Doug Kenney
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Douglas Clark Francis Kenney (December 10, 1946 – August 27, 1980) was an American comedy writer of magazine, novels, radio, TV and film who co-founded the magazine ''National Lampoon'' in 1970. Kenney edited the magazine and wrote much of its early material. He went on to write, produce and perform in the influential comedies ''
Animal House ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' is a 1978 American comedy film directed by John Landis and written by Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney and Chris Miller. It stars John Belushi, Peter Riegert, Tim Matheson, John Vernon, Verna Bloom, Thomas Hu ...
'' and '' Caddyshack'' before his sudden death at the age of 33.


Early life

Douglas Clark Francis Kenney was born in
West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...
to Estelle "Stephanie" (Karch) and Daniel Harold "Harry" Kenney, both originally from Massachusetts. His paternal grandparents, Daniel J. Kenney and Eleanor Agnes (Noonan), were of Irish origin. His maternal grandparents, Anthony Karczewski and Victoria Lesniak, were Polish. He was named for General
Douglas MacArthur Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
. His family moved to
Mentor, Ohio Mentor ( ) is the largest city in Lake County, Ohio, United States. The population was 47,450 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Cleveland metropolitan area. Mentor was first settled in 1797. In 1876, James A. Garfield purchased a home in Men ...
, in the early 1950s, before settling in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. Kenney lived in Chagrin Falls from 1958 to 1964 and attended Gilmour Academy, a Catholic prep high school for boys in nearby Gates Mills, Ohio. He was married to Alexandra Appleton Garcia-Mata.


Career


''National Lampoon''

While at
Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, Kenney was a member of the Signet Society, president of the
Spee Club The Spee Club is a final club at Harvard University. After voting to adopt a gender-neutral membership policy in September 2015, the Spee Club became the first Harvard final club to admit both male and female members. The clubhouse is located at ...
and editor of '' The Harvard Lampoon''. Kenney frequently collaborated with
Henry Beard Henry Nichols Beard (born June 7, 1945) is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine '' National Lampoon'' and the author of several best-selling books. Life and career Beard, a great-grandson of 14th Vice President John C. Bre ...
and the two wrote the short novel '' Bored of the Rings'', which was published in 1969. Kenney graduated in 1968. Soon after, he, Beard and fellow Harvard alumnus Robert Hoffman began work on founding the humor magazine '' National Lampoon''. Kenney was one of the originating forces of what became known during the 1970s as the "new wave" of comedy: a dark, irreverent style of humor that Kenney used as the basis for the magazine. Kenney was editor-in-chief from 1970 to 1972, senior editor from 1973 to 1974 and editor from 1975 to 1976. Thomas Carney, writing in '' New Times'', traced the history and style of the ''National Lampoon'' and the impact it had on comedy's new wave. "The National Lampoon," Carney wrote, "was the first full-blown appearance of non-Jewish humor in years -- not anti-Semitic, just non-Jewish. Its roots were W.A.S.P. and Irish Catholic, with a weird strain of Canadian detachment. . . . This was not Jewish street-smart humor as a defense mechanism; this was slash-and-burn stuff that alternated in pitch but moved very much on the offensive. It was always disrespect everything, mostly yourself, a sort of reverse deism." Kenney wrote much of the ''Lampoon's'' early material, such as "Mrs. Agnew's Diary," a regular column written as the diary of Spiro Agnew (or "Spiggy")'s wife, chronicling her life amongst
Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
and other famous politicians. The feature was an Americanized version of ''
Private Eye ''Private Eye'' is a British fortnightly satire, satirical and current affairs (news format), current affairs news magazine, founded in 1961. It is published in London and has been edited by Ian Hislop since 1986. The publication is widely r ...
s long-running column "Mrs. Wilson's Diary," written from the viewpoint of Prime Minister
Harold Wilson James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from October 1964 to June 1970, and again from March 1974 to April 1976. He ...
's wife. To escape the pressures of running a successful magazine, Kenney sometimes took unannounced extended breaks, although, despite these absences, "Mrs. Agnew's Diary" was always submitted to the ''Lampoon.'' During one of these breaks he wrote a comic novel, ''Teenage Commies from Outer Space.'' Kenney threw the manuscript out his office window after a negative review from Beard. Beard later said the book simply made no sense and was all over the place. ''National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook,'' which Kenney co-wrote with
P. J. O'Rourke Patrick Jake O'Rourke (November 14, 1947 – February 15, 2022) was an American libertarian political satirist and journalist. O'Rourke was the H. L. Mencken Research Fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute and a regular correspondent for ''Th ...
was the best selling edition of the magazine, it was based on an earlier two-page piece by
Michael O'Donoghue Michael O'Donoghue (January 5, 1940 – November 8, 1994) was an American writer and performer. He was known for his dark and destructive style of comedy and humor, was a major contributor to ''National Lampoon'' magazine, and was the ...
, a "National Lampoon" writer and editor. Kenney had a five-year buyout contract with the ''Lampoon''s publisher,
21st Century Communications First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
. Kenney, Beard and Hoffman took advantage of this, dividing a sum of $7 million amongst them. Kenney remained on staff until 1977, when he left the magazine to co-write the screenplay to '' National Lampoon's Animal House,'' with
Chris Miller Chris or Christopher Miller may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Chris Miller (writer) (born 1942), American comedy author and screenwriter *Chris Miller (animator) (born 1968), American voice actor and director * Christopher Miller (filmmaker) ( ...
and Harold Ramis. Kenney had a small role in ''Animal House'' as Delta fraternity brother "Stork," with only two lines of dialogue. Stork's key scene is in the big parade climax, when he pushes the drum major away and leads the marching band down a blind alley. We see him and Miller, as Hardbar, in the same shot during the escapade. Kenney hand-selected this role for himself as it was the role that fit him best. Produced on a very modest budget, ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' was, until '' Ghostbusters'' in 1984, the most profitable comedy film in Hollywood history.


''Caddyshack''

Kenney produced and wrote '' Caddyshack'' with Brian Doyle-Murray and Harold Ramis. Kenney also had a small role in ''Caddyshack'' as a dinner guest of Al Czervik. When ''Caddyshack'' opened to negative reviews in July 1980, Kenney became deeply depressed, although Ramis joked that the film was "a six-million-dollar scholarship to film school."


Death

Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor and writer. He became a key cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'', where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment became a staple of the ...
and Kenney went to Kauai, Hawaii. After Chase left for work, Kenney's girlfriend,
Kathryn Walker Kathryn Walker is an American theater, television and film actress. Biography Walker was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wells College in Aurora, New York, and was a Fulbright Scholar in music and dram ...
, came to keep him company, but she also had to return to work. Chase was preparing to return to Hawaii when he received a telephone call telling him that his friend was missing. Kenney died on August 27, 1980, aged 33, after falling from a 35-foot cliff called the
Hanapepe Hanapepe or Hanapēpē is a historic, unincorporated community in Kauai County, Hawaii, United States. The name means "crushed bay" in Hawaiian, which may refer to landslides in the area. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau h ...
Lookout. Police found his car the following day. His death was classified as accidental by Kauai police. Found in Kenney's hotel room were notes for projects he had been planning, jokes, and an outline for a new movie. A gag line that he had left was also found: "These last few days are among the happiest I've ever ignored." The ''National Lampoon'' published a tribute to him by
Matty Simmons Martin Gerald Simmons (October 3, 1926 – April 29, 2020) was an American film and television producer, newspaper reporter for the ''New York World-Telegram and Sun'', and Executive Vice President of Diners Club, the first credit card company. ...
, and a cartoon showing a sign next to the edge of a cliff with the inscription, "Doug Kenney Slipped Here."


Legacy

Kenney received a nomination from The Writers Guild of America for his ''National Lampoon's Animal House'' screenplay (along with Harold Ramis and
Chris Miller Chris or Christopher Miller may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Chris Miller (writer) (born 1942), American comedy author and screenwriter *Chris Miller (animator) (born 1968), American voice actor and director * Christopher Miller (filmmaker) ( ...
). The June 1985 issue of ''National Lampoon,'' titled "The Doug Kenney Collection," was dedicated entirely to Kenney and contained a compilation of all of his contributions. Chris Miller paid homage by naming the main character in his 1996 film ''
Multiplicity Multiplicity may refer to: In science and the humanities * Multiplicity (mathematics), the number of times an element is repeated in a multiset * Multiplicity (philosophy), a philosophical concept * Multiplicity (psychology), having or using multi ...
'' "Doug Kinney." Twenty-six years after Kenney's death, the book '' A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever'' was published, a biography on Kenney and the impact he made on comedy and the people he knew. The book was adapted into the 2018
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
feature film ''
A Futile and Stupid Gesture ''A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever'' is an American book by Josh Karp that was published in 2006. It is a history of ''National Lampoon'' magazine and one of its three founders, Doug Kenne ...
'', which stars comedian Will Forte as Kenney and is narrated by the actor
Martin Mull Martin Eugene Mull (born August 18, 1943) is an American actor, comedian and musician who has appeared in many television and film roles. He is also a painter and recording artist. As an actor, he first became known in his role on ''Mary Hartman, ...
, who plays a fictional 70-year-old version of Kenney who had survived into old age.


Bibliography

*'' Bored of the Rings'' (1969) (with
Henry Beard Henry Nichols Beard (born June 7, 1945) is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine '' National Lampoon'' and the author of several best-selling books. Life and career Beard, a great-grandson of 14th Vice President John C. Bre ...
) *''Harvard Lampoon Time'' (1969) (with Henry Beard) *'' National Lampoon'' (1970–1977) (founder, with
Henry Beard Henry Nichols Beard (born June 7, 1945) is an American humorist, one of the founders of the magazine '' National Lampoon'' and the author of several best-selling books. Life and career Beard, a great-grandson of 14th Vice President John C. Bre ...
and Robert Hoffman) *''
National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook Parody ''National Lampoon 1964 High School Yearbook Parody'' is an American humor book that was first published in 1973. It was a spin-off from '' National Lampoon'' magazine. The book was a parody of a high school yearbook from the early 1960s. It w ...
'' (1974) (with P. J. O'Rourke)


Filmography

Executive producer * ''
Modern Problems ''Modern Problems'' is a 1981 American science fiction black comedy film written and directed by Ken Shapiro and starring Chevy Chase, Patti D'Arbanville, and Dabney Coleman. The film Gross (economics), grossed $26.2million on an $8million budget ...
'' (1981)


References


Further reading

* '' New Times'', August 21, 1978 * ''
People A person (plural, : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of pr ...
'', September 1, 1980 * ''
Esquire Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentlema ...
'', October, 1981 * Karp, Josh. ''A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever'' (2006)


External links

* * * *
Cult classic, an homage to Doug Kenney, ''ESPN/Golf Digest'', April 2004
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kenney, Douglas 1946 births 1980 deaths Accidental deaths from falls American humorists American satirists American parodists Parody novelists American magazine editors American male screenwriters American people of Irish descent American people of Polish descent The Harvard Lampoon alumni People from West Palm Beach, Florida National Lampoon people 20th-century American novelists Accidental deaths in Hawaii American male novelists People from Palm Beach County, Florida 20th-century American male writers People from Chagrin Falls, Ohio 20th-century American non-fiction writers American male non-fiction writers Screenwriters from Ohio Screenwriters from Florida 20th-century American screenwriters