History Trivia / Caddyshack

** The film was originally supposed to be a simple coming-of-age story about kids working at a golf course, with Danny (Michael O'Keefe) and Tony (Scott Colomby) as the main characters. It slowly morphed into a showcase featuring comedy veterans like Creator/RodneyDangerfield, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/BillMurray (whose parts were originally supposed to be much smaller), and TedKnight. Much of the dialogue was improvised on the spot, and production was extremely disorganized.

** Scott Colomby (Tony) was not happy that his character was gradually reduced from the second male lead to a minor role as a result of the creators adding more scenes with Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield during filming.

** Cindy Morgan was constantly thrown off by Creator/ChevyChase's continuous improvising during their scenes and the two came to blows.

* CreatorBacklash:
** Creator/ChevyChase hated the film, even during production, so much so that after a take, he mentioned to the producer to call him when a laugh track had been added, and stormed off in disgust.

** Creator/ChevyChase is ashamed of his participation, which he only took part in as Creator/WarnerBros had pressured him and the other actors of the first movie into making a sequel. None of the others bowed to the pressure though, and Warner Brothers attempted to '''sue''' Creator/RodneyDangerfield for refusing to participate after citing a lack of confidence in the script. When asked about it on ''Series/TonightWithDavidLetterman'', his response was an apathetic "Yeah, yeah I think I'm in that." Even looking at his role in the film, he seems disinterested in being there.

* BoxOfficeBomb: The sequel, made on a budget of $20 million and only raking in $11.8 million.
* BTeamSequel: The only ones involved with the sequel were Creator/ChevyChase and Kenny Loggins. Creator/HaroldRamis was involved, though his script was heavily rewritten.

** Creator/ChevyChase hated the sequel, even during production, so much so that after a take, he mentioned to the producer to call him when a laugh track had been added, and stormed off in disgust.

* CreatorKiller: The end result of the sequel all but caused Warner Brothers' parent company Warner Communications to dissolve into magazine company Time to form Time Warner by the end of the decade.

* ExecutiveMeddling:
** Affected both films to varying extents. On the first film Jon Peters kept demanding that various ideas that he'd had been thrown into the film, but Harold Ramis was able to carry out his instructions in such a way that they didn't affect the quality of the end product, or even flat-out refuse when he felt Peters's suggestions were seriously crossing the line. On the second film, however, Peters and partner Peter Guber was screwing around with things (including firing original director Alan Metter before shooting started) right from the start, which ended up accounting for the poor quality of the end product.
** The only reason a sequel exists, as the executives pushed ahead with production even after every original actor besides Chevy Chase walked out upon seeing the script.

* OldShame:
** Creator/ChevyChase is ashamed of his participation in the sequel, which he only took part in as Creator/WarnerBrothers had pressured him and the other actors of the first movie into making a sequel. None of the others bowed to the pressure though, and Warner Brothers attempted to '''sue''' Creator/RodneyDangerfield for refusing to participate after citing a lack of confidence in the script. When asked about it in a interview with David Letterman, his response was an apathetic "Yeah, yeah I think I'm in that." Even looking at his role in the film, he seems disinterested in being there.
** Creator/HaroldRamis (who wrote and produced the original film) also hated the sequel; once again, he only participated after Warner Brothers continued to put pressure on him.
** Robert Stack stated (sarcastically) that performing in the sequel was the highlight of his illustrious career.
** The first film for Ramis, as he had many disagreements with the cast over direction.
** Allan Arkush, who directed the sequel, definitely feels this way about it, if his Letterboxd review is any indication.

** ''Caddyshack II'' didn't have it much better:
*** After the original film's release, Rodney Dangerfield repeatedly advocated that a sequel be made, but Ramis kept refusing the idea, not keen on reliving the first film's chaotic production. After a few years, Dangerfield and Ramis worked out a compromise whereby Ramis would co-write the script, but someone else would direct, and Dangerfield selected Alan Metter, who he had recently worked with on ''Film/BackToSchool''.
*** While Ramis and co-writer Peter Torokvei were working on the script, Dangerfield soon came to blows with Jon Peters, who had fully taken over the producer's role (which he shared with the since-deceased Douglas Kenney on the first film) and demanded that the sequel be PG-rated in order to appeal to a wider audience. Dangerfield was angered by this, as it would preclude him from ad-libbing the edgier material that he had done in the first film (which was R-rated), and when Peters refused to back down he ended up quitting. Peters then fired Metter and replaced him with Allan Arkush, and Ramis and Torokvei, not wanting to do the film without Dangerfield, walked shortly after that.
*** Filming eventually started with Jackie Mason in the lead role, and Chevy Chase as the only returning actor from the first film, something even he later admitted regretting, and only did because he was offered a comparatively huge amount for just a few days' worth of shooting. Filming wasn't as problematic as that of the first film, but Arkush insisted on staging scenes at a slow, deliberate pace -- something he had similarly done on ''Film/{{Heartbeeps}}'' -- neutering what little comic timing the script (rewritten by around a half-dozen uncredited ghostwriters) still had.
*** This time around the film was unable to overcome its behind-the-scenes issues, and the end result was critically mauled and made back less than half of its budget at the box-office, with Arkush never again helming a theatrically-released movie, and Ramis considering it arguably the lowest point of his entire career. Adding insult to injury, Bill Murray successfully sued the producers for royalties relating to the gopher character, which he originally created in the first film, but was never asked for permission to re-use in the sequel.

** Creator/SamKinison was originally cast in the sequel but backed out when his close friend Creator/RodneyDangerfield backed out due to creative differences with the script. It is believed that Kinison was to portray Peter Blunt. The role eventually went to Creator/RandyQuaid.

* UsefulNotes/AFIS100YearsSeries:
** AFIS100Years100Laughs: #71
** AFIS100Years100MovieQuotes:
*** #92, "Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a mirac...It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole!"
** AFIS10Top10:
*** #7, Sports

* AFIS100YearsSeries:

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/BrianDoyleMurray based the character of Maggie on a girl he met during his time as a caddy. He also based Danny's family on his own. He has eight siblings, including Creator/BillMurray.

* DuelingWorks: The film also had a bit of a rivalry with ''Film/TheBluesBrothers'', as both films were spearheaded by creatives who worked on ''Film/AnimalHouse''[[note]]''Caddyshack'' featured that film's writers (Ramis and Douglas Kenney) while ''Blues Brothers'' had its director (Creator/JohnLandis), star (Creator/JohnBelushi), and studio (Universal)[[/note]] and were released in summer 1980. While both films are highly regarded today, ''Blues Brothers'' had a better critical reception and box office performance.

* In the script, the youngest sibling Joey D'Annunzio was originally written as a boy, however, after being told that transportation captain Hank Scelza's granddaughter Minerva was a tomboy, she was cast at his suggestion.

*** Filming eventually started with Jackie Mason in the lead role, and Chevy Chase as the only returning actor from the first film, something even he later admitted regretting, and only did because he was offered a comparatively huge amount for just a few days' worth of shooting. Filming wasn't as problematic as that of the first film, but Arkush insisted on staging scenes at a slow, deliberate pace -- something he had similarly done on ''Film/{{Heartbeeps}}'' -- neutering what little comic timing the script (rewritten by around a half-dozen uncredited ghost writers) still had.

** Creator/HaroldRamis has said that he was told that Creator/RodneyDangerfield was interested in doing the second movie. Dangerfield actually was attached, but was displeased with the script (as many turned out to be). With no suitable rewrites, he backed out.

** Creator/SamKinison was originally cast in the sequel, but backed out when his close friend Creator/RodneyDangerfield backed out due to creative differences with the script. It is believed that Kinison was to portray Peter Blunt. The role eventually went to Creator/RandyQuaid.

** Creator/SamKinison was originally cast in the sequel, but backed out when his close friend Creator/RodneyDangerfield backed out due to creative differences with the script. It is believed that Kinison was to portray Peter Blunt. The role eventually went to Randy Quaid.

** However, it was miraculously subverted with Chase and Creator/BillMurray. The studio executives demanded that a scene between the two be added, but the crew was terrified of shooting it because the two infamously almost got into a brawl backstage on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. Amazingly, the two were completely professional about it and showed no sign of their previous feud, so filming the scene went smoothly.

** After the filming ended and the rough-cut came in, it was too long, running at roughly four and a half long; over two of those hours had to be cut. This included key parts of the main plot, rendering the remaining footage a nonsensical, idiosyncratic mess, so ''more'' money had to be spent on a mechanical gopher to add extra comic relief and to actually tie the picture together; as its scenes were shot after principal photography had wrapped with higher quality film stock and on an indoor soundstage, there is a noticeable difference (even on the DVD release) between the picture quality of the gopher scenes and that of the rest of the film.

* HostilityOnTheSet: The idea of Creator/ChevyChase and Creator/BillMurray being in the same scene filled everyone with horror, as the two almost got into a brawl backstage on ''Series/SaturdayNightLive''. Amazingly, the two were completely professional and showed no sign of their previous feud. That said, Chase's improvising threw Cindy Morgan off to the extent that they came to blows, whilst Ted Knight, completely at sea with this style of comedy, didn't get on with Chase, Creator/RodneyDangerfield, or his younger costars.

* OneBookAuthor: Serves as such for most of the cast members:
** John F. Barmon Jr. (Spaulding Smails) who now works as a realtor.
** Dr. Dow (AKA Tsung-I Dow) who played Mr. Wang, considering that he was not an actor.
** ''Elle'' magazine editor-in-chief Robbie Marshall who, along with two half-sisters, were extras.
** Debi Frank who played Kathleen Noonan became this.

* WriteWhoYouKnow: Creator/BrianDoyleMurray based the character of Maggie on a girl he met during his time as a caddy. He also based Danny's family on his own. He has eight siblings, including Creator/BillMurray.

** CreatorKiller: The end result of the sequel all but caused Warner Brothers' parent company Warner Communications to dissolve into magazine company Time to form Time Warner by the end of the decade.

** Creator/SaKinison was originally cast in the sequel, but backed out when his close friend Creator/RodneyDangerfield backed out due to creative differences with the script. It is believed that Kinison was to portray Peter Blunt. The role eventually went to Randy Quaid.