Justin Hoch photographing for Hudson Union Society · CC BY-SA 2.0

Wrote or co-wrote Animal House, Caddyshack, Stripes and Ghostbusters — in the latter two he also starred, as Russell Ziskey and Egon Spengler — before turning to directing with Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation and Groundhog Day, a film about a man forced to relive one day that became a byword for the experience. He started as head writer of SCTV, and later comedy filmmakers, from Judd Apatow to the Farrelly brothers, have named his films among their favorites. He won the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for Groundhog Day.