Caddyshack

Theatrical release poster

***Caddyshack*** is a 1980 American sports comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, written by Brian Doyle-Murray, Ramis and Douglas Kenney, and starring Chevy Chase, Rodney Dangerfield, Ted Knight, Michael O'Keefe and Bill Murray with supporting roles by Sarah Holcomb, Cindy Morgan, and Doyle-Murray. It tells the story of a caddie, vying for a caddie scholarship, who becomes involved in a feud on the links between one of the country club's founders and a *nouveau riche* guest. A subplot involves a greenskeeper who uses extreme methods against an elusive gopher.

*Caddyshack* was Ramis's directorial debut and boosted the career of Dangerfield, who was previously known mostly for his stand-up comedy. Grossing nearly $40 million at the domestic box office (the 17th-highest of the year), it was the first of a series of similar comedies.

The film has a cult following and was described by ESPN as "perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made".

A sequel titled *Caddyshack II* (1988) followed, although only Chase reprised his role; it was a box-office bomb.

## Plot

Danny Noonan works as a caddie at the exclusive Bushwood Country Club to earn money to pay for college. Danny caddies for Ty Webb, a mischievous lothario and the son of one of Bushwood's co-founders. Danny tries to curry favor with Judge Elihu Smails, the country club's haughty co-founder and director of the caddie scholarship program, by caddying for him. Meanwhile, Carl Spackler, a mentally unstable greenskeeper, hunts a potentially destructive gopher reported by Smails. Spackler attempts to kill it with a rifle and high-pressure hose but fails.

Al Czervik, a loud and free-spirited *nouveau riche* golfer and successful real estate developer, attends the club as a guest. Czervik loudly offers a wager, distracting Smails as he tees off and causing his shot to go wrong. Later, bored by slow play, Czervik wagers with Smails again. Smails is enraged for losing the bet and angrily throws his putter, injuring an elderly woman. Danny takes the blame for the incident to impress Smails. Smails encourages him to apply for the caddie scholarship.

At Bushwood's annual Fourth of July banquet, Danny and his girlfriend Maggie work as wait staff. Czervik continues to bully Smails and the older club members while entertaining and befriending the younger ones, as well as the staff, to whom he consistently gives generous tips. Danny becomes attracted to Smails' promiscuous niece Lacey Underall who is visiting for the summer and frequents the club.

Later, Danny wins the Caddy Day golf tournament and the scholarship, earning him an invitation from Smails to attend the christening ceremony for his boat at the nearby Rolling Lakes Yacht Club. Smails's boat is sunk at the event after a collision with Czervik's larger boat. Returning home, Smails discovers Lacey and Danny in bed at his house. Expecting to be fired, Danny is surprised when Smails only demands that he keeps the escapade secret in exchange for awarding him the caddy scholarship.

Unable to bear the continued presence of the uncouth Czervik, Smails confronts him and announces that he will never be granted membership. Czervik counters by announcing that he would never consider being a member: he only claimed to be a guest to evaluate buying the club and developing the land into condominiums. After a brief fight and exchange of insults, Webb suggests they discuss the situation over drinks. After Smails demands satisfaction, Czervik proposes a secret team golf match with Smails and his regular golfing partner Dr. Beeper against Czervik and Webb. Against club rules, they also agree to a $20,000 wager on the match, which quickly doubles to $40,000. That evening, Webb practices for the game against Smails, and his errant shot brings him to meet Carl; the two share a bottle of wine and a joint.

The match is held the next day. Word spreads of the stakes involved, drawing in a crowd of club members and employees. During the game, Smails and Beeper take the lead, while Czervik, to his chagrin, is "playing the worst game of his life". Webb grows increasingly distracted and also plays a poor game. Czervik reacts to Smails' heckling by impulsively doubling the wager to $80,000 per team. When his own ricocheting ball strikes his arm, Czervik fakes an injury in hopes of having the contest declared a draw. Lou, a club staffer who is acting as the umpire, tells Czervik his team will forfeit unless they find a substitute. When Webb chooses Danny, Smails threatens to revoke his scholarship. Czervik promises Danny that he will make it "worth his while" if he wins, and Danny chooses to play.

Upon reaching the final hole, the score is tied. Judge Smails scores a birdie. Danny has to complete a difficult putt to draw even. However, Czervik bets Smails into going double or nothing based on Danny making the putt. Smails reluctantly accepts. Danny's putt leaves the ball hanging over the edge of the hole. At that moment, in his latest attempt to kill the gopher, Carl detonates plastic explosives that he has rigged around the golf course, shaking the ground and cause the ball to drop into the hole, handing Danny, Webb, and Czervik victory on the wager. Smails reneges on the wager, so Czervik summons two intimidating men named Moose and Rocco to "help the judge find his checkbook". As they chase Smails, Czervik quotes to the onlookers, "Hey, everybody, we're all gonna get laid!" and a party begins.

Some distance away, the gopher emerges from underground, unharmed, and dances to the film's main theme, "I'm Alright," amid the smoldering ruins of the golf course as the credits roll.

## Cast

* Chevy Chase as Ty Webb, the son of one of Bushwood Country Club's founders who also runs a lumber mill.
* Rodney Dangerfield as Al Czervik, a *nouveau riche* golfer and successful real estate developer
* Ted Knight as Elihu Smails, a judge who is one of the founders of Bushwood Country Club and who directs the caddy scholarship program
* Michael O'Keefe as Danny Noonan, a teenager who caddies for Ty and works under Lou
* Bill Murray as Carl Spackler, a mentally unstable greenskeeper at Bushwood Country Club who is charged with the duty of ridding it of the gopher.
* Sarah Holcomb as Maggie O'Hooligan, Danny's girlfriend and coworker
* Cindy Morgan as Lacey Underall, Elihu Smails's niece
* Scott Colomby as Tony D'Annunzio, Danny's co-worker.
* Dan Resin as Dr. Beeper, Elihu Smails's regular golfing partner
* Henry Wilcoxon as Bishop Fred Pickering, a golfing friend of Elihu Smails
* Elaine Aiken as Julie Noonan, the mother of Danny.
* Albert Salmi as Roy Noonan, the father of Danny.
* Ann Ryerson as Grace
* Brian Doyle-Murray as Lou Loomis, the head of Bushwood Country Club's caddy shack that Danny and Maggie work for and the manager of the caddies.
* Hamilton Mitchell as Motormouth
* Peter Berkrot as Angie D'Annunzio, the brother of Tony who is Danny's co-worker.
* John F. Barmon Jr. as Spaulding Smails, Elihu Smails's grandson
* Lois Kibbee as Mrs. Smails, Elihu Smails's wife
* Brian McConnachie as Drew Scott, a friend of Al Czervik who is a member of the Bushwood Country Club.
* Scott Powell as Gatsby
* Jackie Davis as Smoke Porterhouse, a worker at Bushwood Country Club.
* Thomas A. Carlin as Sandy McFiddish, the Scottish greenskeeper at Bushwood Country Club that Carl works for.
* Ron Frank as Pat Noonan, the brother of Danny.
* Patricia Wilcox as Nancy Noonan, the sister of Danny.
* Debi Frank as Kathleen Noonan, the sister of Danny.
* Mel Pape as Butler
* Dennis McCormack as Dennis Noonan, the younger cousin of Danny.
* Violet Ramis as a Noonan Child
* Tim Lawrence as the puppeteer of Mr. Gopher (uncredited)