national lampoon biography

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Breaking news, the tragic life and death of a ‘national lampoon’ legend.

Doug Kenney was a comic genius — but his untimely passing was inarguably tragic. While vacationing in Hawaii in 1980, the National Lampoon magazine co-founder and OG of snark walked past a warning sign and strolled to the edge of a 30-foot-high cliff. From there, he either fell to his death or jumped. He was 33 years old.

According to “A Futile and Stupid Gesture,” the biopic premiering Friday on Netflix, a note found inside Kenney’s Kauai hotel room said, “These are some of the happiest days I’ve ever ignored.”

Harold Ramis, a screenwriting partner of Kenney’s on 1978’s “Animal House,” dryly commented, “Doug probably fell while he was looking for a place to jump.”

And yet, at the time of Kenney’s death, his life seemed an unbridled success. “Animal House” not only raked in more than $100 million, it became a touchstone for young American males. Engaged to the beautiful actress Kathryn Walker, Kenney tooled around Los Angeles in a Porsche.

But Kenney also raced through the Hollywood Hills late at night, some say, with his headlights off. He numbed his mind with drugs, made chronically bad decisions and, after his older brother died of kidney disease in his 20s, believed his parents wished he had died instead.

“Doug was lost,” says Josh Karp, author of 2008’s “ A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever ,” on which the film is based. “The movie industry does not lend itself to helping people who are lost,” he tells The Post.

Raised in Ohio and educated at Harvard, Kenney spent much of the 1970s in Manhattan. He helped put out Lampoon and wrote sidesplitting satire, epitomized by his collaboration with P.J. O’Rourke on the best-selling “National Lampoon’s 1964 High School Yearbook Parody.” A Lampoon buyout in 1975 left Kenney with a $2.8 million payday; three years later, he went to Tinseltown. Though he had indulged in pot, acid and cocaine while in Manhatan, in LA his drug use knew no bounds: He kept sugar bowls full of cocaine in his home and in his suite at the legendary Chateau Marmont.

He got into a fist-fight with a producer, misplaced six-figure royalty checks and threw pool parties with bizarrely eclectic crowds. “Guests ranged from John Belushi to waiters he met,” says John Aboud, a co-writer of the movie, which stars Will Forte as Kenney. “There was an open door and Doug did not like being alone.”

‘He was not actively looking to kill himself. But something inside him may have said, “Let’s keep going.” And he did.’

Drug use raged on the set of Kenney’s second movie, which he co-wrote with Ramis (who also directed) and Brian Doyle-Murray , the 1980 Bill Murray classic “Caddyshack.” Karp believes the film had a cocaine budget: “Somebody told me they brought in more than 80 grams per week.”

So much weed got smoked during editing that cracks in the door were taped shut to keep in the scent. But the final cut left Kenney disappointed. He showed up high at a press conference, ranted at journalists and railed against his own film.

“Didn’t everyone think it was terrible?” Kenney asked.

From then on, Kenney became increasingly unpredictable. He nearly fell asleep at a meeting, recalled “Animal House” co-writer Chris Miller, only to rouse himself by snorting a line of coke that was half-an-arm long. “I thought, ‘Holy Christ, this guy has gone over the top,’ ” Miller told Karp. He likened Kenney’s brain to shards from a broken mirror: “Each one is very bright but they’re not connected anymore.”

Kenney’s final trip to Hawaii, with pal Chevy Chase in tow, was designed as a detox. “That didn’t happen,” Karp says. He writes, “Briefly curtailing their intake somewhat, they soon sent to the mainland for cocaine, which arrived, according to various sources, in the center of tennis balls and other packages.” Chase returned to LA, while Kenney stayed on, presumably to scout locations for would-be film projects, before he went over the edge.

Karp hypothesizes about what sent him there. “I think it was subconscious suicide,” he says. “He was not actively looking to kill himself. But something inside him may have said, ‘Let’s keep going.’ And he did.”

Douglas Kenney

• Born December 10 , 1946 · West Palm Beach, Florida, USA
• Died August 27 , 1980 · Kauai, Hawaii, USA (fall from a cliff)
• Birth name Douglas Clark Kenney
• Height 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
• Though almost completely unknown, this man was one of the originators of a highly popular and groundbreaking new form of comedy and satire. After working on the Harvard Lampoon as an undergraduate, Douglas C. Kenney co-founded the National Lampoon magazine and the National Lampoon Radio Hour. Kenney had originally collaborated at Harvard with friend, Henry Beard , and founded the National Lampoon, where the two pooled their talents and created a radical new humor magazine. Humor that was sophomoric, rebellious, off-color, vulgar and just plain laceratingly funny. The Lampoon's humor was considered radical. Not only was the magazine an all-time best seller - particularly the infamous cover of the gun pointed at the family pet: "If you don't buy this magazine, we'll kill this dog". Kenney had broadened his comic touch all over. He and other members of the Lampoon had written books - the most popular being the "1964 High School Yearbook Parody" in 1974 (co-edited by P.J. O'Rourke ). Written like a real yearbook and spoofing all the things that make them almost embarrassing and funny in their own right, Kenney and his cohorts had certainly written a little masterpiece. Another best-selling classic of his was the cult favorite "Bored of the Rings", a humorous little take on Mr. J.R.R. Tolkien 's legendary best-seller. The book was a best-seller and thanks to the release of Peter Jackson 's Oscar-winning live-action adaptation of the novel trilogy, the book got another printing. Kenney's legacy was living on. Another piece of his was "Mrs. Agnew's Diary", that roasted the Nixon administration. - IMDb Mini Biography By: dane youssef
• Spouse Alexandra Appleton Garcia-Mata (June 27, 1970 - December 1973) (divorced)
• Parents Estelle Stephanie Karch Daniel Harry Kenney
• As a writer, Kenney specialized in teen angst, and '50s/early-'60s Americana
• About Kenney's death, Harold Ramis famously quipped "Doug probably fell while he was looking for a place to jump".
• Was one of Chevy Chase 's longtime best friends.
• Director Harold Ramis named his lead character in Multiplicity (1996) , Doug Kinney, after longtime friend Kenney, one of the founding fathers of the National Lampoon.
• Fell to his death; occurred when the cliff point on which he was standing overlooking the Hanapepe Valley on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, collapsed.
• After he helped write the sophomoric hit comedy, Caddyshack (1980) , which grossed $39,800,000, it made him one of Hollywood most sought-after comedy writers.

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'Futile Gesture,' a Serious Bio of Funnyman Kenney

Josh Karp takes a thoughtful look at Doug Kenney's life and work. Johnny Knight hide caption

Josh Karp takes a thoughtful look at Doug Kenney's life and work.

Doug Kenney was rarely photographed. He's shown here at the 1978 premiere of 'Animal House.' Pedar Ness hide caption

Doug Kenney was rarely photographed. He's shown here at the 1978 premiere of 'Animal House.'

The comic talent behind National Lampoon magazine and the long-lived comic romps Caddyshack and Animal House lived a wild life... and a short one. Doug Kenney died in August 1980 after a fall from a cliff in Hawaii. He was just 33.

Kenney wrote much of the material that helped the likes of John Belushi, Bill Murray and Chevy Chase achieve early comic fame.

Josh Karp chronicles Kenney's role in co-founding National Lampoon , a publication that served as a catalyst for a new wave of American comedy -- one Karp credits for influencing offerings from The Daily Show and The Onion to The Simpsons and Saturday Night Live .

The book A Futile and Stupid Gesture follows Kenney from a childhood lived in the shadow of an older brother to success at Harvard and beyond. (The title comes from the pivotal moment in Animal House when the Delta frat boys decide to sabotage Faber College's homecoming parade.)

Web Resources

A Futile and Stupid Gesture

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Excerpts: 'A Futile and Stupid Gesture'

Your Unauthorized Guide to the Golden Age of National Lampoon Magazine (1970-1975)

• Introduction
• Staff & Contributors
• Books & Anthologies
• Where To Find Stuff
• About This Site

Douglas C. Kenney

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS | Index < Previous | Next >

(1946-1980)

Editor-in-Chief, 1970-72 Senior Editor, 1973-74 Editor, 1975-76

One of the founders of the  National Lampoon,  with Henry Beard and Rob Hoffman. Kenney had previously collaborated with Beard at the  Harvard Lampoon  where the pair had been at the head of the young newcomers who had infused new life into the then stagnant college humor magazine.

Though he had been a social climber at Harvard, at  NatLamp  he seemed to identify more with the counterculture. According to Hendra (in “Going Too Far”), Kenney objected when art director Michael Gross was brought in to overhaul the magazine’s unkempt design, as he felt the new look was too “establishment” for his taste. After seeing what Gross could do, he changed his mind. In the end, Kenney probably benefitted more than anyone from Gross’s talent for imitating virtually any graphic style. Later, Kenney would tell people that he and Gross “invented” nostalgia.

Indeed, Kenney is best known for his “nostalgia” pieces—teen anxiety in middle-class America was a common theme—culminating with the “1964 High School Yearbook Parody” in 1974 (co-edited by P. J. O’Rourke).

Kenney was also responsible for “Mrs. Agnew’s Diary,” a regular department that lampooned the Nixon administration. Written in the breathless style of a suburban housewife’s diary, it chronicles her life with “Spiggy” and the Nixons, oblivious to the shady political games being played by those around her.

Beard, Kenney, and Hoffmann had a 5-year buyout clause in their contract with  NatLamp ‘s publisher, 21st Century Communications. The three excercised the option when the time came in 1974, to the tune of $7-million divided among them. Beard left as soon as the contract was settled; Hoffmann had left in 1971 to finish graduate school. Kenney stayed on until 1977, when he wrote the screenplay for  Animal House  (with Chris Miller and Harold Ramis), the highest box-office comedy ever made at the time.

Kenney went on to write  Caddyshack.  Not long after, in 1980 when he was only 33 years old, he fell to his death after stepping onto a crumbling precipice during a vacation in Hawaii. There has been some speculation over whether it might have been suicide, but those who had been with him in the days before it happened believe it was an accident.

Audio recording of Doug Kenney speaking at UCLA in 1972

A Futile and Stupid Gesture, Josh Karp’s 2006 biography of Doug Kenney. Amazon link.

A Futile and Stupid Gesture , the 2018 film based on Josh Karp’s book. Netflix link.

Other works by Doug Kenney

Bored of the Rings: A Parody of J.R.R. Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings Henry N. Beard & Douglas C. Kenney, 1969

National Lampoon’s  Animal House Screenplay by Doug Kenney, Chris Miller, & Harold Ramis 1978

Caddyshack Screenplay by Doug Kenney 1980

Original material (excluding quoted material) © 1997-2024 Mark Simonson . Mark's Very Large National Lampoon Site is not affiliated with National Lampoon or National Lampoon Inc. Click here for the real thing.

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A Futile and Stupid Gesture: How Doug Kenney and National Lampoon Changed Comedy Forever Paperback – April 1, 2008

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Now a Netflix original film starring Will Forte, Domhnall Gleeson, and Emmy Rossum. Comic genius Doug Kenney cofounded National Lampoon , cowrote Animal House and Caddyshack , and changed the face of American comedy before mysteriously falling to his death at the age of 33. This is the first-ever biography of Kenney--the heart and soul of National Lampoon —reconstructing the history of that magazine as it redefined American humor, complete with all its brilliant and eccentric characters. Filled with vivid stories from New York, Harvard Yard, Hollywood, and Middle America, this chronicle shares how the magazine spawned a comedy revolution with the radio shows, stage productions, and film projects that launched the careers of John Belushi, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, and Gilda Radner, while inspiring Saturday Night Live and everything else funny that’s happened since 1970. Based on more than 130 interviews conducted with key players including Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, P. J. O’Rourke, John Landis, and others and boasting behind-the-scenes stories of how Animal House and Caddyshack were made, this book helps capture the nostalgia, humor, and enduring legacy that Doug Kenney instilled in National Lampoon-- America’s greatest humor magazine.

• Print length 416 pages
• Language English
• Publisher Chicago Review Press
• Publication date April 1, 2008
• Dimensions 6 x 0.89 x 9 inches
• ISBN-10 1556527624
• ISBN-13 978-1556527623
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chicago Review Press; Illustrated edition (April 1, 2008)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1556527624
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1556527623
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.16 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.89 x 9 inches
• #1,458 in Comedy (Books)
• #1,649 in Journalist Biographies
• #9,206 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies

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Customers find the book fascinating, insightful, and a great introduction into the world of Belushi and SNL. They also describe it as a fun read. Opinions are mixed on the readability, with some finding it well-written, while others say it's ragged and slow.

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Customers find the book fascinating, insightful, and a great introduction into the world of Belushi and SNL. They say it's well-researched, detailed, and filled with good stories.

"...Josh Karp does a wonderful job of weaving the interesting life of a magazine, with the interesting and tragic life of Kenney...." Read more

"...Stupid Gesture, I couldn’t help but ask myself: how can such lucky, smart and talented people be so unhappy and self-destructive?..." Read more

"This is a great book. Very comprehensive and well written; it provides an interesting and believably accurate account of the founding of the..." Read more

"...the scenes happenings at the National Lampoon offices, I found it very interesting ...." Read more

Customers find the book interesting and funny.

"...It was as funny as I remembered it ." Read more

"A good read, funny and an great introduction into the world of Belushi and SNL...." Read more

"Interesting and fun read ..." Read more

"Great History, Great Fun , Not a Great Book..." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the readability of the book. Some mention it's well-written, while others say it's ragged and slow to read.

"This is a great book. Very comprehensive and well written ; it provides an interesting and believably accurate account of the founding of the..." Read more

"...This gets tiresome after a while, and it's not very good journalism .Having said that, I will definitely finish the book...." Read more

"...An incredibly gifted and intelligent writer , he was considered one of the critical comedy ingredients that made NL so successful...." Read more

"I'm incredibly happy that I read this book, but I found it a ragged read .Karp's research appears to be fabulously comprehensive...." Read more

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