Summary

Re-creation of the "Deathmobile" as seen in the 1978 film "National Lampoon's Animal House." From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection. Title in transit.

Details

This 1968 Lincoln Continental is a re-creation of the "Deathmobile" as seen in the 1978 film "National Lampoon's Animal House." Premiered in 1978 with a massive promotional campaign, "Animal House" was a smash hit movie and the first of many popular feature films in the irreverent National Lampoon franchise. Directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller, "Animal House" was produced by Matty Simmons of National Lampoon and Ivan Reitman for Universal Pictures, inspired by the stories written by Miller for National Lampoon of his college experiences. The movie vaulted comic actor John Belushi into the stratosphere and co-starred Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hulce and Donald Sutherland, plus a cameo by a then-unknown Kevin Bacon. Set at the fictional Faber College in 1962 but filmed on location at the University of Oregon, "Animal House" hilariously sent up the college fraternity culture and brought toga parties and food fights with rule-breaking camaraderie to a whole new generation of viewers. In addition to inclusion in many top movie rankings, the United States Library of Congress celebrated National Lampoon's "Animal House" in 2001 as "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" and chose it for preservation in the National Film Registry. While the urbane Delta Tau Chi member Otter, played by Tim Matheson, drove a '62 Corvette, the real automotive star of "Animal House" was the black Lincoln Continental Delta legacy pledge Flounder, portrayed by Stephen Furst. Borrowed from his older brother, Flounder's Lincoln went from one beer-soaked mishap to another throughout the movie, leading inevitably to its near-total destruction at the hands of various fraternity brothers. As the Delta house faced charter revocation from Dean Wormer, assisted by rival fraternity leaders, the only solution was to crash - literally - the annual Faber College Homecoming parade. The Delta's chosen weapon was Flounder's hapless Continental, converted into the imposing, tank-like "Deathmobile" by the frat boys, led by the crazed D-Day, who technically wasn't even a Faber student. In reality, George Barris performed the conversion, and some final work was completed on location during filming. For the homecoming parade, the ominous "Deathmobile" was disguised in a birthday cake, adorned with "Eat Me," and driven (with limited vision due to the car's chopped roof, by famed Hollywood stuntman Bud Ekins. With nothing left to lose, the Deltas and "Deathmobile" laid siege to the parade alongside the car. Otter, played by Tim Matheson, was not supposed to be in the "Deathmobile" but insisted on riding along with Ekins regardless. "Deathmobile" creator George Barris referred to the car as being "consumed" in the movie's closing scenes. Converted and finished as the original movie "Deathmobile," this unforgettable, museum-quality re-creation was acquired by Dr. Stewart Berkowitz in December 2017. Features and bold graphics closely approximate those of the original "Animal House" movie car, and a hood-mounted bust inspired by Faber College's fictional founder, Emil Faber, graces the hood. The car has been autographed by various cast members, including Tim Matheson (Otter), Mark Metcalf (Neidermeyer) and Karen Allen (Katy), among others. From The Dr. Stewart A. Berkowitz Collection. **TITLE IN TRANSIT**