On July 28, 1978—48 years ago today—National Lampoon's Animal House burst into theaters and forever changed the comedy genre.
Made for just $3 million, the irreverent college romp starring John Belushi became a surprise blockbuster, grossing more than $141 million worldwide and turning a raunchy fraternity comedy into one of Hollywood's most influential films.
Its legacy has only grown over the decades. For its special The 100 Funniest Movies of All Time, Bravo ranked Animal House at No. 1, while the American Film Institute placed it at No. 36 on its list of the greatest American comedies. Time Out included it among the 100 best comedy movies ever made, Esquire named it one of the 50 greatest comedies of all time, and WatchMojo ranked it No. 14 on its list of the greatest comedy films. Calling it the "definitive comedy about the college experience," WatchMojo said the film "paved the way for decades of frat-boy comedies" that followed.
Directed by John Landis and co-written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller, Animal House follows the misfit members of Delta Tau Chi as they battle the authoritarian Dean Vernon Wormer (John Vernon) at the fictional Faber College. Alongside Belushi's iconic performance as Bluto Blutarsky, the cast featured Tim Matheson, Donald Sutherland, Bruce McGill and several future stars who were just beginning their careers.
Few studio executives expected Animal House to become a phenomenon. Produced on a modest $3 million budget, the film became the highest-grossing comedy of its time and helped launch an entirely new style of filmmaking. Its anarchic humor inspired generations of movies, from Porky's and the Police Academy franchise to PCU and Old School, while toga parties exploded in popularity on college campuses after the movie's release.
The movie also delivered some of the most memorable moments in comedy history, from Bluto's chaotic food fight to the endlessly quoted lines "Toga! Toga!" and "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son." Nearly five decades later, those scenes remain as recognizable as ever.
While Belushi was already becoming a breakout star thanks to Saturday Night Live, several of his co-stars were making their film debuts or landing their first major roles. Kevin Bacon, Karen Allen, the late Stephen Furst and Thomas Hulce all appeared early in their careers, with Hulce later earning a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Amadeus.
The production also produced one of Hollywood's most famous financial what-ifs. Sutherland was offered either a percentage of the film's profits or a guaranteed paycheck for his brief role as Professor Dave Jennings. Believing the movie would be only a modest success, he chose the upfront salary, a decision he later estimated cost him roughly $14 million in missed earnings, according to an interview he did with Variety.
Today, Animal House is preserved in the National Film Registry and continues to influence filmmakers, comedians and audiences. Whether remembered for Belushi's unforgettable performance, its endlessly quotable dialogue or the blueprint it created for generations of college comedies, the 1978 blockbuster remains one of the defining comedy classics of the modern era.
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