Learning from Movies: FLETCH

That must have been quite a day, when they filmed the first scenes between Chevy Chase and Tim Matheson.

In 1978, Chevy Chase turned down a role that was written for him, because he had a scheduling conflict.

The role was Eric “Otter” Stratton in Animal House. The role went to Tim Matheson.

Seven years later, they made a movie together...

BTW, the reference that Fletch makes to "Fred Dorfman" at the banquet is an Easter Egg for Animal House fans. Fred is Kent "Flounder" Dorfman's brother.

A similar role exchange happened with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray. Mr. Murray replaced Chevy Chase on SNL, and they filmed Caddyshack in 1980 (their one scene together was filmed during post-production, at the insistence of the studio, because the ad campaign featured both their names and the studio demanded that they share some screen time).

In 1984, Chevy Chase turned down the role of Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters (he says the movie turned out much funnier and less scary than the script that he read), and the role went to Bill Murray.

Lessons and inspiration from Fletch after the break.

• California beaches have more than just beautiful people on them
• Don’t judge people by their appearances. A beach bum might turn out to be an investigative reporter
• When you write for a newspaper, it doesn’t matter how many awards you win or big stories you break. No one knows what you look like.
• You can lease rubber gloves, with an option to buy
• Maybe you shouldn’t look gift horses in the mouth, but when something’s too good to be true then you better do some digging
• The scene with Dr. Dolan is a lot funnier after your first proctology exam

• If you’re going to lie, stick to the lie. Keep adding details and never back off
• When you’re trying to get away with something, don’t bring in any more people than you absolutely have to. You never know who any of them really are
• Don’t make fun of the guard dog. He’s stronger, more determined, and smarter than you think.
• Smarting off to the chief of police is never a good idea.
• On the other hand, threatening an investigative reporter isn’t a good idea, either.
• I’m no lawyer, but I’m pretty sure blowing someone’s brains out is a violation of their civil rights.
• It's all ball bearings nowadays. Now you prepare that Fetzer valve with some 3-in-1 oil and some gauze pads. And I'm gonna need 'bout ten quarts of anti-freeze, preferably Prestone. No, no make that Quaker State.
• A little chewing gum filters out the pollutants
• You've got to get a car up to 95 MPH to check the fluorocarbon output
• Too often our feelings are locked in. We feel restrained and perhaps even embarrassed to actually reach out and touch an officer of the law. After all, they are people, aren't they? So why not stand up and pat them on the back. Go ahead. Reach out. Go ahead. Shake hands with any one of the guys you see here, these men in blue. Hug a cop. Yeah, go ahead, I said it.
• Just because you bought someone an airline ticket doesn't mean you want to sit next to her.
• The story is Utah.
• When you enslave people to commit crimes for you, they will turn on you the first chance they get. So remember the Wil Wheaton rule: Don't be a dick.
• Shooting people tends to cost you all your humanitarian awards.
• In the court ruling US vs. Fishbine, a man subjected to potential incineration while wearing another man's suit is entitled to $10,000 worth of airline tickets. It's an obscure ruling, but a very important one.