Animal House and actual greek ties
 

Does anybody know about the cast and crew of Animal House and any greek background? I have been told that Delta Chis and Delta Tau Deltas were amoung the writers and directors of the film. According to Playboy, Faber College (in the movie) was modeled after Dartmouth. In one scene, the letters are being taken down, and it shows just a delta and chi, plus the song in the ending credits has the line "...and at Delta Chi ya can't go wrong." This seems to be a popular topic, espically with my friends in other fraternities, cause most want to stake their claim. Give me feedback, factual inormation only please!

The school was definitely based on Dartmouth. The rest I'm not sure about.

Alpha Epsilon Pi, oops sorry I meant alpha delta phi At Dartmouth . . .

Chris miller was one of the writers who was a member . . . there is another post on here with an article from him.

He writes/wrote for National Lampoon.



[This message has been edited by James (edited May 15, 2001).]

Two interesting mistakes that were made in the movie....

Flounder Drives a 1964 Lincoln in a movie that is set in 1962.
The movie, set in 1962, features "Louie, Louie", which did not come out until 1964.

Thought kinda funny! Sue

Two of the three major writers were Harold Ramis (Zeta Psi) and Doug Kenney, then-editor of National Lampoon magazine, who played Stork ("Whatta hell we sposed ta do, ya mo-RAHN?!") who died in 1980 falling off a cliff while vacationing in Hawaii. The third writer, whose name I will have to look up, was also a Zeta Psi, and I think one of them pledged at Dartmouth, but I am not sure.

I'll get back to you.

Rain Man

[This message has been edited by Rain Man (edited May 15, 2001).]

Duh, as is stated in the article I posted, it was Alpha Delta Phi that chris miller was a member of and wrote the story about.

Thank you 33girl for pointing that out to me . . . along with the dubious comments about my competency and ancestry http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif. (j/k)

Wow, I had always heard that Animal House was based on my school, Southern Illinois University, because our D-Chi's were legendary for parties, and SIU was a nationally known party school. Also, I think Belushi may have attended school here for a little while. But, I do know for a fact that the COLLEGE shirt Belushi wears was originated at Gusto's Graphics in Carbondale.
Being based on Dartmouth would make more sense because it is a bigger school.

I wonder if alot of schools with big greek systems have the rumor that animal house was based there...

I went to USC and it was said it was based on our FIJI's too. But I do think the FIJI's cultivated the animal house 'tude. ha ha

i've heard from a few d-chis and delts that animal house is based on their chapters at oregon (where the movie was actually filmed), usc, penn state, etc . . . i usually inform them that it's based on ADPhi at dartmouth, but it's pretty funny how these sorta rumors become national!

There are rumors everywhere about that movie. I know that Delta Tau Chi is based off of Delta Chi and Omega Theta Pi is based off of Beta Theta Pi. Being a Beta that doesn't flatter me too much. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif But nationally those are the reputations of DX and Beta. I have heard that it was based at Eastern Illinois and University of Illinios, but no one know that for sure. Also John Belushi did go to Southern Illiniois University and he added some of his own experience to the movie. Might I add I have a "college" shirt from the same place that he got his made at. (As if anyone cares) Faber College I know is supposed to be in TN because at the Student Council meeting there is a TN state flag next to the American Flag. I don't know what that's worth to ya, but there is a little more insight.

I've ALWAYS heard that Animal House was based on the Greek life at Dartmouth, even though Faber's in the South, and the town they're in is a LOT larger than Hanover (LOL). I'm sure that anyone watching it could tie it to their school. I know I've done it with mine. http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

The movie was shot at University of Oregon, and the Sigma Nu house was used for the Omega(?) house. The lot next door was vacant, and that's where they put the Delta Tau Chi house for the movie.

I've heard the same thing about my school, University of Wisc. - Whitewater. According to what I've heard, Belushi went here and either was a Teke or had ties to them, and that the movie was based off some of those experiences.

I could be wrong though http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/smile.gif

I've heard the same story. About Omega Theta Pi being based off Beta. Though, I'm not too crazy about it either.

Kevin

Re the Sigma Nu house at Oregon: I've seen it, toured the house, walked the campus. That's where the movie was shot.

Never heard of this but it would be interesting to find out.

I always thought that, but that confirms it. There are window designs on the Omega house in that movie that resemble the Sigma Nu badge. Not just a coincidence I guess.

I looked through my copy of Wired:The Short Life & Fast Times Of John Belushi by Bob Woodward. He was ethnically Greek. The book states that Belushi attended University of Wisconsin - Whitewater for only freshmen year. It's never mentioned anywhere in the book that he was a member of a fraternity while he went to college there. He transferred to College of DuPage.a community college, because the tuition was cheaper. His girlfriend later turned wife Judy Jacklin is an alumus( ?)of University of Illinois - Champaign.
Here's some interesting piece of Animal House trivia. John Landis and Sean Daniels decided to film on a college campus because Hollywood sets were too expensive. Over 50 colleges rejected their request to make the film on their respective campuses. That was until University of Oregon-Eugene agreed to host the film.
Also Chevy Chase turned down the offer of the part of Otter,the Rush Chairman,that was played by Tim Matheson.

sorry bud, but the "omega" house is a phi kappa psi house. i have a picture of it in my phi kappa psi manual. it is our oregon alpha chapter from the university og oregon in eugene. the chapter started in 1923 and became incative in 2000.

Actually, Richard Berry wrote "Louie, Louie" and recorded it with the Pharoahs in 1956. It was released in 1957 on the B side of a single, enjoyed a little popularity on the west coast, and then faded from sight (or hearing), except for in the Pacific Northwest. Robin Roberts and the Wailers of Seattle revived and recorded it in 1961, but they didn't make it a hit either. Then in 1963 two bands from Portland -- the Kingsmen and Paul Revere and the Raiders -- recorded the song within days of each other at the same studio. Both versions became popular and made the charts, but the Kingsmen's version eventually won out as the one everybody knows. The popularity of the song in 1963 was fueled by the rumors that the lyrics, which are hard to understand in the recording, were "filthy." Copies of the "real," explicit lyrics were even circulating through the country. The rumors were so strong that an FBI investigation actually resulted (I'm not making this up, I swear by Herbert Hoover), but even playing the song at different speeds FBI agents were unable to crack the case.

The anachranism in "Animal House" was that Brother Bluto was teaching the pledges the "dirty lyrics," which did not begin to circulate until after the Kingsmen recorded the song in 1963.

In the event anyone has ever wondered, here are the actual lyrics:

Louie, Louie,
me gotta go.
Louie, Louie,
me gotta go.

A fine little girl, she wait for me;
me catch a ship across the sea.
I sailed the ship all alone;
I never think I'll make it home

Three nights and days we sailed the sea;
me think of girl constantly.
On the ship, I dream she there;
I smell the rose in her hair.

Me see Jamaica moon above;
It won't be long me see me love.
Me take her in my arms and then
I tell her I never leave again.

Now go have a toga party.

I did a response earlier, but GC is acting pretty strange. Anyone else having a problem?

Anyway,

Not that it matters, but to be technical, I doubt that President Herbert Hoover cared much about Louie Louie, but FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover probably did. Heck, he didn't even like Richard Nixon.

Second, as a high school junior in 1963, I had a job answering the phone in the evenings at a rock and roll radio station in Columbus, Ohio. I took literally thousands of calls from "tenny boppers," their parents and local clergy about the "filthy" song. Frankly, there was no way to understand the words without having them written out in front of you. I had a copy of the above lyrics (the words in ( ) are my addition as I recall the record). Of course nobody would believe me when I read them. Thus is the stuff of urban legends.

Finally, as a Delt, I stand upon my Constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment and respectfully refuse to comment on the grounds of potential self incrimination as to any similarity to, portrayal of or interest in any Delt Chapter/Brother, living or dead.

Take that, J. Edgar!

My bad, DeltAlum. Thanks for the correction. My brain knows the difference, but sometimes my typing fingers won't listen to my brain. :rolleyes: (BTW, just to make sure we make all Greek connections, J. Edgar was a KA, while Herbert wasn't Greek.)

Quote:

Frankly, there was no way to understand the words without having them written out in front of you. I had a copy of the above lyrics (the words in ( ) are my addition as I recall the record). Of course nobody would believe me when I read them. Thus is the stuff of urban legends.

As I understand it, a number of factors contributed to the fact that the words were almost incomprehensible in the Kingsmen's recording:

-- Lead singer Jack Ely had strained his voice participating in a marathon 90-minute "Louie Louie" jam the night before the session.

-- Ely was singing with braces on his teeth.

-- The boom microphone in the studio was fixed way too high for Ely, who had to stand on tiptoe and sing up into the mike.

-- What the band thought was a rehearsal run-through turned out to be the one and only take of the song.

-- The words are in a mock pidgen-English to begin with.

You're right DeltAlum -- definititely the stuff of urdan legends. A guy named Dave Marsh wrote a book (no longer in print, apparently) about 10 years ago on the "Louie, Louie" phenomenon -- the truth is even more entertaining than the legend.

The INSIDE of the house was the Sigma Nu house. The outside was a crack house (as told to me). But the outside fo the Sigma Nu house was also used in the movie, not sure which one though.

Yep, here's some info:

At the time of the filming, the building used for shooting the Delta House's exterior scenes was located at 751 East 11th Street, across from the small Northwest Christian College. It was, at the time, a halfway house for convicts. The building was later divided into apartments for students but fell into disrepair and was torn down in 1986. The house's bricks were sold as souvenirs for $5 each.

Still existing on campus are:

the Sigma Nu fraternity at 763 E. 11th Ave. (right) that was used for the Delta House interiors and for the Tri Pi sorority exteriors, where John Belushi was a Peeping Tom
the Kappa Sigma fraternity at 1090 Alder St., where several scenes for the Toga Party were shot, and

the Phi Kappa Psi house, which stood in as the snooty Omega House (exterior and interior).

http://www.acmewebpages.com/animal/locales.htm

My nick name is Flounder

My big sis's boyfriend's name is Flounder, he had to watch the movie to know what it ment (he had never seen it)!

Corbin, once again yo da man!

Billy, I can see the fit!

I was going to write that story in 1966 but figured who in the hell wanted to see a sorry about a bunch of Greeks. Well History speaks for itself! Da Me!

Still love that movine so much I wore out the tape!

I am sure most of us can pick out the guys in House from the A House!!!!!!!:D

Actually DTC house looks a lot like ours in the condition it is in!:(

That rocks! I was talking to someone on IM and i told her my nickname is Flounder and she thought I was her sorority's big brother screwing with her. So the real guy, plus me, plus big bro, plus your boyfriend=5 Flounders!! We're taking over!

Thanks Tom. You can see a pictures of me at www.radford.edu/~thetachi Click pics then under fall 2001 click beta class pledge battles. I lost weight but my voice is still high like the guy's from the movie!!

Here's something that's always amused me. They go on a road trip to Dickinson College, which is very obviously supposed to be Mt. Holyoke College (where Emily Dickinson went). The line 'Dickinson girls are supposed to be easy' cracks me up, because MHC girls really ARE easy- maybe it comes of going to an all-women school, I dunno.

As part of its Present at the Creation series, NPR (Morning Edition) did a story this a.m. on the creation of "Animal House." Among the questions answered by the story: Delta house was inspired by Dartmouth's Alpha Delta Phi chapter. You can find the story by clicking here.

The NPR story I linked yesterday says that "Animal House" started as a short story by Chris Miller in the National Lampoon (although some characters -- Pinto and Mandy Pepperidge -- made their appearance earlier in Doug Kinney's High Scool Yearbook in the Lampoon. You can read Miller's story by clicking here: The Night of the Seven Fires. Enjoy!

P.S. -- I didn't actually read the story until after I posted the link. Not necessarily for the queasy -- and guaranteed to make risk management types unhappy.

With all the GC talk defending Greeks from their stereotypes on MTV, I find it ironic that I LOVE this movie and it cracks me up every time I see it. Pretty interesting that playing up a fraternity stereotype, i.e. the schmoozing, trouble-making toga-partiers is so funny!

Yep. One my favorite movies ever. Really funny. I think most of the Greek streotype movies are pretty entertaining.

But I know they're not real. I guess some people don't.

Come on guys, Animal House was so successful because, while it was a send-up of the times and the institutions, it touched the nerve of reality. For a lampoon to be effective it has to be close enough to the truth to make it both recognizable and funny. Talking to older alums, and to my Dad and Uncles, it was a pretty accurate picture of the early 1960s Greek experience (Tom Earp, please comment on this) and it was very recognizable in the mid to late 1990s during my undergraduate years (and still is now that I'm back in a University setting for Law School). No one house fully fit the DTXs or the Omegas but I could put a face on every character in the film from among the guys I knew from all the fraternities on campus. I'm sure this is the norm and not the exception at most universities with Greek systems. In all honesty, can't you put the face of someone you know on just about every character in the film?

That was the BEST description of not only this Epic Film, but how a spoof or lampoon should work.

I watched this movie for the first time AFTER I became a Delta Sig, and almost every character in the movie resembled either one of the guys in my house, or one of the other Greeks (including the Tri-Pis Mandy and Babs) at SDSU. I think it's timeless and doesn't portray Greeks in a negative way because you know it's a lampoon.

Hey SIUAGD,
You're right Jim Belushi did attend school @ SIUC. I visited SIUC a few years ago & in the visitor center there was a picture of him hanging under famous alum. I also know about the COLLEGE shirt you're talking about. My friend is attending SIU in the fall & he has been down there this summer....he picked up an edition the paper & saw an articl all about where the COLLEGE shirt was made. I think SIUC also ranked in where Animal House would be shot....b/c of the whole part image.

I LOVE this movie! It is perhaps the reason I decided to rush in the first place! The scene that always gets me is when the two guys go to the Omega House for a rush party, and the rush chairman takes them to the couch with the other "losers", out of the way! LOL!:D

And knowing your Tekes, that wouldn't be surprising....too bad it isn't true! I went to summer school there this year, and that house was just crazy.

I like when they synchronise their watches to 11 and blutos says 5:30 or something random like that

he he..
 

Oh gosh, every fraternity in the whole world thinks they are connected to Animal House!

My bf told me that guys from his chapter wrote the movie, and I just laughed cause i knew i could go to any house on campus and hear the same thing.

That'd be a simple question so solve though, the writers are on the poster in his room so he could just look them up to see if they were ever in his chapter. Somehow he just wasn't too enthusiastic about checking this.