Allan Arkush accepted the sequel believing it would be a valuable return to feature filmmaking, only to discover that production was already in crisis. The project began filming in Florida on January 18, 1988, while Warner Bros. still demanded a summer release, leaving roughly six months to shoot and finish a film whose script was not ready and whose two intended stars—Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray—were gone. Arkush was particularly uneasy about Jackie Mason as the lead, feeling that Mason’s rapid-fire stand-up persona did not create the audience empathy Dangerfield had generated. His concerns were overridden by producer Jon Peters, who insisted Mason was brilliant. On set, Mason struggled to remember lines and could not convincingly swing a golf club; his increasing weight reportedly forced the costume department to keep altering his wardrobe, while his lack of chemistry with Dyan Cannon added to the director’s difficulties. Dan Aykroyd irritated producers by insisting on a strange, high-pitched mercenary voice modeled, according to Aykroyd, on Colonel Oliver North. The most openly hostile relationship was between Arkush and Chevy Chase, who received a substantial fee for a relatively small role. Arkush recalled Chase complaining both when the director asked how he wanted to stage a scene and later when Arkush offered suggestions. During post-production, Chase reportedly watched one of his scenes, told Arkush to call him after the laugh track had been dubbed, and walked away. Chase later publicly expressed regret about appearing in the film, while Arkush’s account portrayed the production as a project everyone was trying to survive rather than a sequel anyone truly believed in.
Preparing the daily feature…
AI concept artworkArchive Record · 1980s
The Caddyshack II Set Became a Collision Course of Unhappy Stars and a Furious Director
Allan Arkush, Chevy Chase, Jackie Mason, and Dan Aykroyd / 1980s
Allan Arkush accepted the sequel believing it would be a valuable return to feature filmmaking, only to discover that production was already in crisis. The project began filming in Florida on January 18, 1988, while Warner Bros. still demanded a summer release, leaving roughly six months to shoot and finish a film whose script was not ready and whose two intended stars—Rodney Dangerfield and Bill Murray—were gone. Arkush was particularly uneasy about Jackie Mason as the lead, feeling that Mason’s rapid-fire stand-up persona did not create the audience empathy Dangerfield had generated. His concerns were overridden by producer Jon Peters, who insisted Mason was brilliant. On set, Mason struggled to remember lines and could not convincingly swing a golf club; his increasing weight reportedly forced the costume department to keep altering his wardrobe, while his lack of chemistry with Dyan Cannon added to the director’s difficulties. Dan Aykroyd irritated producers by insisting on a strange, high-pitched mercenary voice modeled, according to Aykroyd, on Colonel Oliver North. The most openly hostile relationship was between Arkush and Chevy Chase, who received a substantial fee for a relatively small role. Arkush recalled Chase complaining both when the director asked how he wanted to stage a scene and later when Arkush offered suggestions. During post-production, Chase reportedly watched one of his scenes, told Arkush to call him after the laugh track had been dubbed, and walked away. Chase later publicly expressed regret about appearing in the film, while Arkush’s account portrayed the production as a project everyone was trying to survive rather than a sequel anyone truly believed in.
The daily feature is taking an intermission. There’s still an entire archive to explore.