Bill Murray Week: Caddyshack

Welcome to Day 1 of Bill Murray Week!  With it being a cold miserable day out, I thought I would start us off with some light nudity, vulgar comments, life altering decisions, a persistent groundskeeper and one wily gopher.  It is important to note this film does not revolve around the lead actors but in fact the story arcs envelope the caddies rather than the golfers.  That being said I would invite you to gather your clubs, bend at the knees for better swing and above all else, be the ball.  This is Caddyshack.

Danny, you ever seen a grown man naked?

Carl Spackler: Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion.  It looks like a spoiler… It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole! It’s in the hole!

From the demented minds of writer/director/actor Harold Ramis (SCTV, Meatballs, Stripes, The Rodney Dangerfield Show: It’s Not Easy Bein’ Me, Ghostbuster and Back to School) and character actor/screenwriter/voice actor Brian Doyle-Murray (Modern Problems, Saturday Night Live, Sixteen Candles, Scrooged, Nothing But Trouble, JFK and Groundhog Day) comes a story of the madcap goings on an a prestigious and rather exclusive golf club known as Bushwood Country Club.   The members are insanely wealthy and easily bored, the staff are back breaking blue collars that need some squirrelly in their lives to relieve the monotony.

Jeez, haven't seen this much chest sweat since Night of the Living Dead.

Our film revolves around a young caddie name of Danny (Michael O’ Keefe of M*A*S*H, The Great Santini, Fear, Against the Law and King & Maxwell) who is scrounging all his funds to go to college, he attempts to befriend a prominent member Judge Smails (Ted Knight of 13 West Street, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Aquaman, The Batman/Superman Hour, Super Friends and Too Close for Comfort) a petty man that feels he is entitled more than he already is but can offer a recommendation and the Caddy scholarship for Danny if Danny plays by the rules…yawn. 

Enter eccentric Ty Webb (Chevy Chase of SNL, Foul Play, National Lampoon’s Vacation, Fletch, Spies Like Us and Community) an exquisite golfer and playboy millionaire whose point of view on life is mostly based on the ideal swing and the pursuit of young women.  Danny is asked to attend the christening of the Judge’s new sail boat and Danny gets above and beyond friendly with the Judge’s niece Lacey (Cindy Morgan of Up Yours, Tron, CHiPs, Bring ‘Em Back Alive and Falcon Crest) but Smails tells Danny all is alright so long as he keeps things quiet.   Land developer Al Czervik (Comedian Rodney Dangerfield)torments our uptight judge during a game and informs Smails he wouldn’t bother being a member of this snooty club and just turn the land into condos.

I saved the best for last.  You are probably asking, “Jake, where in the fresh hell is Bill Murray??!!!”  Well, stop shouting and hang on.  Our hero steals the show in many solo scenes as Carl Spackler, the greenskeeper who has been tasked with the continuous problem of gophers in the court and engages in a one man war against the furry antagonist.   Visual effects guru of Industrial Light and Magic John Dykstra makes small scale and life scale burrows and animatronics for the gopher giving a ridiculous but elaborate network of tunnels under the course.  It reminded me a bit of Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back.

It’s raunchy, rude and really funny.  A side note this was Dangerfield’s first film after a steady career in stand-up couldn’t understand why the film crew wasn’t cracking up from his one-liners and antics.  His co-star Scott Colomby (Tony D’ Annunzio) told him the crew is biting their tongues and cheeks so they don’t laugh over the soundtrack and he is slaying them.

Burying a human body can be a lot of work...where you goin'?!