R.I.P. Harold Ramis 1944-2014

   The entertainment world was saddened today as news broke of the passing of comedy legend Harold Ramis at age 69. The last four years of his life were spent battling autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis and his deteriorating health was unknown to his legions of fans. He may be best known for his role as brainy, bespectacled ghostbuster Egon Spengler, but educated film fans know that Ramis' contributions are so much greater than that. Yes, he was an integral part of that decade-defining 1984 classic, but Harold's true legacy was behind the camera as the director of "Caddyshack", "National Lampoon's Vacation", and "Groundhog Day". That's three of the most celebrated comedies of all time, folks. The praises of Bill Murray still get sung on a regular basis by critics and audiences alike and we have Ramis to thank for playing such a crucial role in his big screen development. Chevy Chase initially passed on Clark Griswold because he couldn't see himself as a square family man. Guess who talked him into doing it? Chase is forever indebted to Ramis for that signature role which he returned to on three more occasions. Harold happily resided in the shadow of his much more famous collaborators. Here's some more insight into the legacy of this comedic mastermind.

   Harold was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1944 and his parents were local shopkeepers. He honed his talent for writing at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri in the mid-'60s and his post-graduation jobs included substitute teaching and working with mental patients(he often joked that the latter was perfect preparation for a career in Hollywood). From there he went on to do freelance work for newspapers in his native Chicago which lead to a stint as the joke editor for Playboy magazine. Harold's heart was always in comedy and he took a huge step toward fulfilling his destiny when he hooked up with the now-legendary Second City improvisational group. In the early '70s, this rambunctious theater troupe featured a roster of talent that would soon became very well known(Murray, John Belushi, and Dan Aykroyd, just to name a few) once they made their eventual trek to New York to take part in a little show called "Saturday Night Live". Harold declined an offer from SNL to remain with SCTV as a performer and head writer, a position he held from 1976-79. During this time, he co-wrote a screenplay with two writers from National Lampoon, where he had also moonlighted, and the end result was "National Lampoon's Animal House". This rowdy college comedy broke box office records and instantly enshrined it's breakout star John Belushi. It's no wonder Murray called Ramis to do some script doctoring on his first foray into feature films, "Meatballs". The commercial success of the camp counselor comedy led to his directorial debut in 1980 and the unofficial start of one of the most fruitful partnerships in modern cinema. Good luck finding someone that doesn't love "Caddyshack", and the duo quickly reunited for 1981's "Stripes" in which Ramis co-starred and co-wrote(Ivan Reitman directed).

   Ramis spent the early 1980s conceiving two of the decade's most beloved comedy film franchises. "National Lampoon's Vacation" started out as a John Hughes script that Harold turned into a career-making triumph for Chevy Chase, whose other vehicles were notoriously hit-and-miss. Ramis had no direct involvement in any of the sequels because of another project he soon became embroiled in with good pal Dan Aykroyd. They're joint fascination with the supernatural created a high concept screenplay that Reitman soon agreed to direct. Murray was invited to join the party after original proposed star John Belushi died of a drug overdose in 1982. To say that "Ghostbusters" was popular would be a huge understatement. This pop culture landmark gave birth to an unavoidable theme song and a long-running animated series and basically secured the immediate financial futures of everyone involved. All the principals returned for the inevitable sequel in 1989, and in the intervening years, Ramis had the foresight to turn down "Caddyshack II" despite studio pressure to take the reins of that ill-fated follow-up. Instead, he helmed "Club Paradise" with Robin Williams, and took an acting-only gig opposite Diane Keaton in "Baby Boom".

   The 'busters brought in the bucks, but the Murray-Ramis alliance reached it's artistic peak with the 1993 release of "Groundhog Day". This film's stature has grown immensely in the past twenty years thanks largely to the quieter moments that allowed Murray to begin a new chapter in his celebrated career(would "Lost In Translation" have happened without it?). Sadly, they never worked together again. His next major offering, the 1996 cloning comedy "Multiplicity" starring Michael Keaton, got a lukewarm reception. After appearing in a small role in "As Good As It Gets", Ramis worked some of his old magic with Robert De Niro and Billy Crystal. "Analyze This" became a surprise hit in 1999, and will go down as his last notable output as a movie director. The 2002 sequel is best forgotten, and subsequent efforts like "The Ice Harvest" and Year One" vanished without a trace. His cinematic career didn't exactly end on a high note, but a new generation was already paying their respects. Judd Apatow considered him the ideal choice to play Seth Rogen's father in "Knocked Up", and he was invited to direct Steve Carell in several episodes of "The Office". It would be his final showbiz assignment. Thanks for the laughs, Harold.