Chase came to prominence when he became one of the original "Not Ready for Primetime Players" on Saturday Night Live in 1975. His name recognition grew because he anchored the Weekend Update segment which he began each time with the phrase "I'm Chevy Chase and you're not." After gaining celebrity and accolades, Chase would leave the show in 1976 after just one and a half seasons to pursue bigger things (in a move that he would admit later regretting). He would make some outstanding comedies in the 80's and even host the Oscars twice (in 1987 and 1988). Chase also appeared in his best friend Paul Simon's video for the song "You Can Call Me Al" which ranked on my Top Music Videos of the 80s list.

So then, here is OLD SCHOOL'S TOP 10 CHEVY CHASE MOVIES FROM THE 80's:

10. Fletch Lives (1989) as "Irwin R. Fletcher" - Not anywhere nearly as good as the original, but the sequel did have a few humorous moments in it.

9. Funny Farm (1988) as "Andy Farmer" - Chase's character quits his big city job and moves out to the country to write a novel to only discover that the town has some odd folks living there. This brings out some of the oddities in himself in this film which is only moderately funny.

8. National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985) as "Clark W. Griswold" - My least favorite of the four Vacation movies, but had some extremely funny parts like "Look kids, Big Ben, Parliament" and the scene that ranks on my Top Dancing Scenes from 80s Movies list.

7. Seems Like Old Times (1980) as "Nick Gardenia" - This underrated Neil Simon comedy co-stars Goldie Hawn who seemed to have great chemistry with Chase. They also starred together in the 1978 comedy Foul Play.

6. Spies Like Us (1985) as "Emmett Fitz-Hume" - This film, which teamed Chase with Dan Aykroyd, had the potential to be a lot funnier than it was though it did have many hilarious moments.

5. ¡Three Amigos! (1986) as "Dusty Bottoms" - This film was detailed in my 100th issue since it will rank #100 on my list of favorite movies from the 80's and a couple scenes also ranked on my Top Singing Scenes from 80s Movies list.

4. National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) as "Clark W. Griswold" - The original film introduced the world to the great family man "Clark Griswold," who I feel is one of the greatest comedy characters of all time, as he takes his family westward to visit Wallyworld. The film was written by the great John Hughes and directed by Harold Ramis.

3. Fletch (1985) as "Irwin R. Fletcher" - Here is a link to watch the original trailer which includes a glimpse at some of the funny scenes.

2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) as "Clark W. Griswold" - This is one of my favorite comedies of all time and obviously one that I watch at least once every Christmas season. Here is a link to a short moment where "Clark" loses his temper in a hilarious tirade.

1. Caddyshack (1980) as "Ty Webb" - This is probably my favorite comedy film of all time. I cannot even count how many times I have watched it in my lifetime. First, here is a link to a montage of some of the best Chevy Chase moments from this outstanding movie. Also, here is a link to one of my favorite scenes from the film which is the only one where Chase interacts with Bill Murray's "Carl Spackler" character.

There's my list. When I think of some of those fantastic comedies from back then, it really makes me wonder why Chase could not recreate that magic in the 90's and beyond. It is possible that things could have been different. It is reported that Chase turned down the lead role in American Beauty (1999) which earned Kevin Spacey a Best Actor Oscar as well as the chance to be the voice to "Buzz Lightyear" in the Disney/Pixar blockbuster Toy Story (1995). Like his decision to leave SNL, those both look like career mistakes that Chase might look back at with regret now. No matter, I still appreciate the very funny comedies that he did make and probably always will. "Good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow."

That will wrap up this issue of Kickin' it Old School. Thanks, as always, for reading. If you are interested in reading more of my 80's related issues, please click there for a summary. If you are interested in reading more of my Top 10 lists, please click there for a summary of those. You can also click on the Archives in the upper left hand column or use the blogbar Search Box in the right hand column to find any other issues you may have missed. If you are a fan of Kickin' it, please pass the word and let others know to give it a try. Peace and much love.

Check this out: If you are a regular reader, you know that I find amusement with ironic and/or humorous signs. Here is another one that I came across which I thought I would share. I think this cop needs to find a new place to catch speeders...

Quote of the day: "If you treat every situation as a life and death matter, you'll die a lot of times." -Dean Smith

Download this: Since it was featured in the #1 film on the list, Caddyshack, I am going to recommend "I'm Alright" by Kenny Loggins