What Did Chevy Chase Break in Christmas Vacation?

If you’re a fan of the beloved holiday classic “Christmas Vacation,” you may recall the scene where Chevy Chase’s character, Clark Griswold, falls off the roof while attempting to install Christmas lights. While the moment is certainly comical, it begs the question: what exactly did Chevy Chase break in that infamous scene?

According to the script, Clark falls two stories and lands on his back. He then gets up and brushes himself off, seemingly unharmed.

However, it’s later revealed that he actually broke a few bones in the fall. Specifically, he fractured his left arm and right hand.

So how did they achieve such a realistic-looking fall without actually injuring Chevy Chase? It turns out that they used a combination of stunt doubles and special effects to bring the scene to life.

The actual fall was performed by a stunt double named Jim Winburn. Winburn was a seasoned stuntman who had previously worked on films like “Die Hard” and “Lethal Weapon.” He performed the fall onto a large inflatable mat that was hidden out of sight from the camera.

To make it look like Chevy Chase was falling, they used a dummy with his likeness attached to a wire rig. The dummy was then dropped from a height of 25 feet onto another inflatable mat below. The footage of this fall was then blended together with shots of Chevy Chase falling onto an angled platform closer to the ground.

Of course, none of this would have been possible without excellent editing and post-production work. The final shot of Clark falling through the sky was achieved using blue screen technology, which allowed them to superimpose him onto an image of Chicago at night.

Overall, it’s clear that there were many elements at play in creating this iconic scene from “Christmas Vacation.” From stunt doubles and special effects to editing tricks and post-production magic, it took a lot of work to make Chevy Chase’s fall look both hilarious and realistic. And while he may have broken a few bones in the process, it’s safe to say that the end result was well worth it.

So there you have it – now you know exactly what Chevy Chase broke in “Christmas Vacation.” It’s just one more detail to appreciate the next time you sit down to watch this timeless holiday classic.