On December 1st, 1989, the Christmas-classic film, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (often shortened to just "Christmas Vacation") was released to theaters. The film starred Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, and Randy Quaid, and also a young Johnny Galecki, who went on to star in "The Big Bang Theory" as Leonard Hofstadter in 2007. Filming took place from March to June 1989 in a variety of locations including Colorado and California. The film grossed $73.3 million against a $25 million budget, all while receiving generally mixed reviews from critics. It debuted at #2 at the box-office upon release, grossing $11.8 million during the opening weekend, behind "Back to the Future Part II". The success of the film led to a fourth film in the "National Lampoon's" series, "Vegas Vacation" in 1997. Today, the film is considered a Christmas classic!
