In the 1997 film “Vegas Vacation”, Chevy Chase’s character, Clark Griswold, famously gambles away his family’s savings in hopes of striking it rich in Las Vegas. Along for the ride is his wife Ellen, played by Beverly D’Angelo, and their children Rusty and Audrey. While the film is remembered for its hilarious antics and absurd plotlines, one question that still lingers among fans is what was Rusty’s name in the movie?
After some detective work, it turns out that Rusty’s full name in “Vegas Vacation” is Russell ‘Rusty’ Griswold. This may come as a surprise to some viewers who are more familiar with the character simply as Rusty. However, in this particular film, Russell was used as his formal name.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t the first time that Rusty’s name has caused confusion among fans of the “Vacation” franchise. In fact, throughout the series of movies featuring the Griswold family, Rusty has been portrayed by different actors and given different names.
In the original 1983 film “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, Rusty was played by Anthony Michael Hall and referred to only as Rusty. In subsequent movies such as “European Vacation” and “Christmas Vacation”, he was played by Jason Lively and Johnny Galecki respectively. In these films, he was given a last name but it wasn’t until “Vegas Vacation” that his full name was revealed.
So why did writers choose to include Russell as part of Rusty’s name? It’s possible that they simply wanted to give him a more formal sounding name for comedic effect or to differentiate him from previous portrayals of the character. Regardless of the reason, it adds another layer of depth to a character that has become an iconic part of American cinema.
In summary, Russell ‘Rusty’ Griswold is the full name of Chevy Chase’s on-screen son in the 1997 film “Vegas Vacation”. While it may seem like a small detail, it’s a testament to the attention to detail that went into crafting this beloved character.