Director Chris Columbus allegedly walked away from one of the biggest Christmas movies of all time because of this Chevy Chase.
Columbus, who directed “Home Alone” in the 1990s, revealed Chase's behavior before filming began that led to him being fired from the 1989 holiday classic “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.”
“I signed a contract…and then I met Chevy Chase. And even considering my situation at the time, where I was desperate to make a movie, I realized I couldn't work with the guy,” the director said. Vanity gallery.
Christie Brinkley recreates her 'girl in the red Ferrari' moment from 'National Lampoon's Holiday'
Chevy Chase played Clark Griswold in “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.” (Warner Bros.)
Columbus recalled his first meeting with Chase and the “weird” thing the actor said to him.
“It was just the two of us,” Columbus explained. “He had to know that I was directing the film. I talked about how I saw the film and how I wanted to make the film. He didn't say anything. I spent about half an hour talking. He didn't say a word and then he would stop and say – and that doesn't make any sense to any human being like that.” Planet, but I've probably never told this story before.
Forty minutes into the meeting, he said, “Wait a minute. Are you the director?” I said, “Yes… I'm directing the movie.” And he said the most surreal, bizarre thing to me, and I still can't make any sense of it. He said, “Oh, I thought you were a drummer.” And I said, “Okay, let's get started.” Talking about the movie again and after about 30 seconds, he said, “I have to go.”
Chevy Chase, Christie Brinkley and Beverly D'Angelo enjoy a “National Lampoon's Holiday” reunion
Directors Chris Columbus (left) and John Hughes worked together on the film “Home Alone” in the 1990s. (Ron Galella Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Chase later went to “Christmas Vacation” writer John Hughes and asked to meet the trio, according to Columbus.
“Then we had dinner where John Hughes was present, and I was not present,” Columbus admitted. “It was Chevy and Hughes, and they were talking about everything except ‘Christmas Vacation.’ We spent two hours together, and then I left dinner and thought, ‘There’s no way I can make a movie with this guy. Firstly, he's not engaged.' I'd rather not work again.
Chevy Chase stands at the head of the table in a scene from the 1989 movie “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.” (Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Columbus indicated that he did not know why Chase was behaving this way.
“I think my sense of humor was funny in the early 1970s,” he told the outlet. “It's so surreal… Who says something like that to anyone? It doesn't make sense. So telling this story is almost meaningless, but it actually happened. I thought, this is how we're going to work together? I'm going to be on set and he's not He listens.”
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Columbus came off “Christmas Vacation,” but another opportunity with Hughes was just around the corner.
Macaulay Culkin as 10-year-old Kevin McCallister and Donald Trump as the owner of the Plaza Hotel in “Home Alone 2.” (Getty Images)
“I left 'Christmas Vacation.'” “The next weekend, I got another script from John — 'Home Alone.'” “Home Alone, for me, was more personal, a better script. I thought I could really do Something about this, and I don't have to deal with Chevy Chase. That was it. John and I started working together, and we had the same sensibility.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to a representative for Chase.
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“National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation” directed by Jeremiah S. Chechik. (Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Chase and Beverly D'Angelo star as Clark and Elaine Griswold in the classic family film series that begins with an innocent cross-country trip to the Walley World amusement park in “National Lampoon's Vacation.”
He also starred in the 1983 film directed by Harold Ramis and written by John Hughes Anthony Michael HallDana Barron, Randy Quaid, and John Candy. Christie Brinkley played “The Girl in the Ferrari.”
The Griswolds headed overseas to see the second movie, “National Lampoon's European Vacation” in 1985, and then returned to Chicago for the ultimate holiday tradition, “National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.”
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Fox News Digital's Tracy Wright contributed to this report.
