The movie National Lampoon’s Animal House debuted in the summer of 1978 — the same year people fell in love with Sandy and Danny in Grease, the two notes, “duh-nuh,” caused nightmares with Jaws 2 and Robert De Niro was the all-out macho man, Michael, in the premier of The Deer Hunter.
Since all these movies are a little off my radar — because they came out 15 years before I was born — I like to compare Animal House to movies of my time, such as Superbad, the American Pies and Old School. But the thing that sets the 1978 hit apart from these other slapstick college movies is its connection to the city it was filmed in: Eugene. Not only does the film’s location add to the movie, in my opinion, but Animal House did a lot for our city as well.
The University of Oregon and Eugene are never explicitly mentioned in the movie, but I think anyone familiar with the area can recognize Johnson Hall, the EMU fishbowl, Hayward Field, Autzen Stadium, the Phi Kappa Psi house on 11th and Hilyard and even a few campus lecture halls. There are also shots of the surrounding area, such as the drive-ins at Skinner’s Butte, the drive out toward Dexter Lake and the parade that was filmed in nearby Cottage Grove.
For a lot of movies, the city it takes place in isn’t really that important when it has nothing to do with the plot line. In Animal House, Eugene isn’t necessarily a part of the story either, but as a Eugenian myself, I think the city fits well with the film’s overall vibe. Aspects of Eugene’s culture, both positive and negative, make their way into the movie, adding to the overall Animal House appeal.
The hippy culture in Eugene was a perfect match for Animal House’s retro bits. Think: the boring literature professor who turned out to be a good teacher, not in academia, but in smoking weed. The way Professor Jennings lives in the movie, his quirky mannerisms and knowledge of marijuana, encompasses a popular type of Eugenian.
There is also the aspect of majority-whiteness in the movie, which is yet another tie to Eugene. The city’s unfortunate history with white supremacy, and the glaring reality that has lasted through time, is that there is still an obvious disparity in Eugene and the UO with ethnic diversity. Now, I think we’ve moved away from a lot of the outright racism that is found in the movie — like referring to Black people as “negros” and using a confederate flag as décor – but again, Eugene is, sadly, the perfect place for a movie with Animal House’s particular ensemble.
Overall, I think the setting of UO is relevant to the movie that stars a once-SNL favorite, John Belushi, a young-Kevin Bacon and a non-villainous Donald Sutherland. Our campus provides a traditional collegiate environment for Animal House, and one that brings a unique Pacific Northwest tinge.
Like any good pairing, the relationship between Animal House and Eugene is not one-sided.
It has been said that for three decades following the film’s release, “the University of Oregon tried, unsuccessfully, to hide its participation in Animal House,” according to Jim Scheppke of Oregon Encyclopedia. I mean, it’s understandable that the university didn’t want to be associated with a film that capitalizes on sexual assault in college, unnecessary animal cruelty, gun violence and an excessive amount of cliché characters, but by justifying the time period when the movie took place, the university, Eugene and surrounding areas have welcomed Animal House into the local culture in a big way.
We sing “Shout” at our sporting events — the infamous toga party rendition by Otis Day and the Knights. We saw Nike’s homage to the song and movie last year in a video featuring some star-studded Oregon alumni. Incoming Ducks hear about famous filming locations from the movie on campus tours. And in 2012, an Original Animal House Saloon, yet to open for business, was even built to pay tribute.
There is no doubt that Animal House has contributed to the Hollywood film culture, as well as our local culture, which, I believe, is mirrored by how much our campus and city gave to the movie.