The most horrifying scene in National Lampoon's Vacation almost came true: 'Definitely a confirme...

No animals were harmed... outside of in your mind. The most horrifying scene in National Lampoon's Vacation almost came true: 'Definitely a confirmed sighting'

No animals were harmed... outside of in your mind.

The most horrifying scene in National Lampoon's Vacation almost came true: 'Definitely a confirmed sighting'

No animals were harmed... outside of in your mind.

By Jordan Hoffman

Jordan Hoffman

Jordan Hoffman is a writer at **, mostly covering nostalgia. He has been writing about entertainment since 2007.

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September 28, 2025 1:00 p.m. ET

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The Griswold family hits the road in 'National Lampoon's Vacation'. Credit:

Courtesy Everett Collection

Art is often a reflection of life, even when we'd prefer it wasn't. One such near miss (but still too close for comfort) was the 1983 cinema classic *National Lampoon's Vacation*.

The comedic cross-country car film, which rescued the reputation of the envelope-pushing company after back-to-back duds *National Lampoon*'s *Movie Madness *and *National Lampoon's Class Reunion*, represented a kind of maturation for the brand. Its central character, Chevy Chase's Clark W. Griswold, is a dopey dad trying to keep it together amid an escalating series of exasperating frustrations and ignoble temptations. But at heart, he *wants *to be a well-integrated member of society. There are simply too many obstacles.

The Griswold family plus John Candy at Wally World in 'National Lampoon's Vacation'.

Courtesy Everett Collection

One of them, of course, is Aunt Edna, played by the legendary vaudevillian and early television star Imogene Coca. The cranky and irritating backseat driver, who bums a lift midway through the Griswolds' adventure, also has with her the easily excitable pooch Dinky. And though it happens off camera, Dinky meets one of the bleaker fates in movie history — especially for a comedy.

If you recall, during a moment of distraction, Dinky has his leash tied to the bumper of the station wagon, which soon hits the road. It isn't until a little while later (and a pitch black scene between Chase and a police officer played by James Keach) that we realize no one put the dog back in the car. ("Poor little guy, probably kept up with you for a mile or so.")

Chevy Chase and Christie Brinkley have a 'Vacation' reunion

Chevy Chase told Jason Reitman he should be embarrassed of 'SNL' film

When director Harold Ramis appeared on *Late Night With David Letterman *to promote the film back in 1983, he and Letterman chatted about how the story played around with tall tales of the American road. While getting into the dog scene, Ramis reported that someone from the production actually witnessed a near recreation of the movie's bleakest moment.

"It's apocryphal, but people when they travel with their dogs, occasionally they just forget and leave them tied to the bumper and they drive off down the road and start hearing strange noises. While we were shooting in Durango, Colo., working out of a Holiday Inn, sure enough someone saw a station wagon pulling out of the Holiday Inn with a dog tied to the bumper."

Director and actor Harold Ramis at an event in New York City in 2009.

Rahav Segev/WireImage

Letterman thought this was a little hard to believe, so he asked the future *Groundhog Day *director, "Did you actually see it or did a 'friend' of yours see it?"

Ramis replied, "No, it was a definitely a confirmed sighting."

The host then asked if they were able to save the dog in time, and Ramis said they did.

But not the case for poor Dinky!

*National Lampoon's Vacation* was based on an early short story written by John Hughes, published in *National Lampoon *magazine in 1979, called *Vacation '58*. (You can read it here.) While there were many changes for the movie adaptation — like shifting perspective from the son to the father, and it not concluding with Walt Disney getting shot — alas, the doomed dog is still in there.

His name is spelled Dinkie (most written accounts for the film call him Dinky) and Aunt Edna is Aunt Edythe, but what's more important is how, in the written version, the cop doesn't just show an empty leash.

"He was flat on his belly with his legs out to the sides and his neck stretched out, so that he looked a beagle version of a bear rug," Hughes wrote. "There was a wide red trail leading up to his body."

The cop's line is even more savage: "From the looks of his foot pads I'd say this little guy kept up with you for half a mile or so."**

John Hughes in 1990.

Paul Natkin/Getty

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The success of *Vacation *led to* *additional installments — most notably *European Vacation,* *Christmas Vacation*, and *Vegas Vacation* — and, of course, Hughes became a writer-director-producer of essential 1980s films like *The Breakfast Club *and *Pretty in Pink. *Who'd have thought it all began with such cruelty to animals?!?********

Below, check out the music video to Lindsey Buckingham's "Holiday Road," used to great effect in the original film. This does not feature any shots of Christie Brinkley in her red Ferrari like you might expect.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Movies"

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