Editing Chevy Chase (section)

=== 1976–1989: Film stardom and acclaim ===
[[File:Chevy Chase 1976.jpg|thumb|Chevy Chase at the private party after the premiere of the movie ''[[A Star Is Born (1976 film)|A Star Is Born]]'', December 1976]]
In late 1976, in the middle of ''SNL's'' second season, Chase became the first member of the original cast to leave the show. While he landed starring roles in several films on the strength of his ''SNL'' fame, he asserted that the principal reason for his departure was the reluctance of his girlfriend, Jacqueline Carlin, to move to [[New York City|New York]].<ref name="snl20050220">{{cite episode|title=Live From New York: The First 5 Years of Saturday Night Live | series =Saturday Night Live |network=NBC |airdate=February 20, 2005}}</ref> Chase moved to [[Los Angeles]], married Carlin, and was replaced by Bill Murray, although he made a few [[cameo appearance]]s on the show during the second season.

Chase hosted ''SNL'' eight times from 1978 to 1997.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Saturday Night Live Season 2 Cast: Live from New York, It's Bill Murray |url=https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/saturday-night-live-season-2-cast-1977-photos |access-date=January 19, 2024 |work=NBC Insider |date=January 5, 2024 |archive-date=January 18, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240118204936/https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/saturday-night-live-season-2-cast-1977-photos |url-status=live }}</ref> In regard to Chase's 1997 appearance as a host, ''SNL'' creator and show-runner [[Lorne Michaels]] disputed reports that he was shocked by Chase's behavior or had banned him as a result, claims which he calls "idiotic".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/chevy-chase-cant-change/ |title=Chevy Chase can't change |last=Edgers |first=Geoff |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=September 19, 2018 |access-date=September 5, 2022 |archive-date=March 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220321123444/https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2018/lifestyle/chevy-chase-cant-change/ |url-status=live }}</ref> While Chase has not returned to ''SNL'' to host since 1997, he appeared on the show's 25th anniversary special in 1999 and was interviewed for a 2005 NBC special on the first five years of ''SNL''. Later appearances included a ''Caddyshack'' skit featuring Bill Murray, a 1997 episode with guest host [[Chris Farley]], as the Land Shark in a ''Weekend Update'' segment in 2001, another ''Weekend Update'' segment in 2007, and in [[Justin Timberlake]]'s monologue in 2013 as a member of the [[List of Saturday Night Live guests#Five-Timers Club|Five-Timers Club]], where he was reunited with his ''Three Amigos'' co-stars [[Steve Martin]] and [[Martin Short]]. He also participated in the 40th anniversary special in February 2015.<ref>{{cite news |last=McCoy |first=Terrence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/17/chevy-chase-after-saturday-night-live-too-mean-to-succeed/ |title=Chevy Chase, Too Mean To Succeed |date=February 17, 2015 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |access-date=February 26, 2015 |archive-date=February 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150218002338/http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/02/17/chevy-chase-after-saturday-night-live-too-mean-to-succeed/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Chevy Chase 1980.jpg|thumb|left|Chevy Chase at the premiere of the movie ''[[Seems Like Old Times (film)|Seems Like Old Times]]'', December 10, 1980]]
Chase's early film roles included ''[[Tunnel Vision (1976 film)|Tunnel Vision]]'' (1976); ''[[Foul Play (1978 film)|Foul Play]]'' (1978, a box-office hit that made more than $44 million<ref>{{Cite web|title=Foul Play |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2823980545/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 15, 2022}}</ref> and earned Chase a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] nomination); and ''[[Oh! Heavenly Dog]]'' (1980). The role of Eric "Otter" Stratton in ''[[Animal House|National Lampoon's Animal House]]'' was written with Chase in mind, but he turned the role down to work on ''Foul Play''.<ref name="stern918" /> The role went to [[Tim Matheson]] instead. Chase said in an interview that he chose to do ''Foul Play'' so he could do "real acting" for the first time in his career instead of just "schtick".<ref name="Live From New York">Shales, Tom. ''Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live''. Back Bay Books, 2003.</ref> 

Chase followed ''Foul Play'' in 1980 by portraying Ty Webb in the [[Harold Ramis]] comedy ''[[Caddyshack]].'' A major box office success that pulled in $39 million off a $6 million budget,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Caddyshack |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3326707201/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref> the movie has become a classic. It reached a 73% approval rate on [[Rotten Tomatoes]], with critics saying: "Though unabashedly crude and juvenile, Caddyshack nevertheless scores with its classic slapstick, unforgettable characters, and endlessly quotable dialogue".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/caddyshack |title=Caddyshack (1980) |work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=December 30, 2024 |archive-date=May 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190511163519/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/caddyshack/ |url-status=live }}</ref> That same year, he reunited with ''Foul Play'' co-star [[Goldie Hawn]] for [[Neil Simon]]'s ''[[Seems Like Old Times (film)|Seems Like Old Times]],'' a box-office success that earned more than $43 million.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Seems Like Old Times|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl124683777/|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=May 15, 2022|archive-date=June 26, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626234747/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl124683777/|url-status=live}}</ref> He then released a self-titled record album, co-produced by Chase and Tom Scott, with novelty and cover versions of songs by [[Randy Newman]], [[Barry White]], [[Bob Marley]], [[the Beatles]], [[Donna Summer]], [[Tennessee Ernie Ford]], [[The Troggs]], and [[The Sugarhill Gang]].
[[File:President Ronald Reagan greeting Chevy Chase.jpg|thumb|right|[[Ronald Reagan]] and Chevy Chase, 1985]]

Chase narrowly escaped death by [[electrocution]] during the filming of ''[[Modern Problems]]'' in 1980. During a sequence in which Chase's character wears "landing lights" as he dreams that he is an airplane, the lights malfunctioned and an electric current passed through Chase's arm, back, and neck muscles. The [[near-death experience]] followed the end of his marriage to Carlin, and Chase experienced a period of deep [[Depression (mood)|depression]]. He married Jayni Luke in 1982. Chase continued his film career by playing Clark Griswold in 1983's ''[[National Lampoon's Vacation]].'' Directed by Ramis and written by [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]], the movie grossed $61 million<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Lampoon's Vacation|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl561612289/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 15, 2022}}</ref> on a $15 million budget—his most successful movie at the time. 

In 1985, Chase played Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher in ''[[Fletch (film)|Fletch]]'', based on [[Gregory Mcdonald]]'s ''[[Fletch (novel)|Fletch]]'' books, which grossed more than $50 million off an $8 million budget.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Fletch |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl978486785/ |access-date=May 15, 2022 |website=Box Office Mojo}}</ref> That same year, he appeared in a sequel to ''Vacation'', ''[[National Lampoon's European Vacation]]'', which pulled in just shy of $50 million at the box office,<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Lampoon's European Vacation|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl709920257/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 15, 2022}}</ref> and co-starred with fellow ''SNL'' alum [[Dan Aykroyd]] in ''[[Spies Like Us]]'', which made $60 million.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Spies Like Us|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl745768449/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=December 15, 2024}}</ref> In 1986, Chase joined ''SNL'' veterans Steve Martin and Martin Short in the Lorne Michaels–produced comedy ''[[Three Amigos|¡Three Amigos!]]'' that made nearly $40 million,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Three Amigos!|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2738980353/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=December 20, 2024}}</ref> with Chase declaring in an interview that making ''Three Amigos'' was the most fun he had making a film.<ref name="Fierman">{{cite magazine |date=August 13, 2004 |author=Daniel Fierman | url = https://ew.com/article/2004/08/13/chevy-chase-reflects-his-best-work/ | title = Chevy Chase reflects on his best work |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref> He also appeared alongside [[Paul Simon]], one of his best friends, in Simon's 1986 second video for "[[You Can Call Me Al]]", in which he lip-syncs all of Simon's lyrics.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uq-gYOrU8bA | title=Paul Simon - You Can Call Me al (Official Video) | website=[[YouTube]] | date=June 16, 2011 }}</ref>
[[File:Gerald Ford and Chevy Chase.jpeg|thumb|left|[[Gerald Ford]] with Chase before the Conference on Humor and the Presidency held at the Gerald R. Ford Museum in 1986]]
In 1987, his Cornelius Productions company signed a non-exclusive, first-refusal deal to develop four feature projects at the [[Warner Bros.]] studio, and set up a fifth project at [[Universal Pictures]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tusher |first=Will |date=May 27, 1987 |title=Chevy Chase's Cornelius Prods. Lines Up Projects With WB, U |page=28 |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Chase hosted the [[Academy Awards]] in 1987 and 1988, opening the telecast in 1988 with the quip, "Good evening, Hollywood phonies!" In 1988, he starred alongside [[Madolyn Smith]] in ''[[Funny Farm (film)|Funny Farm]],'' a sizeable hit at $25 million<ref>{{Cite web|title=Funny Farm|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2119534081/weekend/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=January 2, 2025|archive-date=December 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241227221440/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2119534081/weekend/|url-status=live}}</ref> that reached 64% approval rate on Rotten Tomatoes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1007990-funny_farm/|title=Funny Farm (1988) |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]] |access-date=July 30, 2023}}</ref> That same year, he appeared (albeit via a glorified cameo) in a sequel to ''Caddyshack'', ''[[Caddyshack II]]'', which made less than $12 million,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Caddyshack II|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3343484417/weekend/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=January 3, 2025|archive-date=October 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191031004133/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3343484417/weekend/|url-status=live}}</ref> becoming one of his few flops at the time.<ref name="SI">{{cite magazine |date=July 24, 2020 |last=Nashawaty |first=Chris |title=The Inside Story of Caddyshack II |url=https://www.si.com/media/2020/07/24/caddyshack-2-worst-sequel-ever-inside-story |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-date=July 26, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726104124/https://www.si.com/media/2020/07/24/caddyshack-2-worst-sequel-ever-inside-story |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1989, Chase starred in a sequel to ''Fletch'', ''[[Fletch Lives]]'', which went on to gross more than $35 million,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Fletch Lives|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097366/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=December 29, 2024|archive-date=December 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203050002/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0097366/|url-status=live}}</ref> and made a third ''Vacation'' film, ''[[National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation]]'', which pulled in $71 million and, thanks to its holiday theme, has become one of his more durable films.<ref>{{Cite web|title=National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2454423041/|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=May 15, 2022}}</ref> At the height of his career in the late 1980s, Chase earned around US$7&nbsp;million per film and was a highly visible celebrity.