FILM · 1985
National Lampoon's European Vacation
36 archived facts 5 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (36)
- #001
Ellen calls Clark "Sparky" in all four Vacation films. In a DVD commentary for this film, Chevy Chase said the nickname was Beverly D'Angelo's idea and that she still affectionately calls him Sparky.
- #002
In US box office earnings, the film dropped from the top spot to Back to the Future (1985), which it had held for the past three weeks. Back to the Future (1985) would remain at number one for the next eight weeks.
- #003
In an interview, Chevy Chase said that after this film was released he received dozens of letters from people who had visited London and gotten stuck at a roundabout.
- #004
Harold Ramis declined to return as director because he was busy with Ghostbusters (1984).
- #005
Dana Hill had Type 1 diabetes, which made filming Audrey's nightmare scene difficult. Hill had to be very careful not to swallow the food she was supposed to eat.
- #006
Although he is credited as one of the writers in the titles, John Hughes was not involved in this film. In fact, he had no idea a sequel was being made until he saw a preview on television. Almost the entire screenplay was written by Robert Klane, with contributions from director Amy Heckerling, but Klane was asked to include elements from Hughes's script for the first film that had gone unused, which resulted in Hughes being given a writing credit by the WGA.
- #007
Anthony Michael Hall chose to make Weird Science (1985) instead of reprising the role of Rusty, so Dana Barron was not asked to reprise the role of Audrey.
- #008
In some scenes Chevy Chase wears a blue Chicago Bears hat. He wears the same Chicago Bears hat in the next two Vacation films. It is not present in the first one.
- #009
In this film the family's name is Griswald, with an "a." In the other Vacation films the name is Griswold.
- #010
Eric Idle and Chevy Chase became friends after filming was completed. Shortly after this film's premiere, Idle and Chase began working on a script for a sequel titled National Lampoon's Australian Vacation. Apart from a few shark jokes, neither of them came up with much and the project was abandoned.
- #011
The JVC SF-P3 video camera that Clark uses to film Ellen in the shower and that is stolen in France was Chevy Chase's own video camera.
- #012
According to Chevy Chase, he and Amy Heckerling did not get along during filming.
- #013
The US poster art was done by Boris Vallejo, known for his Heavy Metal covers.
- #014
Beverly D'Angelo was a good friend of Frank Zappa and his family, which was most likely why Moon Unit got the role of the girl Rusty meets in Italy.
- #015
Director Amy Heckerling once said she disliked Chevy Chase so much that she refused to set foot on the film set unless she had a plane ticket in hand to go to New York whenever she wanted.
- #016
Although Audrey is a teenager in the film, Dana Hill was twenty-one years old when it was shot.
- #017
The closing title sequence includes an image of a dog holding a gun to its head. It is from the cover of the January 1973 issue of National Lampoon Magazine.
- #018
The opening title sequence showing the characters' passports was Chevy Chase's idea. He insisted that his name be shown first if the film was a success.
- #019
Rowan Atkinson was considered for the role of the hotel manager.
- #020
The $253 phone bill Audrey pays to call her boyfriend in Chicago comes to $637.20 in 2021 when adjusted for inflation.
- #021
The opening title sequence reveals that the Griswolds' address is 8805 Skyline Drive, Chicago, Illinois.
- #022
According to Amy Heckerling, the car chase between the thief and Clark Griswald was the hardest scene of all in the film to shoot.
- #023
In the Chicago scene where Clark photographs Ellen in the shower, he can be seen wearing a T-shirt from Walley World, the Griswolds' destination in Vacation (1983). Later, while the family is in Paris, Rusty wears the Walley World sweatshirt in the restaurant scene.
- #024
Along with Caddyshack II (1988) and Nothing But Trouble (1991), this is one of the few films Chevy Chase has said he regrets starring in, and therefore his least favorite Vacation film.
- #025
Rik Mayall was considered for the role of the cyclist because Chevy Chase and director Amy Heckerling were fans of The Young Ones (1982). Warner Brothers executives would not allow him to be cast because he was little known in the US. John Cleese was also considered for the role.
- #026
The car the Griswolds use on the Continent is a Citroen DS modified in the style of the Family Truckster from National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), with custom mirrors and extra scoops on both the front and rear wheels.
- #027
According to his passport information page, Clark Griswald's middle name is Wilhelm and he was born on August 8, 1945. Chevy Chase's birth date is October 8, 1943.
- #028
In the montage of the closing title sequence, there is a painting of Clint Eastwood that first appeared on the poster for Pale Rider (1985), which was released in theaters the same year as this film.
- #029
This is the only original-generation Vacation film that does not feature Cousin Eddie. He is also absent from Vacation (2015). It is the first National Lampoon film not to receive an R rating from the MPAA. Among the original four Vacation films, it is the only one set outside the United States.
- #030
In the dream scene where Ellen meets the royal family with Clark, one of the previous guests is introduced to the Queen as Baron Von Richthofen, the name of the Red Baron, a World War I fighter pilot.
- #031
In the scene where Clark is alone outside the ruins in Rome, he takes off his glasses and pulls out his camera to take what looks like a selfie. This may be one of the earliest selfies seen in a film.
- #032
This is the only Hollywood film in which the iconic German theater actor Willy Millowitsch appeared.
- #033
William Zabka plays Audrey's boyfriend Jack in this film. He was also set to appear alongside Dana Barron (Audrey from the first film) in an episode of "The Equalizer (1985)."
- #034
This is Alice Sapritch's final screen appearance.
- #035
In Rome, the Griswalds pose in front of the Hotel Nazionale, which was built in 1733.
- #036
As a tribute to Superman, Clark takes off his glasses and springs into action when he learns his wife has been kidnapped in Rome. He transforms from an ordinary man into a superhero.
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work