Ghostbusters and Groundhog Day genius dies

Director Harold Ramis, responsible for some of the biggest comedies to come out of Hollywood, has died at 69 after a long illness.

His work as a writer and director included Caddyshack, Stripes, Groundhog Day, National Lampoon’s Animal House, Ghostbusters.

More recently he directed episodes of the American version of The Office.

He died at home in Chicago from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels, his wife Erica Mann Ramis told the city’s Tribune newspaper. He had been suffering from the disease for almost four years.

A press released from his agency said: ‘His creativity, compassion, intelligence, humour and spirit will be missed by all who knew and loved him.’

Ramis began his career with Second City comedy troupe, and was head writer on their groundbreaking television series Second City Television in the late 1970s.

But he said he knew he could never be a major performer after watching John Belushi on stage: ‘When I saw how far he was willing to go to get a laugh… I thought: I'm never going to be this big. How could I ever get enough attention on a stage with guys like this?’

However, he starred in a number of films, including playing Egon Spengler in Ghostbusters.

Of his own work, Ramis said in a 2009 interview with The Onion AV Club: ‘ Films are big hits when they touch a lot of people. Things are not funny in a vacuum, they’re funny because we respond to some personal dislocation, some embarrassment, some humiliation, some pain we’ve suffered, or some desire we have.’

Comic Patton Oswald was among those paying tribute on Twitter, saying: ‘No Harold Ramis, no comedy as we know it today. If there's a heaven, I hope Harold Ramis is making Aristophanes, Cervantes & Molière sing "Da Do Run Run Run”’

IT Crowd creator Graham Linehan said: ‘Can someone start a petition to get Ramis back?’

Comic Ray Peacock added: ’Gentlest man in comedy, sheer talent, profound writing creativity, understood the immense importance of the man at the side ’

His death comes as comic Tim Minchin works on a stage musical version of Groundhog Day which Ramis co-wrote and directed.

Published: 24 Feb 2014