Harold Ramis and his most successful comedies

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Harold Allen Ramis, born in Chicago, Illinois, is known for starring in some of the most successful comedies of all time, including Golf Boy, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day and "A little pregnant." He died on February 24, 2014 at the age of 69.

Popularity

So when was Harold Ramis born? The date of birth of the famous actor, writer, director and producer is November 21, 1944. He is best known for his starring roles in several comedy films from both the 1970s and 1980s, including The Menagerie (1978), Golf Boy (1980) and Ghostbusters (1984).).

The actor himself admired comedians such as the Marx Brothers, Sid Caesar, Ernie Kovacs and Steve Allen, who also grew up in Chicago.

Biography

Harold Ramis graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1967 with a degree in English literature. After a number of jobs, including as a substitute teacher, he landed a position at Playboy magazine as a joke editor. In the endhe eventually became an assistant editor at a publication, but left in 1969 to join the famed Second City improv comedy troupe.

It was here that Harold Ramis (photo can be seen above) became famous for his sharp mind and pleasant communication. Other prominent performers in the troupe at this time were John Belushi, Bill Murray and Brian Doyle Murray. By the mid-1970s, Ramis had joined the television show The Second City, SCTV as a writer and performer. He has worked with several other comedians including John Candy and Eugene Levy.

Making movies

One of the biggest changes in Harold Ramis's life as a writer came in the late 1970s. Working with Chris Miller and Doug Kenny, he co-wrote the popular college comedy Menagerie (1978), starring John Belushi and directed by John Landis. He then co-wrote one of the most popular comedies of the summer of 1979, Meatballs, starring Bill Murray.

Harold Ramis made his directorial debut in 1980 with Golf Boy starring Rodney Dangerfield. The comedy satirizes the posh country club and its members. In addition, Ramis wrote the screenplay for the film with Doug Kenny and Brian Doyle-Murray. The following year, he was a screenwriter for the film The Reluctant Volunteers (1981) with Bill Murray, he played his best friend in the film.

The two actors began working together, battling the supernatural alongside Dan Aykroyd in Ghostbusters (1984). Oneof his most famous roles, he played the super-intelligent Dr. Egon Spengler. Murray and Aykroyd played two other scientists with whom Spengler creates a company to remove ghosts from houses. In addition, Ramis worked with Aykroyd on the film's script. A sequel was filmed in 1989.

Comedy career

Harold Ramis continued to write comedy scripts on his own or with other writers, including:

• Back to School (1986) starring Rodney Dangerfield;
• Paradise Club (1986) starring Robin Williams;
• Armed and Dangerous (1986), starring John Candy and Eugene Levy.

Apart from Back to School, which had some commercial success, the rest of the films were actually box office disappointments.

As a writer and director matured, Ramis created the more sophisticated comedy Groundhog Day, released in 1993. The film starred Bill Murray as a reporter sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the town's holiday. The protagonist is forced to relive this day again and again, together with the producer (played by Andie MacDowell) and the cameraman (Chris Elliott). Although the film is very funny, it also presents an intriguing dramatic transformation of Murray's character.

As a director, Harold Ramis produced a large number of comedies in the late 1990s with varying degrees of success. Both Stuart Saves His Family (1995) and The Multitude (1996) were commercial failures.but he kept working and co-wrote the screenplay for Analyze It (1999), a comedy about a gangster (Robert De Niro) and his psychiatrist (Billy Crystal). He later directed and co-wrote the 2002 sequel, Analyze That.

Later years and legacy

In subsequent years, Harold Ramis continued to work, write and develop various projects. In 2007, he appeared as the father of Seth Rogen's character in the comedy film Knocked Up and had a small role in the musical biopic Rise and Fall: The Dewey Cox Story, starring John C. Reilly. He then directed and co-wrote the comedy Year One (2009) with Jack Black and Michael Cera. He also played a small role in the film.

He was married twice: first to Anna Plotkin (they have a daughter, Violet), then to Erika Mann, with whom they have two sons, Julian and Daniel.