Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House

by Matty Simmons

In 1976 the creators of National Lampoon, America’s most popular humor magazine, decided to make a movie. It would be set on a college campus in the 1960s, loosely based on the experiences of Lampoon writers Chris Miller and Harold Ramis and Lampoon editor Doug Kenney. They named it Animal House, in honor of Miller’s fraternity at Dartmouth, where the members had been nicknamed after animals. Miller, Ramis, and Kenney wrote a film treatment that was rejected and ridiculed by Hollywood studios—until at last Universal Pictures agreed to produce the film, with a budget of $3 million.A cast was assembled, made up almost completely of unknowns. Stephen Furst, who played Flounder, had been delivering pizzas. Kevin Bacon was a waiter in Manhattan when he was hired to play Chip. Chevy Chase was considered for the role of Otter, but it wound up going to the lesser-known Tim Matheson. John Belushi, for his unforgettable role as Bluto, made $40,000 (the movie’s highest-paid actor). For four weeks in the fall of 1977, the actors and crew invaded the college town of Eugene, Oregon, forming their own sort of fraternity in the process. The hilarious, unforgettable movie they made wound up earning more than $600 million and became one of America’s most beloved comedy classics. It launched countless careers and paved the way for today’s comedies from directors such as Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips.Bestselling author Matty Simmons was the founder of National Lampoon and the producer of Animal House. In Fat, Drunk, and Stupid, he draws from exclusive interviews with actors including Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon, Peter Riegert, and Mark Metcalf, director John Landis, fellow producer Ivan Reitman, and other key players—as well as behind-the-scenes photos—to tell the movie’s outrageous story, from its birth in the New York offices of the National Lampoon to writing a script, assembling the perfect cast, the wild weeks of filming, and, ultimately, to the film’s release and megasuccess. This is a hilarious romp through one of the biggest grossing, most memorable, most frequently quoted, and most celebrated comedies of all time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Biography, Media Tie In, Memoir, Ebooks, Humor

241 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2012

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

"I hate this [script] treatment! Everybody is drunk, or high, or getting laid! I'd never make this movie - except you're the National Lampoon magazine." [pause] "Can you make this movie for $3 million? -- Universal Studios president Ned Tanen, negotiating with the movie's producers

Fat, Drunk and Stupid (title appropriated from Dean Wormer's admonishment of "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son" to Delta pledge 'Flounder' late in the movie) is one producer's retelling and recollections of the genesis, production and aftermath of the now-classic comedy National Lampoon's Animal House. Unlike that zany and raunchy 1978 film featuring an antiheroic group of fraternity brothers, this book is . . . kinda bland and colorless. (Also, don't let the cover photograph - an outtake featuring assembled Delta guys 'flipping the bird' at the camera - fool you into thinking this will be as R-rated as the film. It's not.) Simmons came from a business background, so his safe or by-the-numbers treatment often feels like the material presented is similar to what could be found on Wikipedia or IMDb, or even in a DVD 'extras' section. To be fair, occasionally an interesting factoid or two was revealed - such as a deleted scene featuring the guys picking up a soon-to-be famous singer/songwriter on the amusing 'road trip' scene, or that there were originally versions of the film that were three hours in length (now THAT I'd like to see) - but in the end it did not really enhance or add to anything about the film that I hadn't already read elsewhere.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember seeing this movie for the first time in the Base Theatre in Germany way back in '78. I thought it was great and did my best to emulate Belushi for a while, until the frau put the binders on that. I don't know how many times I've seen it since, but I watched it very recently with my grandson. I'm not sure I want him to have that much fun; hell, I don't even know if you could make a movie like this any more.

The book isn't funny like the film. In fact, it is a very serious account of how this film was constructed. Not that it's without humour, but the funny is incidental and not the main purpose of the book. Mr Simmons tells the complete story of how the movie came to be, right from the concept to the aftermath. The movie was based on the outrageously funny parody, National Lampoon's High School Yearbook (I think I still have my copy after all these years). Simmons goes on to detail the difficulties of getting the concept approved, the recruiting of actors, and the manner in which the performances were drawn from the actors on set. He'll tell you which ideas were discarded (Charlie Manson was suggested for a high school yearbook parody), and which scenes were almost cut.

The movie had a small budget and was wildly successful, making a lot of people rich and turning everyone involved into a screen icon. Some, like Donald Sutherland, were already famous while others had their careers take off after appearing in the film. Karen Allen comes immediately to mind. Simmons is good enough to follow up on the principal characters and let us know how they fared after the curtain fell. Success couldn't save some of them from a tragic end.

This book is jammed cover-to-cover with minutiae pertaining to this hilarious production and is illustrated with nice glossy photos. If you liked the movie, you're sure to like the book.

[Richard Kearney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was 13 years old when National Lampoon's Animal House was released. Probably a little younger than the intended audience, but as the film turned out to have remarkable influence and staying power in the culture I may in fact have been right on time because I ended up "growing into it." Having seen the movie several times I have been struck by the quality of the screenwriting, directing, and editing - it remains consistently funny throughout its 109 minutes. The dialogue is chock full of deep "wisdom," and a work colleague and I routinely quote from it almost every week. While I was an undergraduate in the 1980s the movie acquired a kind of iconic status and was so popular that actor DeWayne Jessie, who played rhythm'n'blues singer Otis Day, went on a successful concert "toga tour" of college campuses and played a gig at my campus - I even got to interview him for the campus newspaper after the show. Yes, the film is certainly not what one would call politically correct, and one of the most-used adjectives contemporary reviewers used to describe it was "tasteless;" yet director John Landis has always described its essential tone as "sweet," and he has a point because unlike many subsequent film comedies it is never mean-spirited.

So when I spotted Matty Simmons' "Fat, Drunk, and Stupid: The Inside Story Behind the Making of Animal House" on the shelf at my local library, I snapped it right up. Simmons, who had a successful business career as a press agent and as a founder of The Diners Club credit card company, entered publishing in the late 1960s and began Weight Watchers magazine before launching National Lampoon with a core editorial staff drawn from the Harvard Lampoon magazine. He presided over the magazine's rapid rise to success and supported its expansion into books, stage shows, radio, and audio recordings. By 1976, Simmons was looking to retain his now-formidable roster of writing talent and ambitious to break into film, so he teamed with Ivan Reitman (who would become his co-producer) and hired writers Harold Ramis, Doug Kenney, and Chris Miller to develop a script based loosely around a recently-published school yearbook parody and Miller's own college experiences in a fraternity. Yet it was the popularity of National Lampoon, rather than the intrinsic merits of the preliminary screenplay draft, that enabled Simmons eventually to secure a low-budget deal with Universal.

The heart of "Fat, Drunk, and Stupid," running to about 100 pages in the middle of the book, tells the story of the making of Animal House, with two chapters on casting, some amusing anecdotes about the location filming on Eugene, Oregon, and some simple techniques director Landis used to get convincing performances out of his actors, several of whom were making their first appearances in a film (e.g., Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon, Stephen Furst, and of course John Belushi). One interesting story details the experience of cast members who crashed a real frat party at the campus where they were about to start filming and getting roughed up by a gang of hostile jocks, barely escaping from a sound thrashing. Simmons was apparently able to get some help from several cast and crew members who provided him with reminiscences he quotes at length. He also samples some details from proposed sequels to the film, none of which were ever - thankfully - produced.

Nevertheless, the book is not nearly as good as it probably could have been. Simmons pads the beginning with about 40 pages of personal history and the last 60 pages with meandering filler, including a tiresome "where are they now" section. Despite Simmons' insider status as producer, the reader gets the distinct impression he was not nearly "inside" enough to witness or obtain more stories from those who participated in the filming, and he fails to compile or get new perspectives on some of the more hilarious episodes that have been reported in other publications. The result is a half-baked narrative that doesn't quite live up to the promise of the title, but fans of the film may want to check it out anyway, if only for chapters 7 through 16. One thing they will find is that "Fat, Drunk, and Stupid" is a quick read. I was able to start and finish it in a single afternoon, leaving me with enough time for a road trip.

[Daniel Kukwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A breezy but informative first person account of not only the making of an iconic comedy film, but a snapshot of a time and place full of fascinating cultural change. This was the moment the boomers made their name in pop culture, and it's a joyous read to discover just how much they enjoyed the ride.

[Ward Whipple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Badly edited from the author's dictation. The definitive volume has yet to be written.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matty Simmons owned The National Lampoon and ended up being the Producer of the hit movie Animal House. His insider view is very fun and very open. He doesn't try to hide the open secrets of drug and alcohol use on set but is adamant that John Belushi was clean and drinking only moderately while on set, remember he wasn't yet a superstar. He had just started doing Saturday Night Live but it was his Bluto character that catapulted him into the highest reaches of Hollywood fame.

I love the descriptions of trying to get the movie made and then the descriptions of the studio heads as this "little movie". That little movie is still making money for them.

Simmons sounds like he was a smart producer, he got very good writers (all from National Lampoon), was extremely lucky in getting John Landis to direct (John was also relatively unknown) and Harold Ramis and Ivan Reitman working behind the scenes.

It is quite amazing how many careers where launched by this little movie. Just to name a few: John Belushi, Harold Ramin, Ivan Reitman, John Landis, Karen Allen, Kevin Bacon, Tim Matheson, Peter Riegert and Tom Hulce.

This was more about the background of the movie and less about the "stars", I think because none of them were stars at the time.

The book is a quick read, has plenty of picture (but not sure why they are all in black and white) and enough backstage tidbits to keep the gossip mongers happy.

[Stewart Summers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this movie so I could not pass up reading a behind the scenes book written by the films producer.

Great anecdotes from the inception of the idea all the way up to post production. The author also includes a "where are they now" look at the cast and crew.

If you loved the film, you'll enjoy this book!

I was thrilled to work with Tim "Otter" Matheson on a television show he was directing a few years ago. He is a fine director and sensitive to the needs of all on set.

[Rick · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can't overstate how much I love the movie Animal House. This book had a lot of background that I found interesting. It was a nice light read between gatherings over the holidays.

[Aaron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even for a book about the elitist, "tasteless" empire that is the Harvard Lampoon, plus the genesis and production of 1978's "Animal House", author Simmons gushes about the process like a kid in the aftermath of a very long Xmas. The beginning includes profiles of corporate success--including the Diner's Club Card--that were profitable enough to lead men to produce the film. There's the profiling of the comedy minds at the magazine who created the Animal House House concept (Dartmouth!) and wrote the script. Once the film diary begins, the "gee-whiz" tone starts to enter in, and the utter amazement at all the individuals involved becomes expressed on every page. Unfortunately, the production diary part is brief. What follows is an extended epilogue that describes the "Animal House" world where the movie is granted Lifetime Achievement honors. This, while Simmons heaps on more praise and makes strange observations. Arnold Schwarzeneggar considered Ivan Reitman the greatest comedy director he'd ever worked with? How many Schwarzeneggar comedies are there? Unless he considers John Milius and James Cameron funny. More annoying is the book mentioning things like John Belushi's widow's marital status while overlooking director John Landis causing the deaths of Vic Morrow and two kids on the set of "Twilight Zone: the Movie." If you're going to profile people in a follow-up, you need to reveal all. Especially since Doug Kenney's unexplained death is included and a supporting actress's drug habit.

[Gary Sassaman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This very slight volume (a little more than 200 pages) is entertaining and enjoyable but it’s very light on details, especially the actual production of the film Animal House, a movie that ushered in a wave of wild college movies (some good but mostly bad) and launched the National Lampoon movie franchise (also some good but mostly bad). Simmons was the publisher of National Lampoon, who also helped found (believe it or not) the Diners Club credit card and Weight Watchers magazine.

Animal House made a star out of SNL’s John Belushi (sadly, he’d be dead in less than 5 years), made John Landis a big-time director and introduced us to the winsome delights of Karen Allen (there are not enough movies with Karen Allen in my humble opinion). I just watched this movie yet again while reading this book and it’s still laugh-out-loud funny and has great performances and wonderful characters, even if it looks a little cheap around the edges. Simmons was the producer of the film, based on Chris Miller’s NatLamp stories, and the enigmatic Doug Kenney, and Harold Ramis (who went onto his own directorial career) wrote the screenplay with Miller. The book is good on the pre-production (selling the movie, writing the script, casting) of Animal House, but kind of light on the actual filming; the longest chapter in it is a “Where are they now?” type of thing, so don’t expect a ton of revelations.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unless I was really interested in movie nostalgia and this movie in particular, or the history of humor in popular culture, I wouldn't choose this to read. I'm all those things so it worked for me. I think Simmons has his rose-colored glasses of a guy who had a sweetheart deal to make this movie. Financially, he made a ton - this movie made him rich. Some of the behind the scenes of the movie business, for someone who doesn't read about that stuff, was fascinating. I knew, for example, that the way finances on a film are structured, they very often don't post a 'profit'. And I also knew that everyone's taking their financial piece as box office revenue comes in, but it did help to have a vivid example. Unfortunately, the actors weren't among those who financially benefited. He goes into some detail about what became of the cast and we get to know them more than just what you can learn from their IMDB pages. His small chapter on Belushi is very insightful. So although they didn't earn the big bucks, at least Simmons displays a lot of respect and admiration for the actors.

[Mark Lieberman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a break from the fiction thriller books I have been reading, and this one filled that void with a lot of laughs from me. I have read a few books and seen some movies about the National Lampoon, so I knew who Matty Simmons was.

If you are a fan of the movie Animal House like me, this book is the ultimate insider. In addition to the story of how Matty came to be with the National Lampoon magazine, he tells the story from the writers perspective, how the actors came to be on it and what they are doing now (note: this book was published in 2012), other Animal House renditions (sequels, broadway, television shows), and other notable Lampoon movies. There were also a lot of quotes from everybody involved with the movie.

I enjoyed it, and it was a quick and easy read for me.

[Justin Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very quick read, short chapters. This re-capped the formation of National Lampoon magazine and how they branched out into movies. Well, they wouldn't have made more movies were it not for the enormous success of Animal House. It led to Vacation, Christmas Vacation, et al, as well as all the copycat fraternity/college movies that have some since the late 70's. None is as good as the original, however.

[Robert Greenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a relatively slim book, but it reminds us abiut all the right people came together at the right time to make a movie that remains a beloved classic and is still funny. I remember seeing it in Tarzana for the first time and couldn't believe how clever it was. This book goes from the origins of National Lampoon to the offshoots, culminating in theirnfirst feature film. I wish there was more about the actual day by day making of the movie, but what's here is entertaining enough.

[Chalupa Batman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was really short on details of the actual filming. But it does good job of providing a history of how the movie ended up getting made.

Amazing after almost 40 years after his death, they're still talking about Belushi. Simmons has a chapter just on him.

I recommend the Caddyshack book before this one.

[Chad King · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hurray for me!

Mildly amusing. However the main point seems to be how great an owner/producer is Mr. Simmons. The book would have benefitted from more stories and fewer tributes to the author.

[Bing Gordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

We can do whatever we want. We’re movie makers.

The birth of the movie is a wondrous yarn. The making has memorable moments. The afterword makes the book barely long enough to sell. But damn, it makes the reader want to binge on Animal House again.

[Kirby Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review, Class of ‘24:
Gave a good summary of the events leading up to the movie itself, including possible casting choices, scenes cut, and the thankfully never happened sequels. A good amount that I was not aware of previously.

[Bob · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok. Be better with more making of the movie stories.

[Jason Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.
Worth the read for any Animal House/National Lampoon/ SNL fan.

[David Keep · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can you guess what I am?

A well written and fun behind the scenes look at one of my favourite movies. Read if you have taste either good or bad

[Artie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A few good anecdotes but nothing too extraordinary. Simmons was an early financial backer of Lampoon and not involved in the creative end, but does have some good stories.

[Karl · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book. For die-hard Animals House fans

[Chris Schaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saw the movie? Read this book!

Book has lots of history about the making of the film. So much to know. "Animal House" is the gift that keeps on giving!

[Joe Seliske · Rating 5 out of 5]

A detailed review of the making of my favourite movie of all time. Now I have to go and watch it again.

[Cinematic Cteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

An insider look at a comedy classic, Fat, Drunk and Stupid is no less irreverent than the film it recounts. Most of the vignettes in Animal House were drawn from the fraternity experiences of National Lampoon writers, including the late Harold Ramis and Douglas Kenney, who died at 33 barely two years after the film's release. A Harvard graduate, Kenney also played the apparently brain-damaged "Stork," who gets off one line in the film during Bluto's rousing speech ("...was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?!").

The book is wall-to-wall with amusing anecdotes about the production, about how no studio was willing to greenlight the project until some young hipsters at Universal talked their bosses into financing the flick for a paltry $3 million. Animal House would go on to make nearly $142 million at the domestic box office, plus home-media sales and merchandise that continues to move more than 36 years later.

Donald Sutherland, the only established star in the cast, was offered profit participation if he would work for a reduced salary. Sutherland opted for a $50,000 payment for five days of work -- a decision that director John Landis estimates cost Sutherland at least $20 million after the film became a phenomenon.

Belushi was already deep into serious alcohol and drug abuse. Consequently, he was kept away from the rest of the cast, whose nightly parties were at least as wild as those portrayed in the picture.

A breezy read (I blasted through it in three hours), Fat, Drunk and Stupid makes a fine addition to any library of books on film, not least because it explains how a group of anarchists got away with making a very funny film with practically no money and negligible studio support -- and walked away winners. This is a Horatio Alger tale as improbable as Bluto's ascension to the U.S. Senate. Recommended.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Fat, Drunk, and Stupid, The Inside Story Behind The Making Of Animal House”, by Matty Simmons, published by St. Martin’s Press.

Category – Motion Picture

What comes to mind when you hear the words, “Toga, Toga, Toga”, “I’m a Zit”, “Food Fight”, and “Seven Years Of College Down The Drain”? Maybe the movie, “Animal House”?

This book gives an insight in how the movie came together, how the actors were chosen, cost, profit, and popularity. The idea came from writers working on the magazine, National Lampoon. The actors were not chosen for their star quality, in fact, they were picked for their obscurity. John Belushi, the best known of the actors, did the movie for $40,000 and was the highest paid of the actors. The studio would only budget $2.8 million to make the movie and the time restraint of four weeks to complete the movie. The movie, to date, has made over $600 million dollars. Keith Sutherland who has a small role in the movie agreed to do it for $35,000 dollars, he was offered $20,000 dollars and a part of the profits. Sutherland smiles today when he is reminded that if he took the $20,000 dollars he would have made over $6 million dollars.

“Animal House” has become one of the most popular and loved comedies that launched many unknown actors to stardom. It also changed life on college campuses around the world.

A must read for those of us, who still today, bring out the VHS or DVD and spent a night with Dean Wormer, Bluto, D Day, Otter, and the rest of the cast from “Animal House”.

[Jennifer Didik · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very quick, very light read. Doesn't scratch too deeply below the surface, though. The book assumes more from the reader than I was anticipating. It's been quite a while since I've seen the movie, so I was fuzzy on the characters and specific scenes discussed. At multiple points, I found myself wishing to know more about a story or anecdote (i.e., when talking about Randy Quaid and his involvement in the Vacation films, "There were also many problems with Quaid's wife on the set, but that story's been told and retold." All well and good, but I don't know the story). Also, in the "where are they now" portion towards the end, I was a little disappointed to see Belushi got a whole chapter to himself when his life is probably the most well-known of those involved in the film.

[Susan Olesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was made for $2.8 million, filmed in 32 days, and cleared $140 million. It remains consistently ranked among the best comedies of all time, and one of my top 20 movies. This book will not give you any insight into why. A very shallow overview of the film by the producer, the most revealing idea in it is that Belushi was allegedly clean and sober throughout the shoot. If you're into making movies and want to read about the process, or if you just want to read anything about the movie, than read this. It's short, it's painless, but don't go looking for in-depth revelations about the film or the stars.