ChicagoSunTimes

June7,2005Tuesday
EARNINGHIS'STRIPES';
HAROLDRAMISRECALLSHISBIGSCREENDEBUT
Hesknownmostlyasawriteranddirectorofhighgrossingcomedies,including"AnimalHouse,"
"Caddyshack,""NationalLampoon'sVacation,""Ghostbusters,""GroundhogDay"and"AnalyzeThis."
ButChicagobasedfilmmakerHaroldRamishashadafewmemorableactingparts,too.Theslapstick
militarysendup"Stripes,"forinstance,whichgrossedmorethan$80millionin1981,washisbigscreen
debut.Healsocowroteit.
Tomarkthefilm'salmost25thanniversary,SonyPicturesHomeEntertainmenttodayreleasesaspecial
editionDVD,repletewithaddedscenes,bonusfeaturesandgratuitousnudity.
"[Harold]hasmetoblameforputtinghiminfrontofacamera,"said"Stripes"directorIvanReitman,with
whomRamishasteamedonseveralprojects."Thathe'shadverylittleofanactinglifeoutsideofmy
movies,Idon'twanttobeblamedfor.ButI'mabigfan."
Recently,inthemodest,swordandmemorabiliabedeckedofficesofhisHighlandParkbasedproduction
company,OceanPictures,RamiskickedbackwiththreeremotesandaStarbucksbeveragetoreviewhis
earlythespianism.Here'swhathehadtosay.
Scene1:BillMurrayasslackerJohnWingerisberatedbyahaughtybluehairedwomaninhiscab.
Ramissays:"IdroveaYellowCabinChicagoforamonthaftercollege.Iwasactuallyprettyresponsible,
butthisincidentwiththeladyherewasbasedonsomethingthathappenedtome.
IpickedupaCatholicpriestatthePalmerHouse,whosaid,'TakemetoMichaelReesehospital.'Iknew
whereitwas,butIwantedtomakesuretherewasanexitofftheEisenhowerrightatMichaelReese.SoI
actuallypulledawayfromthecurbwithhim,Ipulledrightbacktothecurb,flippedopenmybookand
wouldhavefounditinasecond.Hegoes[exasperatedtone],'What'swrong?!'Isaid,'Ijustwannamake
surewe'regoingtherightway.''Well,don'tyouknow?!Whatareyou,anidiot?Don'tyouhavetotakea
testforthis?!'Isaid,'Itookthetest,Ididverywellonthetest,Ijustwanttomakesurethatthere'sanexit
there.''Well,thisisridiculous!'AndnowI'malreadydrivingandhewon'tstop.Hejustkeepsgoing,'You
mustbesomekindoffool!'Reallyinsulting.
WegetontotheEisenhowerandhe'sstillgoing.IpullovertothesideandIsay,'Allright,getout.'He
says,'What?'Isaid,'Getout!Idon'thavetotakethis.I'mnotanemergencyvehicle,Idon'thaveaflashing
light.Ifyou'reinthatmuchofahurry,youshould'vecalledacop.'Hesaid,'Allright,allright,justdrive,
justdrive.'SowegettoMichaelReeseandhesaid,'I'msorry.Ihadtogetheretogivesomeonelastrites,
andIdidn'twanttomissit.'SoIacceptedhisapology.
Scene2:John(Murray)andRussellZiskey(Ramis)hangoutatJohn'sapartmentafterheloseshis
job,carandgirlfriend.
Ramissays:"Iwasverynervous,'causethiswasmyfirsttimeinfrontofamoviecamera.Thiswhole
scene,everyshotinsequencewasmybeginning,firstmovieacting....Ididn'tlovethedialogue[here],soI
justlowkeyedit....Mytheorywas,justplayasclosetomyselfasIcouldbecausetherewasnowayI
couldhandleplayingacharacter.SoIjustsaid,'WhatwouldIbelikehangingoutwithmyfriendand
joiningtheArmywithmyfriend?'Thatwasmywholeapproach."
Scene3:BasictrainingcampatFt.Knox.

Ramissays:"TheDefenseDepartmentlikedthescriptandgaveusalotofaccessrolledoutthetanks,let
Ivancommandthetroopswhereverheneededextras.Andthey'rethegreatestextrasintheworld,'cause
theyjogbackintoplace,theydon'tneedanybreaks,they'rerealversatile."
Scene4:Theplatoonofmisfits
Ramissays:"Everyoneelseinourplatoonwerelocalguyswhohadtobefreeforlike,threemonths.So
theywerebasicallyunemployedguysfromLouisville[Ky.,wherepartof'Stripes'wasfilmed],orguys
whohadjobstheycouldleave.Andtheymakeupthebackgroundplatoon.You'llseethoseguysallover
themovie.AndwetookthemtoCalifornia.There'sawholethingthereaboutturningtheseguysloosein
L.A.Youcouldmakeamovieaboutthat,Ithink.L.A.,alllivinginthesamemotelwithacouplecars
between'em.Andsomefirearms."
Scene5:Sgt.Hulka(WarrenOates)sendshisplatoonthroughtheobstaclecourseatFt.Knox.
Ramissays:"Whenwewereshootingthisone,IvanthoughtitwouldbefunnyifwepulledWarrenintothe
mudhole.SoonourlasttakewepulledWarrenintothemudholeandhegotreallymad.Reallymad.It
wasembarrassing.Hesaid,'Neverdoanythingtoanactorunexpectedlikethat!'"
Scene6:Ox(JohnCandy)mudwrestlesatanL.A.stripjoint.
Ramissays:"IthinkJohnwasveryunhappydoingthis.Buthewasagoodsport.Hewastiredofbeing
exploitedforhissizeandprettyambivalentaboutit.Buthedidn'tlikebeingdraggedthroughtheoatmeal,
asitwere....Hethoughtitwasjustkindofdemeaning.AndIcould'vedonewithoutthewholething
myself."
Scene7:RussellrevsuptheArmy'stopsecret,superpoweredRV.
Ramissays:"See,'causeIwearglasses,I'malwaystheguywhoknowshowtoworkthatsciencestuff,the
techstuff."
'Stripes'linesyouknowbyheart
*"Name'sFrancisSawyer.EverybodycallsmePsycho.AnyofyouguyscallmeFrancis,andI'llkillya."
*"Lightenup,Francis!"
*"ChicksdigmebecauseIrarelywearunderwear,andwhenIdoit'susuallysomethingprettyunusual."
*"That'sthefact,Jack!"
*"IoncegotmyasskickedinWisconsin."
*"I'mgettin'toooldforthiss."
*"We'vebeenkickingassfor200years.We're10and1."