His short story "Vacation '58" was first published in "National Lampoon" magazine in 1979. With all due respect to Hughes still, the credit for the series success' belongs to its cast of characters.

Before she became known around the world as Ellen Griswold, the smarter parent in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series, Beverly D’Angelo was a singer. She got her performing start in Canada ...

With Chevy Chase playing her husband, Clark Griswold, she first stepped into the role of Ellen in 1983’s National Lampoon’s Vacation and later reprised the part in 1985’s National Lampoon ...