History Trivia / NationalLampoonsChristmasVacation

* DeletedScene: A short scene was cut of Clark and the family trudging back to the owner of the Christmas tree farm only to learn they were supposed to bring their own equipment for cutting down a tree, but the owner lends him a shovel, explaining how Clark dug it up. Presumably it was removed because it added nothing to the joke and the implication that Clark [[TheDeterminator simply committed on the spot to dig up the tree with his bare hands]] is both funnier and perfectly in-character for him. Despite never being included with any version of the movie, a still of the scene is included on the back of several home video releases.

* DeletedScene: A short scene was cut of Clark and the family trudging back to the owner of the Christmas tree farm only to learn they were supposed to bring their own equipment for cutting down a tree, but the owner lends him a shovel. Presumably it was removed because it added nothing to the joke and Clark [[TheDeterminator simply digging up the tree with his bare hands on the spot]] is both funnier and perfectly in-character for him, yet a still of the scene is included on the back of several home video releases.

* DeletedScene: A short scene was cut of Clark and the family trudging back to the owner of the Christmas tree farm only to learn they were supposed to bring their own equipment for cutting down a tree, but the owner lends him a shovel. Presumably it was removed because it added nothing to the joke and Clark [[TheDeterminator simply digging up the tree with his bare hands on the spot]] is perfectly in-character for him, yet a still of the scene is included on the back of several home video releases.

* DeletedScene: A short scene was cut of Clark and the family trudging back to the owner of the Christmas tree farm, only to learn they were supposed to bring their own equipment for cutting down a tree. Presumably it was removed because it added nothing to the joke and Clark [[TheDeterminator simply digging the tree up on the spot without going to check]] is perfectly in-character for him, yet a still of the scene is included on the back of several home video releases.

* HeAlsoDid: Mae Questel, best known as the original voice for both [[WesternAnimation/BettyBoop Betty Boop]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Olive Oyl]], plays Aunt Bethany.

* TheOtherDarrin:
** Russ and Audrey are played by different actors, as per usual.

* RetroactiveRecognition: Not only does a pre-Seinfeld Julia Louis-Dreyfus play the female half of Clark's yuppie neighbors, his son is played by the future [[Series/TheBigBangTheory Dr. Leonard Hofstadter.]]

* Actor Allusion: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" plays as Cousin Eddie empties his RV toilets into the sewer. Randy Quaid is a distant relative of Gene Autry, a performer who helped popularize the song.
* {{Defictionalization}}: People drink eggnog from the bowl in Walley World moose cups. You can buy them.

* TheOtherDarrin: Russ and Audrey, as usual. Audrey somehow managed to age at a much faster rate than Russ since the first movie as well....
** Though in the sequel, Audrey is once again played by Dana Barron who played her in the original 1983 film.
*** Dana Barron was 2 years older than Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall in ''Film/NationalLampoonsVacation'', similar to Creator/JulietteLewis' age difference to Johnny Galecki, so her being older is normal.

* [[HeAlsoDid She Also Did]]: Fans of Creator/FleischerStudios will likely recognize Mae Questel as the voices of [[WesternAnimation/BettyBoop Betty Boop]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Olive Oyl]].

** After failing to get the Christmas lights to work one last time, Clark Griswold takes his frustration out on the plastic decorations in the front yard. Creator/ChevyChase actually broke his pinky finger while punching Santa Claus. He resorted to kicking and clubbing the decorations after that. The film kept rolling and the take was used.

** According to an article on the making of ''Film/HomeAlone'' in Chicago Magazine, Creator/ChrisColumbus states that he was the original director of this movie. Although he filmed some second-unit establishing shots (which he claims are still in the finished film), he left after two meetings with Creator/ChevyChase and told Creator/JohnHughes, "There's no way I can do this movie. I know I need to work, but I can't do it with this guy." He was sent the script to ''Home Alone'' in its place.
** Hughes briefly considered directing the film himself, but he was still busy with post-production on ''Film/UncleBuck'' and was unable to do so.

* {{ActorAllusion}}: "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" plays as Cousin Eddie empties his RV toilets into the sewer. {{RandyQuaid}} is a distant relative of {{Gene Autry}}, a performer who helped popularize the song.

** Hughes declined to direct the film himself.

** Lewis and Bethany were based on Creator/GeorgeBurns and Gracie Allen, and it was hoped George Burns would play Lewis.

* [[HeAlsoDid She Also Did]]: Fans of Creator/FleischerStudios will likely recognize Mae Questel as the voices of [[WesternAnimation/BettyBoop Betty Boop]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Olive Oil]].

** Beverly D'Angelo improvised grabbing Creator/ChevyChase's crotch when the SWAT team holds up the house. She later said she did it on only one take, on the off chance it could make the film's final cut, which is what happened.

* PropRecycling: The old Dodge pickup, that tailgated Clark and the family, in the opening scenes of the movie, was previously used as Creator/KurtRussell's work truck in ''Film/{{Overboard|1987}}''.

* [[HeAlsoDid She Also Did]]: Fans of Creator/FleischerStudios will likely recognize Mae Questel as the original voice actress for [[WesternAnimation/BettyBoop Betty Boop]] and [[WesternAnimation/{{Popeye}} Olive Oil]] respectively.

* PropRecycling: The old Dodge pickup, that tailgated Clark and the family, in the opening scenes of the movie, was previously used as Creator/KurtRussell's work truck in ''Film/{{Overboard}}''.