, the park became Walley World, itself a good - natured parody of the Anaheim location, and the mascot, Marty Moose, is reminiscent of Walt Disney 's own Mickey Mouse. Similarly, Roy Walley 's appearance bears similarities to that of Disney and his name is similar to that of his brother Roy Disney. In the film, the Walley World theme park is represented by Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California. Santa Anita Park 's large parking lot and blue - tinged fascia served as the exterior of Walley World, while all park interior scenes were shot at Magic Mountain. The two roller coasters seen in the film are The New Revolution, which can be recognized by the vertical loop, and Colossus, the duelling wooden roller coaster. The movie 's popularity gave rise to an ongoing cultural running gag of using the name `` Wally World '' ( spelled as `` Wally '' without an `` e '' ) as a nickname for real - life retailer Walmart. Wagon Queen family Truckster Wagon Queen Family Truckster The Wagon Queen Family Truckster station wagon was created specifically for the film. It is based on a 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon. The car was designed by George Barris, and it lampooned American cars of the late 1970s. The Truckster features a pale avocado metallic green paint scheme ; extensive imitation wood - paneling decals ; eight headlights ( the second pair was taken from another Crown Victoria / Country Squire and mounted upside - down below the stock pair ) ; a grille area largely covered by bodywork with only two small openings close to the bumper ; an oddly - placed fuel filler door ; and an airbag made from a trashcan liner. In the 2015 film Vacation ( a sequel to the original ), the Wagon Queen Family Truckster reappears at the bed - and - breakfast garage of Clark and Ellen Griswold. The Truckster used in this later film is the creation of Lisa and Steve Griswold, a real - life family living in Atlanta, who created the replica wagon to take family trips with their two daughters. In July 2014, the real - life Griswolds drove across the United States, visiting the locations seen in the original film, and ended their journey on the 31st anniversary of the film at Walley World ( Six Flags Magic Mountain ), so they could ride the Colossus before Six Flags ' planned closure of the roller coaster. Music The musical score for National Lampoon 's Vacation was composed by Ralph Burns, featuring original songs by Lindsey Buckingham. A soundtrack album was released in 1983 by Warner Bros. Records. While the album did not chart, Buckingham 's single `` Holiday Road '' reached number 82 on the Billboard Hot 100. `` Holiday Road '' -- Lindsey Buckingham `` Mister Blue '' -- The Fleetwoods `` Blitzkrieg Bop '' -- Ramones `` Deep River Blues '' -- Ralph Burns `` Summer Hearts '' -- Nicolette Larson `` Little Boy Sweet '' -- June Pointer `` The Trip ( Theme from Vacation ) '' -- Ralph Burns `` He 's So Dull '' -- Vanity 6 `` Christie 's Song '' -- Ralph Burns `` Dancin ' Across the USA '' -- Lindsey Buckingham Release Box Office National Lampoon 's Vacation opened theatrically in 1,175 venues on July 29, 1983 and earned $8,333,358 in its opening weekend, ranking number one at the domestic box office. The film grossed $61,399,552. Critical reception The film received positive reviews from critics. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 93 % rating based on 43 reviews. The site 's consensus reads, `` Blessed by a brilliantly befuddled star turn from Chevy Chase, National Lampoon 's Vacation is one of the more consistent -- and thoroughly quotable -- screwball comedies of the 1980s. '' Metacritic reports a 60 out of 100 rating based on six critics, indicating `` mixed or average reviews ''. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of `` C + '' on an A+ to F scale ; the company 's founder said in 2016, `` I loved it... I could n't figure out for anything why people did n't love that more ''. Janet Maslin of The New York Times gave the film a positive review, saying, `` National Lampoon 's Vacation, which is more controlled than other Lampoon movies have been, is careful not to stray too far from its target. The result is a confident humor and throwaway style that helps sustain the laughs -- of which there are quite a few. '' Entertainment magazine Variety called the film `` an enjoyable trip through familiar comedy landscapes '' and praised `` director Harold Ramis for populating the film with a host of well - known comedic performers in passing parts. '' Conversely, Richard Rayner of Time Out magazine said, `` The visual gags come thick and fast, and are about as subtly signposted as the exit markers on a freeway. An exercise in the comedy of humiliation which is the stuff of shamefaced giggles. '' In August 2015 it was listed as the best film in the Vacation film series by Daniel Cohen. Home Media This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( July 2016 ) National Lampoon 's Vacation was first released on VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, and CED in late 1983. It was later released again on VHS in 1986, 1991, 1995 and 1999. It was first released on DVD in 1997. The DVD was presented in an open - matte full screen presentation. Its only feature was the film 's theatrical trailer. A 20th anniversary DVD was released in 2003. It included an anamorphic widescreen transfer. Its bonus features included an audio commentary with director Harold Ramis, producer Matty Simmons, and stars Chevy Chase, Anthony Michael Hall, Dana Barron, and Randy Quaid. It also included an introduction with Chase, Simmons, and Quaid, a family truckster interactive featurette gallery, and the film 's theatrical trailer. A Blu - ray was released in 2013. It included the same features from the 20th Anniversary DVD and included the A&E documentary : Inside Story : National Lampoon 's Vacation. References Jump up ^ `` NATIONAL LAMPOON 'S VACATION ( 15 ) ''. British Board of Film Classification. August 16, 1983. Retrieved July 29, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) ''. Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved July 29, 2015. Jump up ^ Giles, Jeff ( July 29, 2015 ). `` National Lampoon 's Best Movies ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Hughes, John ( 2008 ). `` Vacation ' 58 / Foreword ' 08 ''. Zoetrope All - Story. American Zoetrope. Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved August 12, 2015. Jump up ^ Evans, Bradford ( April 10, 2012 ). `` Talking to Matty Simmons About Producing Animal House, Publishing National Lampoon, and His New Book Fat, Drunk, and Stupid ''. Splitsider. The Awl. Archived from the original on April 12, 2012. Retrieved August 12, 2015. Jump up ^ `` For National Lampoon 's Vacation ''. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. United States Federal Government. December 16, 1981. Archived from the original on August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 15, 2015. Jump up ^ The making of National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ). Pretty in Podcast. Listen at 25 : 08 mark. Accessed July 29, 2018. Jump up ^ `` SCVHistory.com SR9683 - Magic Mountain - National Lampoon 's Vacation, 1982 - 83 ''. scvhistory.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018. Jump up ^ D'Arc, James V. ( 2010 ). When Hollywood came to town : a history of moviemaking in Utah ( 1st ed. ). Layton, Utah : Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874. Jump up ^ `` National Lampoon 's Vacation Movie Filming Locations ''. The 80s Movies Rewind. Archived from the original on August 12, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015. Jump up ^ Davidson, Osha Gray. Broken Heartland : The Rise of America 's Rural Ghetto, pg. 49, ISBN 9781587290411, 2011, Anchor Books, New York, New York. Jump up ^ `` Movie cars : 20 best of all time ''. www.msn.com. Retrieved July 29, 2018. Jump up ^ `` ' Family Truckster ' road tripping to Mecum auction in Houston ''. Foxnews.com. April 3, 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2013. Jump up ^ `` ' Family Truckster ' Vacation Movie Behind the Scenes with the Real Griswolds ''. GriswoldFamilyVacation.com. July 28, 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015. Jump up ^ `` National Lampoon 's Vacation Soundtrack ( 1983 ) ''. Soundtrack.Net. Retrieved August 15, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Weekend Box Office Results for July 29 -- 31, 1983 ''. Box Office Mojo. Internet Movie Database. August 1, 1983. Retrieved July 29, 2015. Jump up ^ `` National Lampoon 's Vacation ''. Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 29, 2015. Jump up ^ `` National Lampoon 's Vacation ''. Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 29, 2015. Jump up ^ Lawrence, Christopher ( 2016 - 08 - 30 ). `` Las Vegan 's polling company keeps tabs on Hollywood ''. Las Vegas Review - Journal. Jump up ^ Maslin, Janet ( July 29, 1983 ). `` Movie Review : National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) ''. The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on September 25, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` National Lampoon 's Vacation ''. Variety. Penske Media Corporation. July 29, 1983. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Rayner, Richard ( June 24, 2006 ). `` National Lampoon 's Vacation ''. Time Out. Time Out Group. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved August 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Cohen, Daniel ( August 4, 2015 ). `` Ranking The First Four Vacation Movies ''. Pop - Break. Retrieved August 12, 2015. 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TV : The Movie Electric Apricot : Quest for Festeroo Films about the magazine National Lampoon : Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead A Futile and Stupid Gesture Television Delta House National Lampoon 's Funny Money Related links Deteriorata Dick Ballantine The Harvard Lampoon O.C. and Stiggs Films directed by Harold Ramis Caddyshack ( 1980 ) National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) Club Paradise ( 1986 ) Groundhog Day ( 1993 ) Stuart Saves His Family ( 1995 ) Multiplicity ( 1996 ) Analyze This ( 1999 ) Bedazzled ( 2000 ) Analyze That ( 2002 ) The Ice Harvest ( 2005 ) Year One ( 2009 ) John Hughes Director and writer Sixteen Candles ( 1984 ) The Breakfast Club ( 1985 ) Weird Science ( 1985 ) Ferris Bueller 's Day Off ( 1986 ) Planes, Trains and Automobiles ( 1987 ) She 's Having a Baby ( 1988 ) Uncle Buck ( 1989 ) Curly Sue ( 1991 ) Writer only National Lampoon 's Class Reunion ( 1982 ) Mr. Mom ( 1983 ) National Lampoon 's Vacation ( 1983 ) Nate and Hayes ( 1983 ) National Lampoon 's European Vacation ( 1985 ) Pretty in Pink ( 1986 ) Some Kind of Wonderful ( 1987 ) The Great Outdoors ( 1988 ) National Lampoon 's Christmas Vacation ( 1989 ) Home Alone ( 1990 ) Career Opportunities ( 1991 ) Dutch ( 1991 ) Beethoven ( 1992 ) Home Alone 2 : Lost in New York ( 1992 ) Dennis the Menace ( 1993 ) Baby 's Day Out ( 1994 ) Miracle on 34th Street ( 1994 ) 101 Dalmatians ( 1996 ) Flubber ( 1997 ) Home Alone 3 ( 1997 ) Reach the Rock ( 1998 ) Just Visiting ( 2001 ) Maid in Manhattan ( 2002, story ) Drillbit Taylor ( 2008, original character ) Related Do n't You Forget About Me ( 2009 documentary ) Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Lampoon%27s_Vacation&oldid=857120912 '' Categories : 1983 films English - language films American films 1980s comedy films 1980s road movies American adventure comedy films American road movies Films about vacationing Films based on short fiction Films directed by Harold Ramis Films set in Arizona Films set in California Films set in Colorado Films set in Illinois Films set in Kansas Films set in Missouri Films set in Chicago Films set in amusement parks Films shot in Utah Films shot in Arizona Films shot in California Films shot in Missouri National Lampoon 's Vacation ( film series ) Screenplays by John Hughes ( filmmaker ) Warner Bros. films Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from July 2015 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from September 2015 Articles needing additional references from July 2016 All articles needing additional references Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikiquote Català Dansk Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Italiano Bahasa Melayu Nederlands Norsk Polski Português Română Русский Suomi Svenska Türkçe 8 more Edit links This page was last edited on 29 August 2018, at 18 : 07 ( UTC ). 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Question: where was national lampoon's vacation wally world filmed
Answer: Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California