Profile of Douglas Kenney on Famous Like Me

Douglas C. Kenney (December 10, 1947 - August 27, 1980) was an American writer for the National Lampoon magazine in the 1970s. Kenney edited the magazine and wrote much of its early material.

Doug Kenney was one of the originating forces of what was to become known during the 1970's as the "new wave" of comedy, a dark, irreverent style of humor Kenney used as the basis for his magazine, the National Lampoon. This style later influenced "Saturday Night Live" and a host of other television programs and motion pictures.

Kenney also co-edited 1964 High School Yearbook Parody, and co-wrote the movies Animal House and Caddyshack.

"Animal House" was the most successful comedy film to date, making Kenney one of the most sought-after writers in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the sense of self-satisfaction and happiness that Kenney felt following the premiere of "Animal House" faded in direct proportion to the attention and praise he received. He longed to be doing what he considered to be serious work--writing the great American novel or the movie-of-movies--and increasingly thought of himself as a failure.

When "Caddyshack" opened to negative reviews in July, 1980 (even Ramis joked about the film being "a six-million-dollar scholarship to film school"), Kenney became extremely depressed. He verbally abused reporters at a press conference that ended with his falling into a drunken stupor. Concerned friends began asking Kenney to seek professional help, but by that time he was spinning out of control, joking about previous suicide attempts, driving recklessly, and consuming large quantities of cocaine.

His death was caused by falling off a cliff in Kauai in Hawaii August 27, 1980.

Police found the abandoned vehicle the following day. Kenney's body was discovered at the bottom of a thirty-foot cliff three days later, on September 1. Found in Kenney's hotel room were notes for projects he had been planning, jokes, and an outline for a new movie. "We also found," Chevy Chase told Rolling Stone magazine, "written on the back of a hotel receipt, a bunch of random thoughts that included the reasons why he loved Kathryn, and a gag line: `These last few days are among the happiest I've ever ignored."

Further readings about Douglas C. Kenney:

New Times, August 21, 1978;
People, September 1, 1980;
Esquire, October, 1981.

External link

• Caddyshack, an homage to Doug Kenney, ESPN/Golf Digest, April 2004

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