"I made about 28 movies, and I think about five of them were good."
What a GUY! What a GUY!! IMO - one of the funniest actors alive today.. And in the top 3 funniest actors of ALL TIME! So when he took a gig on a floundering tv show a few years ago and called up the producer to say... 'this shit ain't funny..' - the world shook their heads YES in overwhelming agreement. The movies this fella 'ROCKED' in my childhood were PLENTIFUL!! OVERFLOWING! 'Vacation' (ALL of 'em), 'Fletch' 1 & 2, 'Meet the Robinsons', 'Funny Farm', 'Caddyshack', 'Three Amigos', 'Oh! Heavenly Dog', 'Foul Play', & that's just a skim-o-the list..
BTW - if you had wondered?? Wonder NO MO! (Sorta)...
He was born Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (hince the 'sorta').. On October 8, 1943, in New York, New York, U.S.A. - Planet Earth... (Just so there is no confusion)..
Chevy is a 14th-generation New Yorker, and was listed in the Social Register at an early age.. Growing up in NYC - Chevy could 'best' be described as an adventurous kid with a tinge for trouble. As a child, a bit of splendor could rightly be said.. (aka money wasn't hard to come by..) Chevy & his brother, vacationed at the infamous Castle Hill, in Massachusetts..
He went to school here, but was expelled for bringing a cow onto the upper floor of the school. Chevy saw it as a prank.. though faculty saw it as base & tasteless & expelled him. On a side note (even after admitting to it on the Today Show).. Some former classmates and his roommate claim that Chevy left for academic reasons.. WHATEVER the case?? After leaving from Riverdale - Chevy entered Stockbridge High in Massachusetts.. It was here he'd graduate. The first years of college was had at Haverford College (NOT to be confused with 'HARVARD')... From there, he transferred to Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, where he studied a pre-med curriculum and graduated in 1967 with a BA in English. However - Chevy never entered pre-med.. But never finished. Chevy avoided the draft by falsely claiming he was homosexual. 😂
Post college, Chevy formed a band with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.. Both would later go on to form the group, 'Steely Dan'.. When the band gig didn't work out.. Chevy gave it a go at several 'working man' jobs (according to Wiki) including - a cab driver, truck driver, motorcycle messenger, construction worker, waiter, busboy, fruit picker, produce manager in a supermarket, audio engineer, salesman in a wine store, and theater usher... None of which apparently tickled his fancy. He played drums and keyboards for a rock band called 'Chamaeleon Church', (the cover or 'logo' is a weird kinda pyscadelic one fosho!!) The band recorded one album for MGM Records before disbanding in 1969. Disbanding after, as it is said, they (as in the MGM audio editors made some changes on the album..) Even muting some of Chevy's bass and drum play... Soooo... After trying all these - what was left?? Hmmmm.. 'Crawdaddy'!?!?!
In 1967 - He found a chunk o change in writing for 'MAD magazine'.. This led to Chevy co-founding an underground NYC comedy ensemble called Channel One - He'd found his niche!! Acting was it!! It came with acclaim and was the forum he'd been looking for since his class clown days of college. In 1973 - he got involved & became a cast member of The National Lampoon Radio Hour, a syndicated satirical radio series... One year after??
Ringy-dingy-doo
Chevy answered the call,
& what a call it was..
The gig involved a new comedy series on NBC.. A late-night comedy television show to air on Saturday nights. After spending the day on the newly built set & meeting the actors.. Chevy accepted what, indeed, fate offered and became an ORIGINAL cast member of SNL (aka Saturday Night Live). From the shows pilot ep in 1975.. & throughout the first season, he introduced every show except one with his catch phrase, "Live from New York, it's Saturday Night!" A catch phrase that as we ALL know.. is still routine today in nearly EVERY episode of SNL. During his tenure at SNL - he became the first anchor of 'Weekend Update', beginning the segment with the line, "I'm Chevy Chase... and you're not.' His 'Weekend Update' seggy would later become the inspiration for other mock-news shows such as, 'The Daily Show' and 'The Colbert Report'...Chevy was daring, bold, mmmbut most-of-all FUNNY in the show & set a tone still used as a SNL standard to this very day.. Chevy's departure in the 2nd season of the show to move on to bigger and better things marked the standard for many on the show leaving for Los Angeles, & jumping into film. He was replaced on the show by fellow legend and hilarious Bill Murray. His memories of the show are indeed fondle.. & every once in a blue moon - Chevy returns to SNL.. He also (after leaving), & in the 80s.. Had his own brief late night show and tried his hand, again, at music.. mmhmm.. I remember my dad had the record!
During his tenure at SNL - as we know.. Chevy's career took off like a rocket & life in the fast lane fosho!! And the rest is history.. Including the Griswalds, & Fletch.. His ROBUST resume?? Anyone?
Currently? He lives here (when in California).. & of course, here, when he returns home to New York.. Which is where he can mostly be found now-a-days! Wanna see his New York home's living room, pool, & da bedroom.. Rumor is - when Chevy isn't there - it can be rented.. How cool's THAT?!? I'm sure 'rental' is peppered with stipulations ALL OVER the place!! 😂
Chevy has proven time again, & again, &.. AGAIN - to be the legend he is synonymous for - & without a doubt - will certainly continue to.. Even through the falsetto reports he is dead.. He is alive as ever - and that is AWESOME news for fans like me!! No DOUBT!
TRIVIA
A cool look at and inside Chevy's film, 'Funny Farm', home..
Was in Paul Simon's video, 'You Can Call Meeeee, Al, Call me Al.. I love that video..