“Some ill-placed whimsy with a gopher puppet” was how a Chicago film critic described Caddyshack when it was released in 1980. That puppet has gone on to be a favorite of golfers and non-golfers alike as Caddyshack remains among the top comedies on every list.
The original storyline was meant to be a coming of age of two caddies. Writers Harold Ramis and Brian Doyle-Murray based it on their experiences working as caddies when they were teenagers. As comedians Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray were added to the cast and given freedom to improvise, the story changed considerably. Their improvisations created some of the most memorable and highly quoted movie lines ever. The “ill-placed” gopher was added late in production to tie the story together.
The Sunrise Theater will be showing CADDYSHACK under the stars on the Sunrise Square September 11-13, weather permitting. Box office opens at 7:15pm and the film starts at 7:45pm. Tickets are $10 per person. Seating is limited and is first come first served. Masks are required. Guests are ushered to their assigned circle which can seat up to four people. When seated in the circle, movie goers may remove their masks and enjoy the Sunrise concessions and Southern Pines Brewing Company’s TOGETHER WE ARE MOORE draft beer. Custom Sunrise chairs will be available for purchase. Groups larger than four should contact the Sunrise in advance for information on special seating options.
Full concessions will be available including the Sunrise’s Amish Country popcorn with real butter, locally made candy bars, assorted boxes of candy, sodas, beer, wine, and hard cider. Camp or beach chairs and/or blankets are recommended. No pets, coolers, or outside food permitted.
Please note that Caddyshack is rated R for sex & nudity, profanity, and drug use.
CADDYSHACK TRIVIA:
ESPN describes Caddyshack as “perhaps the funniest sports movie ever made.”
Tiger Woods is a fan of the movie and played Carl Spackler (Bill Murray’s character) in an American Express commercial.
First-time director Harold Ramis told Bill Murray to imagine his own sports fantasy moment which resulted in the highly quoted and completely improvised “Cinderella Story” scene in the film.
Bill Murray filmed all his scenes in six days. It took 11 weeks to film the entire movie.
Harold Ramis was a writer on Animal House, Meatballs, Groundhog Day, Stripes, Back to School, and Ghostbusters, and Caddyshack. Caddyshack was his directorial debut. He later directed National Lampoon’s Vacation, Groundhog Day, Multiplicity, and numerous other comedies.
Caddyshack was Rodney Dangerfield’s first acting experience and the last film for Ted Knight.
Harold Ramis could barely watch the movie after completion, mostly bothered by the poor golf swings by everyone except for Michael O’Keefe (Danny Noonan).
The famous Babe Ruth candy bar pool scene was an actual story from Doyle-Murray’s caddying days.
The sequel, CADDYSHACK II, did poorly at the box office and is considered one of the worst sequels of all time.
Ramis wanted Pink Floyd to create the soundtrack but settled for second choice, Kenny Loggins. “I’m Alright” was released weeks before the movie and became a top ten hit in 1980.
Bill Murray narrated the film Loopers: The Caddies Long Walk which screened at the Sunrise Theater in 2019.
Courtesy photo/Contributed.
