Line #9 Trivia/NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation


1	* ActorInspiredElement:
2	** The opening title sequence showing the character's passports was Creator/ChevyChase's idea. He insisted that his name be shown first, in case the movie did well.
3	** Ellen calls Clark "Sparky" in all four Vacation movies. In the DVDCommentary, Chase said that the nickname was Creator/BeverlyDAngelo's idea, and she still affectionately calls him Sparky.
4	* BTeamSequel: Neither Creator/HaroldRamis nor Creator/JohnHughes had any involvement with the film. Ramis was busy with ''Film/Ghostbusters1984'', while Hughes had no idea the film had even been made, much less that he was credited as its co-writer,[[note]](Robert Klane was its primary writer, but director Amy Heckerling did some on-set rewrites and tried to claim credit as co-writer; the WGA refused Heckerling credit, but ''did'' award credit to Hughes, since Klane had incorporated some unused material from Hughes' screenplay for the first film)[[/note]] until he saw a TV spot.
5	* CaliforniaDoubling: The scenes in Germany were actually filmed in Brixen, a German-speaking town in Italy.
6	* CreatorBacklash: Creator/ChevyChase was unhappy with the final product, and later described it, along with ''Film/CaddyshackII'' and ''Film/NothingButTrouble'', as one of his least favourites among his own films.
7	* TheDanza: In Germany, Rusty makes out with a girl, played by Claudia Neidig, who says her name is Claudia.
8	* DawsonCasting: Despite Audrey being 14/15 in the film, Creator/DanaHill was in fact 21 when the film was made.
9	* HostilityOnTheSet: According to Creator/ChevyChase, he and Amy Heckerling did not get along during filming. Heckerling once said she disliked him so much that she refused to step on set unless she had a plane ticket to NYC in her hand so that she could leave anytime she wanted.
10	* TheOtherDarrin: Creator/AnthonyMichaelHall and Dana Barron, who played Rusty and Audrey in the original vacation, are replaced by Jason Lively and Dana Hill. When Hall was busy with ''Film/WeirdScience'', the studio decided to recast both kids, thus Barron wasn't asked to return.
11	* RefittedForSequel: Screenwriter Robert Klane was asked to incorporate unused elements from Creator/JohnHughes' script for the first film, resulting in Hughes being awarded a writing credit by the WGA.
12	* ThrowItIn: As they're checking into a hotel, Clark accidentally refers to both Rusty and Audrey as his "daughters". This was a mistake on Creator/ChevyChase's part, but was left in because it was so Clark Griswald-ish. If you watch closely, Chase has an OhCrap expression afterward, but then shrugs it off [[TheShowMustGoOn and continues the scene]].
13	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
14	** Creator/RowanAtkinson was considered for the role of the hotel manager. The role went to his ''Series/NotTheNineOClockNews'' co-star Creator/MelSmith. Their ''NTNOCN'' castmate Griff Rhys-Jones was considered for the role of the man in the bathroom, which went instead to Creator/RobbieColtrane.
15	** Creator/GerardDepardieu was considered for the role of the cafe waiter.
16	** Creator/RikMayall was first considered for the role of the bike rider as both Creator/ChevyChase and Amy Heckerling were fans of ''Series/TheYoungOnes''. But Creator/WarnerBros executives wouldn't allow him to be cast as he wasn't very well known in the US. Creator/JohnCleese was also considered for the role.
17	** Chase and Creator/EricIdle became friends after filming wrapped up. Shortly after the release of European Vacation, Idle and Chase began work on a screenplay for a follow-up called ''National Lampoon's Australian Vacation''. Aside from a few shark-related gags, neither could come up with much, and the project was shelved.

Context Trivia / NationalLampoonsEuropeanVacation