Harold Ramis obituary
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TOP STORIES BY FRANK LOVECE Special to Newsday Harold Ramis, writer-director of the comedy classic “Ground- hog Day” and a writer-star of “Ghostbusters,” died early yes- terday morning after a long ill- ness. He was 69. His wife, Erica Mann Ramis, confirmed his death to the Chi- cago Tribune. Ramis, a Chicago native, was a longtime resident of that city’s North Shore. Ramis’ other hits included Bill Murray’s “Caddyshack” and Billy Crystal and Robert De Niro’s “Analyze This,” both of which he directed and co-wrote. He also co-wrote director John Landis’ “National Lampoon’s An- imal House,” and directed writ- er John Hughes’ “National Lam- poon’s Vacation.” Ramis had undergone surgery in May 2010 for the autoimmune disease vasculitis, the paper said, and suffered complications that left him unable to walk. He spent a year and a half relearn- ing to walk, through months of therapy at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and the Reha- bilitation Institute of Chicago. He then suffered a relapse and never recovered, his wife said. Ramis’ frequent colleague Dan Aykroyd issued a statement yesterday, saying he was “deep- ly saddened to hear of the pass- ing of my brilliant, gifted, funny friend . . . May he now get the an- swers he was always seeking.” Born Nov. 21, 1944, in Chica- go, the son of convenience-store owners, Ramis attended Wash- ington University in St. Louis. He began his career in the early days of “guerrilla television,” as part of the 1960s do-it-yourself video collective TVTV. Through that background, plus stints working in a mental insti- tution, as a public school teach- er in the projects and as the jokes editor for Playboy maga- zine, he developed a twin trajec- tory that was both humanist and intensely media-informed. After collaborating on come- dy shows in college, Ramis began taking workshops at Chi- cago’s famed Second City, whose improvisational-comedy troupe he would later join. In 1974, he and Second City col- leagues including John Belushi and Bill Murray moved to New York to work on “The National Lampoon Radio Hour,” which spun off the 1975 revue “The Na- tional Lampoon Show.” Ramis went on to help create what be- came a cult-hit syndicated se- ries, “Second City Television” aka “SCTV,” becoming its first head writer as well as a frequent performer. Ramis then teamed with Na- tional Lampoon magazine co- founder Douglas Kenney and, later, Chris Miller to write the screenplay for “Animal House,” a raunchy yet witty college-fra- ternity comedy that earned an astounding $141 million in 1978. Ramis went on to a prolific and fruitful career as writer, di- rector, producer and actor, mak- ing movies through 2009’s Jack Black-Michael Cera comedy “Year One,” and directing the last of his four episodes of NBC’s “The Office” in 2010. Ramis’ first marriage, to Anne Plotkin, ended in divorce; the cou- ple had a daughter, Violet Stiel. In 1989 he married Mann, daughter of director Daniel Mann, and had sons Julian and Daniel. He is sur- vived by his wife, children and two grandchildren. Comedy star who did it all HAROLD RAMIS | 1944-2014 Kennedy drugged-driving trial begins A28 THE DIRECTOR From left, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star in “Ghostbusters.” More photos: newsday.com/celebs HBO WHO YOU GONNA CALL? BY MATTHEW PERRONE The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Feder- al health regulators will con- sider this week whether to green-light a provocative new fertilization technique that could eventually create babies from the DNA of three people, with the goal of preventing mothers from passing on debilitating genet- ic diseases to their children. The Food and Drug Admin- istration has framed its two- day meeting as a “scientific, technologic and clinical” dis- cussion about how to test the approach in humans. But the technique itself raises several ethical questions, including whether the government should sanction the creation of genetically modified hu- mans. The FDA panel will hear from several prominent crit- ics who oppose any human testing of the approach, argu- ing that it could be a slippery slope toward “designer ba- bies,” in which parents cus- tomize traits such as eye color, height and intelli- gence. But the field’s leading U.S. researcher will be on hand to explain and defend his work, which he describes as “gene correction,” rather than “gene modification.” “We want to replace these mutated genes, which by na- ture have become pathogen- ic to humans,” says Dr. Shoukhrat Mitalipov. “We’re reversing them back to nor- mal, so I don’t understand why you would be opposing that.” The FDA meeting was prompted by Mitalipov’s re- search at Oregon Health & Science University in Port- land, where he and his staff have produced five healthy monkeys using the DNA-re- placement technique. He is seeking FDA approval to begin testing in a handful of women who carry defective genes that can lead to devas- tating diseases in children, in- cluding blindness, organ fail- ure and epilepsy. An estimated 1 in 5,000 U.S. children inherit such conditions because of defec- tive DNA in their mitochon- dria, small energy-producing organs found in the cell. Un- like most DNA, located in the nucleus of the cell, mito- chondrial DNA is passed along only by the mother, not the father. The experimental tech- nique, if approved for use, would allow a woman to give birth to a baby who inherits her normal nucleus DNA but not her defective mitochon- drial DNA. To accomplish this, re- searchers would remove the nucleus DNA from a healthy female donor’s eggs and re- place it with the nucleus DNA of the prospective mother. After fertilization, the child would inherit the mother’s nucleus DNA, which contains most inherit- ed traits such as eye color and height, but the donor’s healthy mitochondrial DNA. The technique initially made headlines as a way to create babies with three par- ents, but scientists say that’s an overstatement. The child would have only trace bits of DNA from the donor. No matter how it’s de- scribed, the technique faces opposition from a broad spec- trum of critics who say it pre- sents serious medical, ethical and societal dilemmas. Chief among these con- cerns is that the genetic changes created using the technique would be passed down to future generations, potentially spreading unin- tended health consequences throughout the population. His credits include “Groundhog Day.” CAREER HIGHLIGHTS AP / YVES LOGGHE ACTOR “SCTV” (1976-1979) (also writer) “Stripes” (1981) (also writer) “Ghostbusters” (1984) (also writer) “Ghostbusters II” (1989) (also writer) “Knocked Up” (2007) DIRECTOR “Caddyshack” (1980) (also writer) “National Lampoon’s Vacation” (1983) “Groundhog Day” (1993) (also writer) “Multiplicity” (1996) “Analyze This” (1999) (also writer) SCREENWRITER “Animal House” (1978) “Meatballs” (1979) 3-way embryo fertilization on FDA’s radar A8 NEWSDAY, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014 newsday.com
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Newsday (September 25, 2014). By Frank Lovece.
Transcript of Harold Ramis obituary
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TOPSTORIES
BY FRANK LOVECESpecial to Newsday
Harold Ramis, writer-directorof the comedy classic Ground-hog Day and a writer-star ofGhostbusters, died early yes-terday morning after a long ill-ness. He was 69.His wife, Erica Mann Ramis,
confirmed his death to the Chi-cago Tribune. Ramis, a Chicagonative, was a longtime residentof that citys North Shore.Ramis other hits included Bill
Murrays Caddyshack andBilly Crystal and Robert DeNiros Analyze This, both ofwhich he directed and co-wrote.He also co-wrote director JohnLandis National Lampoons An-imal House, and directed writ-er John Hughes National Lam-poons Vacation.Ramis had undergone surgery
in May 2010 for the autoimmunedisease vasculitis, the papersaid, and suffered complicationsthat left him unable to walk. Hespent a year and a half relearn-ing to walk, through months oftherapy at the Mayo Clinic inRochester, Minn., and the Reha-bilitation Institute of Chicago.He then suffered a relapse andnever recovered, his wife said.Ramis frequent colleague
Dan Aykroyd issued a statementyesterday, saying he was deep-ly saddened to hear of the pass-ing of my brilliant, gifted, funnyfriend . . . May he now get the an-
swers he was always seeking.Born Nov. 21, 1944, in Chica-
go, the son of convenience-storeowners, Ramis attended Wash-ington University in St. Louis.He began his career in the earlydays of guerrilla television, aspart of the 1960s do-it-yourselfvideo collective TVTV.Through that background, plusstints working in a mental insti-tution, as a public school teach-er in the projects and as thejokes editor for Playboy maga-zine, he developed a twin trajec-tory that was both humanist andintensely media-informed.After collaborating on come-
dy shows in college, Ramisbegan taking workshops at Chi-cagos famed Second City,whose improvisational-comedytroupe he would later join. In1974, he and Second City col-leagues including John Belushiand Bill Murray moved to NewYork to work on The NationalLampoon Radio Hour, whichspun off the 1975 revue The Na-tional Lampoon Show. Ramiswent on to help create what be-came a cult-hit syndicated se-ries, Second City Televisionaka SCTV, becoming its firsthead writer as well as a frequentperformer.Ramis then teamed with Na-
tional Lampoon magazine co-founder Douglas Kenney and,later, Chris Miller to write thescreenplay for Animal House,a raunchy yet witty college-fra-ternity comedy that earned anastounding $141 million in 1978.Ramis went on to a prolific
and fruitful career as writer, di-rector, producer and actor, mak-ing movies through 2009s JackBlack-Michael Cera comedyYear One, and directing thelast of his four episodes ofNBCs The Office in 2010.Ramis first marriage, to Anne
Plotkin, ended indivorce; the cou-ple had a daughter, Violet Stiel. In1989 he married Mann, daughterof director Daniel Mann, and hadsons Julian and Daniel. He is sur-vived by his wife, children andtwo grandchildren.
Comedy starwhodid it all
HAROLDRAMIS | 1944-2014
Kennedydrugged-drivingtrial begins A28
THE DIRECTOR
From left, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Harold Ramis star inGhostbusters. ] More photos: newsday.com/celebs
HBO
WHO YOU GONNA CALL?
BY MATTHEW PERRONEThe Associated Press
WASHINGTON Feder-al health regulators will con-sider this week whether togreen-light a provocativenew fertilization techniquethat could eventually createbabies from the DNA ofthree people, with the goal ofpreventing mothers frompassing on debilitating genet-ic diseases to their children.TheFood andDrugAdmin-
istration has framed its two-day meeting as a scientific,technologic and clinical dis-cussion about how to test theapproach in humans. But thetechnique itself raises severalethical questions, includingwhether the governmentshould sanction the creationof genetically modified hu-mans.The FDA panel will hear
from several prominent crit-ics who oppose any humantesting of the approach, argu-ing that it could be a slipperyslope toward designer ba-bies, in which parents cus-tomize traits such as eyecolor, height and intelli-gence.But the fields leading U.S.
researcher will be on hand toexplain and defend his work,which he describes as genecorrection, rather thangene modification.We want to replace these
mutated genes, which by na-ture have become pathogen-ic to humans, says Dr.Shoukhrat Mitalipov. Werereversing them back to nor-mal, so I dont understandwhy you would be opposingthat.The FDA meeting was
prompted by Mitalipovs re-search at Oregon Health &Science University in Port-land, where he and his staffhave produced five healthymonkeys using the DNA-re-placement technique. He is
seeking FDA approval tobegin testing in a handful ofwomen who carry defectivegenes that can lead to devas-tating diseases in children, in-cluding blindness, organ fail-ure and epilepsy.An estimated 1 in 5,000
U.S. children inherit suchconditions because of defec-tive DNA in their mitochon-dria, small energy-producingorgans found in the cell. Un-like most DNA, located inthe nucleus of the cell, mito-chondrial DNA is passedalong only by themother, notthe father.The experimental tech-
nique, if approved for use,would allow awoman to givebirth to a baby who inheritsher normal nucleus DNA butnot her defective mitochon-drial DNA.To accomplish this, re-
searchers would remove thenucleus DNA from a healthyfemale donors eggs and re-place it with the nucleusDNA of the prospectivemother. After fertilization,the child would inherit themothers nucleus DNA,which contains most inherit-ed traits such as eye colorand height, but the donorshealthy mitochondrial DNA.The technique initially
made headlines as a way tocreate babies with three par-ents, but scientists say thatsan overstatement. The childwould have only trace bits ofDNA from the donor.No matter how its de-
scribed, the technique facesopposition froma broad spec-trumof critics who say it pre-sents serious medical, ethicaland societal dilemmas.Chief among these con-
cerns is that the geneticchanges created using thetechnique would be passeddown to future generations,potentially spreading unin-tended health consequencesthroughout the population.
His credits includeGroundhogDay.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
AP/YVES
LOGGHE
] ACTORSCTV (1976-1979) (alsowriter)Stripes (1981) (alsowriter)Ghostbusters (1984) (alsowriter)Ghostbusters II (1989)(alsowriter)
KnockedUp (2007)
] DIRECTORCaddyshack (1980) (alsowriter)National LampoonsVacation(1983)GroundhogDay (1993)(alsowriter)Multiplicity (1996)AnalyzeThis (1999) (alsowriter)
] SCREENWRITERAnimalHouse (1978)Meatballs (1979)
3-wayembryofertilizationonFDAs radar
A8
NEW
SDAY,TU
ESDAY,FEBRUARY
25,2014
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