Early this morning the comedy world lost one of the greats, actor/director/writer Harold Ramis. Sometimes perceived as a “straight man” on screen, Ramis had a comic timing that was absolutely impeccable.
Growing up, my first memories of him were on Second City TV. He was a cast member and also the show’s first head writer. Before that he had acted on stage at Second City with some of the best, including John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. This guy has been a part of every comic movie that I grew up loving and even helped mold my own sense of humor. These are a list of all the movies he has had a hand in over the years. It’s damn near amazing.
In no particular order:
- Meatballs
- National Lampoon’s Animal House
- Stripes
- Ghostbusters 1 & 2
- Caddyshack
- National Lampoon’s Vacation
- Groundhog Day
- Analyze This
What you’re looking at, is a resume that helped shape and change the face of American comedy as we know it. Heralded by his peers on all levels, Hollywood was never quite sure what to do with him as an actor. I remember the first time I saw Stripes. Ramis cast himself as “kind of” the straight guy to Bill Murray. But if you watch closely, he has a way of throwing a quick look or even just tilting his head, that literally says a thousand words. He was the perfect foil for the ever chatty Murray and he almost stole every scene he was in. The art of knowing when less is more, especially as a comic actor, is something that can’t be taught. Either you have it or you don’t. The character of “Egon” in Ghostbusters could’ve been a real throw away part, but Ramis made him endearing and awkwardly loveable. I still nearly pee my pants when Annie Potts, as the irritable secretary Janine Melnitz, asks him what his hobbies are. Ramis’ straight faced retort is, “I collect spores, molds and fungus”. That line drops me every time!
The passing of anyone that you admire is quite a double edged sword. You would have liked them to have done more (Umm… Ghostbusters 3), but we have a library of material that will keep them alive forever. The important thing is to pass on the gifts they have left us to the next generations, so in turn they are never forgotten. I think my daughter and I are going to have a Ghostbusters marathon today…. I can only assume Harold Ramis would’ve wanted it that way.