Ghostbusters (Chapter 17): "Who Brought the Dog?"

"Who Brought the Dog?" is the seventeenth chapter on the DVDs of Ghostbusters. In this chapter Louis's party is crashed by Vinz Clortho, who possesses him in Central Park.

Cast[]

Locations[]

550 Central Park West

Plot[]

In Louis's apartment, his party was in full swing. As Louis himself was busy at the sink, a small woman wearing glasses came in and asked him if he had any Excedrin or Extra-Strength Tylenol, presumably for a headache. He handed her a bottle of generic acetylsalicylic acid which was apparently just as effective, but much better value for money when it came to quantity as well as quality. As the lady wandered off to get a drink, Louis left the kitchen with what he calls authentic Nova Scotia smoked salmon which was another good buy, also stopping to ask if one of his guests was having a good time. As he asked a number of seated people if it would be a good idea to break out some Brie cheese, a tall blonde wearing pink stood up and said that she was going home, apparently bored with the proceedings. Eager not to have one of the few undeniably attractive people in the room leave, Louis suggested that they start dancing and encourage other people to join in in order to bring a bit more life to the party. The blonde agreed, but their impromptu dancing to the tune of 'Burn, Baby, Burn' was almost immediately cut short by the doorbell and Louis went to answer it. He greeted the new arrivals, a middle-aged married couple, and introduced them as Ted and Annette Fleming. He explained his relationship with them as clients as he went to put their coats in his bedroom, so wrapped up in it that he failed to notice the same type of demonic hellhound that attacked Dana Barrett waiting for him on his bed. It growled softly as he opened the door, but he didn't notice it and it got Ted's coat thrown onto its head.

Unaware of the imminent danger to come, Louis asked if anyone would like to play Parcheesi, but an explosive growl from the dog in the bedroom caused everyone to look confusedly at the door. Confused as well, Louis turned and said, "Okay, who brought the dog?", apparently under the impression that one of his guests had somehow managed to smuggle their pet into the party. Milliseconds after he said this, there was a huge roar and the guests closest to it screamed in terror as the hellhound literally exploded through the bedroom door, causing Louis to flinch as it flew past him towards the refreshment table. The guests grouped around it also screamed as the dog landed right on the table, demolishing it completely. A man and several women fled into the kitchen, the tall blonde vaulted right over the coffee table and a cowering Annette Fleming to jump right out the window and a second man cowered behind a chair as the hellhound focused its attention on Louis. Joining everyone else in screaming, Louis fled to the door and out into the hall as the small woman from before, frozen in fear next to the door, clutched her purse to her chest and gasped at the creature. Outside, Louis fled down the hall to the elevator as the dog came barrelling through his apartment door as well with a loud crash, also managing to damage the door directly opposite. The elevator arrived and Louis got in and pressed the button for the ground floor just as a door down the hall opened and an elderly woman came out to investigate the commotion. Upon spotting the hellhound crouched outside, the old dear exclaimed in shock and wisely hotfooted it back inside to call the police.

Trivia[]

Ghostbusters (1984) Trivia[]

In the July 6, 1983 draft:
- On pages 65-69, a "Creature" (what eventually is labeled the Terror dog) races out of Dana's apartment. The two bums. later known as Robert Learned Coombs and Harlan Bojay, tried to fight off some small dogs for food in an alley when the "creature" confronts them. The doorman from Dana's apartment and two cops shoot at the Creature, which runs away. The creature jumps on the hood of a taxi cab. The driver honks and curses and the creature runs off into Central Park.
- On page 71, the "Creature" is now referred to as a "Terror Dog" for the first time in the script. The two bums run into it again as they leave the subway at Columbus and 78th. They discuss a karate vs boxing fight similar to Deleted Scene: Bums.
- On page 72 is the introduction of Louis Tully/Tulley (spelled both ways in the script). Louis Tully is a visiting conventioneer who got possessed. He is described as being "a large man" outside "the most popular new disco in the city". He pleads with the bouncer to let him into the club but is denied.
- On page 73-74, Louis is relieving himself in an alley behind the club. The "Terror Dog" confronts him. Off screen we hear a scuffle then Louis stumbles out of the alley, clearly possessed. He passes two pedestrians and announces he is "Vinz Clortho, minion of Gozer the Gozerian, Lord of the Sebouillias." He asks if they are the Gate-Keepers.
In the August 5, 1983 draft:
- Louis' party demonstrated his earthier interests.^[1]
- On page 78, while running out of the apartment, Louis passes by the two Bums, later known as Robert Learned Coombs and Harlan Bojay, then jumps into a cab first. The Terror Dog jumps on the hood but the driver curses at it then speeds off. The Terror Dog falls off but keeps chasing.^[2]
- On page 79, Louis is dragged out of the cab by the angry driver then he runs into Central Park.
In the September 30, 1983 draft:
- On pages 76-77, Louis' party begins to resemble what is in the movie. The Tall Woman at Party asks about Excedrin or Tylenol, Louis talks about the Nova Scotia salmon and brie. A woman stands up and suggest to Louis they should dance to get others to only for Ted and Annette Fleming to arrive. Whereas in the movie, the Tall Woman decides to leave but Louis convinces her to stay and dance and the Woman at Party asks about Excedrin or Tylenol.
- On pages 77-78, Vinz Clortho disrupts the party and chases Louis like in the movie.
The apartment and hallway scenes took place at Stage 12 and 18 at the Burbank Studios in Los Angeles.
The party scene was filmed with one cameraman. Ivan Reitman did coverage, too, just in case but it was not used.^[3]
Rick Moranis improvised lines during the party scene.^[4]
Rick Moranis suggested Louis' party right before principal photography started. Ivan Reitman decided to shoot the party as one long take to retain Moranis' comedic flow.^[5]
Part of "Disco Inferno" plays during the party.
The Woman at Party mentions the over-the-counter pain reliever brands Excedrin and Extra Strength Tylenol.
Louis mentions Nova Scotia, a province in eastern Canada.
The Tall Woman at Party was portrayed by Jean Kasem, wife of the late Casey Kasem.
John Bruno, effects art director, had the task of getting Ted and Annette Fleming's coats to land on Vinz Clortho. It took several tries.^[6]
In the Ghostbusters: Storybook by Anne Digby, there is a still of when Louis threw the coats on Vinz Clortho's head but it is from a different angle than in the movie. Part of Louis's dresser and an exercise bike in the corner of the room can be seen.
Louis mentions the board game Parcheesi.
When Louis asks who brought the dog, behind him is the man Dana says hello to when she steps out of the elevator in Chapter 6: Spook Central.
- The man is eating out of a bag of Fritos.
When Louis asks who brought the dog, his graduation photo is visible on the wall behind him.
The sequence of Vinz Clortho bursting through Louis' bedroom door, landing on the buffet table and crashing through the apartment door into the hallway were postproduction blue-screen shots utilizing a small-scale stop-motion puppet animated frame by frame. The closeup shots and scenes where Vinz didn't walk, run or jump were filmed on the live-action set using the full-size articulated puppet.^[7]
In early storyboards, Vinz' clumsiness was more emphasized. He was going to crash into another wall and cause bookshelves to fall over.^[8]
For the scene where Vinz was in the hallway, a puppeteer was situated through the elevated floor under the puppet. The puppet's facial expressions were cable controlled by six operators working independently but in concert. They used the video camera in the foreground to gauge their actions.^[9]
In Chapter 19: Peter's Date with Zuul, as Peter walks past Louis's apartment, a man can be heard talking about when Louis ran out.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife Trivia[]

Vinz Clortho's clumsiness mirrors when he crashed Louis Tully's party in the first movie.

IDW Comics Trivia[]

On page 4 of Ghostbusters Volume 1 Issue #6, Ted and Annette Fleming from Louis' party are outside the diner.
On the Regular Cover of Ghostbusters Volume 2 Issue #15, on the planner, the 4:00 mentions Smoked salmon, full price - a nod to a line from Louis' party and the 6:00 mentions Generic aspirin - another reference to a line during Louis' party.
On page 17 of Ghostbusters Crossing Over #6, some of Louis 00-D's words are a nod to the prime Louis' lines in the first movie. He states he got a great deal on the Trap Orbs like in the movie, he states he got a great deal on the cedacelacytic acid and Nova Scotia smoked salmon.
On page 1 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3, next to Louis is a bottle of mineral water modeled after Perrier. In Chapter 17: "Who Brought The Dog?", bottles can be seen around the party.
On page 19 of Ghostbusters Year One Issue #3, in panel 2, right of Benatar is the tall woman from Louis' party, portrayed by Jean Kasem.

References[]

↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 115 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "As originally scripted for John Candy, the Louis Tully character was to have had decidedly earthier interests -- best evidenced in the party sequence as it appeared in the August draft."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 121 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "In the August draft, Louis' attempted escape into Central Park is preceded by a sequence in which -- having just emerged from the apartment house -- he flags down a passing taxi and jumps inside. Seconds later, the Terror Dog bounds out of the building and launches itself onto the hood of the cab. In true New York form, the driver hurls a few expletives at the beast, guns his motor and speeds away, causing the creature to lose its balance and fall by the wayside. Undaunted, the Terror Dog takes off in hot pursuit, chasing the taxi through the streets of Manhattan."
↑ Joe Medjuck (1999). Ghostbusters- Commentary (1999) (DVD ts. 52:21-52:29). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Joe Medjuck says: "And it's one cameraman. Watch, this is amazing. I think you did coverage Ivan, but never used it, just in case. You basically did it in one move."
↑ Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 35:32-35:37). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "Now he improvised most of this party dialogue which I think is brilliant. "
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The 'nerd party' evolved from an idea suggested by Rick Moranis shortly before principal photography began. To retain the comedic flow of Louis' blithering monologue, Ivan Reitman shot the entire party sequence -- up to the Terror Dog's appearance -- as one long take, following Moranis around the room from guest to guest."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Getting the coats to land on the Terror Dogs head -- a job that fell to effects art director John Bruno -- proved to be more difficult than anticipated, requiring numerous repeat attempts before a successful shot was achieved."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Three scenes in the sequence -- the Terror Dog bursting through the bedroom door, then landing on the buffet table and later crashing through the apartment door into the hallway -- were postproduction blue-screen shots utilizing a small-scale stop-motion puppet animated frame by frame. Closeups -- and other scenes where the creature was not required to walk, run or jump -- were achieved on the live-action set using the full-size articulated puppet."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The clumsiness of the Terror Dogs was emphasized in some of the early boards, although many of the gags -- including a shot of it sliding into the wall and causing Louis' bookshelves to collapse -- were omitted prior to photography."
↑ Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Ivan Reitman coaches the Terror Dog in the apartment house corridor. Major motions were made by a puppeteer whose torso extended up through the elevated floor and into the dog. Facial articulations were cable-controlled by a half-dozen operators working independently, but in concert. The video camera in the foreground was used to that puppeteers below stage could gauge the results of their action on monitors."

Gallery[]

Behind the Scenes[]


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Chapter 16: Dogs Drag Dana	Chapter 18: Terror on the Tavern

[1] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 115 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "As originally scripted for John Candy, the Louis Tully character was to have had decidedly earthier interests -- best evidenced in the party sequence as it appeared in the August draft."

[2] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 121 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "In the August draft, Louis' attempted escape into Central Park is preceded by a sequence in which -- having just emerged from the apartment house -- he flags down a passing taxi and jumps inside. Seconds later, the Terror Dog bounds out of the building and launches itself onto the hood of the cab. In true New York form, the driver hurls a few expletives at the beast, guns his motor and speeds away, causing the creature to lose its balance and fall by the wayside. Undaunted, the Terror Dog takes off in hot pursuit, chasing the taxi through the streets of Manhattan."

[3] Joe Medjuck (1999). Ghostbusters- Commentary (1999) (DVD ts. 52:21-52:29). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Joe Medjuck says: "And it's one cameraman. Watch, this is amazing. I think you did coverage Ivan, but never used it, just in case. You basically did it in one move."

[4] Harold Ramis (2005). Ghostbusters- Commentary (2005) (DVD ts. 35:32-35:37). Columbia TriStar Home Video. Harold Ramis says: "Now he improvised most of this party dialogue which I think is brilliant. "

[5] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The 'nerd party' evolved from an idea suggested by Rick Moranis shortly before principal photography began. To retain the comedic flow of Louis' blithering monologue, Ivan Reitman shot the entire party sequence -- up to the Terror Dog's appearance -- as one long take, following Moranis around the room from guest to guest."

[6] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Getting the coats to land on the Terror Dogs head -- a job that fell to effects art director John Bruno -- proved to be more difficult than anticipated, requiring numerous repeat attempts before a successful shot was achieved."

[7] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 114 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Three scenes in the sequence -- the Terror Dog bursting through the bedroom door, then landing on the buffet table and later crashing through the apartment door into the hallway -- were postproduction blue-screen shots utilizing a small-scale stop-motion puppet animated frame by frame. Closeups -- and other scenes where the creature was not required to walk, run or jump -- were achieved on the live-action set using the full-size articulated puppet."

[8] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "The clumsiness of the Terror Dogs was emphasized in some of the early boards, although many of the gags -- including a shot of it sliding into the wall and causing Louis' bookshelves to collapse -- were omitted prior to photography."

[9] Shay, Don (November 1985). Making Ghostbusters, p. 120 annotation. New York Zoetrope, New York NY USA, ISBN 0918432685. Paragraph reads: "Ivan Reitman coaches the Terror Dog in the apartment house corridor. Major motions were made by a puppeteer whose torso extended up through the elevated floor and into the dog. Facial articulations were cable-controlled by a half-dozen operators working independently, but in concert. The video camera in the foreground was used to that puppeteers below stage could gauge the results of their action on monitors."

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