Bill Murray and Chevy Chase Had a Backstage Brawl
The stage was set with the latter’s rise to the infamous beef between Bill Murray and Chevy Chase, which took place in 1975 as the permanent cast for the opening season of Saturday Night Live.
Subsequently known as Simple Night Night, the show began showing Chase’s signature pratfalls every week, and with his deadpan delivery and good looks,
This sparked outrage among “not ready for prime time players” with another eccentric Saturday Night talent, including John Belushi. The situation was complicated by Chase’s prickly personality, with his quick-witted often mean-spirited and the notion that a rush of fame was going over his head.
Chase was praised for his work on Saturday Night, while Murray had to beg the audience for laughter
After Chase won a pair of Emmys in May 1976, he planned to secure a new contract with NBC.
They eventually chatted in full on Saturday night, surprising executive producer Lorne Michaels, and returning to a few shows before disappearing for a Hollywood prime-time special and Hollywood’s promise of grazing grazing.
A few months later, Murray made his Saturday night debut. Unlike the man he replaced, the audience was chilled for his act, especially when he featured a few lines in the opening appearances. Allegedly in danger of being fired, Murray resorted to a strange solo sketch in which he gave a fundraising plea to get people to start laughing at his jokes.
But the newcomer eventually found his footing, debuting with his goofy Nick Lounge the Singer, and now by the third season of Saturday Night Live, he was teeming with Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Redner and the rest of the cast. It proved that without Chase’s star power, the show could go well.
Tensions rose after Chase returned to host ‘SNL’ in 1978
In a curious move, Chase was invited back in February 1978 to host an abandoned show on poor terms.
According to Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Dug Hill and Jeff Weinrad, the actor quickly realized that he had stepped into an environment that was “poisoned” against him.
He tried to recreate any goodwill, bossing the people around and returning his old “Weekend Update” segment from his current host, Jane Curton. Meanwhile, drug use was rampant in the studio, with Chase admitting he was sadly putting an end to things.
Murray, who had known Chase since they worked together a few years ago at National Lampoon, was eager to take the resentment to its climax. At the end of the week, he locks the elephant in the room by telling Chase that everyone hates him. This ignited a shouting match, with tension continuing through dress rehearsals.
Later, Murray zeroed in on Chase’s well-known marital discord with Jacqueline Carlin, telling her, “Go ** for your wife, she needs it.” Chase, in turn, mentioned that Murray’s pock-marked face looked like a landing spot for Neil Armstrong.
Just before the show airs, Chase confronts Murray in Belushi’s dressing room and challenges him to a fight. Murray hurled and Belushi leaped between two big men, most of the punishment being drawn as if the fist was flying.
Almost immediately after their separation, Chase took the stage to present his monologue in front of a happy, melodious audience. She later claimed that she was not overcome by the fight, although her ex-artists reportedly noted a clear difference in their usual caucusure moment. Despite this, the ratings for SNL that week were the highest by far of the show.
Chase and Murray bury Het during the shoot for ‘Cadiscus’
A year after the backstage brawl, Chase and Murray were among the cast summoned at Rolling Hills Golf Club in South Florida.
According to Chris Nashawati’s Cadshake:
The Making of the Hollywood Cinderella Story, the behind-the-scenes action stemmed from the use of the same substance that filled the SNL studio, with only one fun, stampede-laden boys. Like the vibe. For Chase, dealing with a bitter divorce and still accommodating the trappings of fame, this atmosphere was particularly refreshing.
Subsequently known as Simple Night Night, the show began showing Chase’s signature pratfalls every week, and with his deadpan delivery and good looks,
This sparked outrage among “not ready for prime time players” with another eccentric Saturday Night talent, including John Belushi. The situation was complicated by Chase’s prickly personality, with his quick-witted often mean-spirited and the notion that a rush of fame was going over his head.
Chase was praised for his work on Saturday Night, while Murray had to beg the audience for laughter
After Chase won a pair of Emmys in May 1976, he planned to secure a new contract with NBC.
They eventually chatted in full on Saturday night, surprising executive producer Lorne Michaels, and returning to a few shows before disappearing for a Hollywood prime-time special and Hollywood’s promise of grazing grazing.
A few months later, Murray made his Saturday night debut. Unlike the man he replaced, the audience was chilled for his act, especially when he featured a few lines in the opening appearances. Allegedly in danger of being fired, Murray resorted to a strange solo sketch in which he gave a fundraising plea to get people to start laughing at his jokes.
But the newcomer eventually found his footing, debuting with his goofy Nick Lounge the Singer, and now by the third season of Saturday Night Live, he was teeming with Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Gilda Redner and the rest of the cast. It proved that without Chase’s star power, the show could go well.
Tensions rose after Chase returned to host ‘SNL’ in 1978
In a curious move, Chase was invited back in February 1978 to host an abandoned show on poor terms.
According to Saturday Night: A Backstage History of Saturday Night Live by Dug Hill and Jeff Weinrad, the actor quickly realized that he had stepped into an environment that was “poisoned” against him.
He tried to recreate any goodwill, bossing the people around and returning his old “Weekend Update” segment from his current host, Jane Curton. Meanwhile, drug use was rampant in the studio, with Chase admitting he was sadly putting an end to things.
Murray, who had known Chase since they worked together a few years ago at National Lampoon, was eager to take the resentment to its climax. At the end of the week, he locks the elephant in the room by telling Chase that everyone hates him. This ignited a shouting match, with tension continuing through dress rehearsals.
Later, Murray zeroed in on Chase’s well-known marital discord with Jacqueline Carlin, telling her, “Go ** for your wife, she needs it.” Chase, in turn, mentioned that Murray’s pock-marked face looked like a landing spot for Neil Armstrong.
Just before the show airs, Chase confronts Murray in Belushi’s dressing room and challenges him to a fight. Murray hurled and Belushi leaped between two big men, most of the punishment being drawn as if the fist was flying.
Almost immediately after their separation, Chase took the stage to present his monologue in front of a happy, melodious audience. She later claimed that she was not overcome by the fight, although her ex-artists reportedly noted a clear difference in their usual caucusure moment. Despite this, the ratings for SNL that week were the highest by far of the show.
Chase and Murray bury Het during the shoot for ‘Cadiscus’
A year after the backstage brawl, Chase and Murray were among the cast summoned at Rolling Hills Golf Club in South Florida.
According to Chris Nashawati’s Cadshake:
The Making of the Hollywood Cinderella Story, the behind-the-scenes action stemmed from the use of the same substance that filled the SNL studio, with only one fun, stampede-laden boys. Like the vibe. For Chase, dealing with a bitter divorce and still accommodating the trappings of fame, this atmosphere was particularly refreshing.
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