Who are the phantom members envisioned in the early stages of Ghostbusters?

Exquisite acting exchanges unique to someone from an improvisational troupe

At that time, the popularity of the TV show "Saturday Night Live," which first appeared in the 1970s, was skyrocketing, and the satirical comedy magazine "National Lampoon," founded by students at Harvard University, was expanding into radio, stage, television, and film, gaining many fans. And the improvisational theater company "Second City," based in Chicago, produced many talented people who were active in the comedy industry. In fact, the three main actors of "Ghostbusters," and even John Belushi, who was expected to be an early member, were also from the same Second City.

The three of them, all from the same theater company, knew each other's personalities, likes and dislikes like family, and as comedians, they excelled at "finding comedy opportunities in simple things and turning them into laughs." Furthermore, it was effective to divide up the roles of the three from the early stages, with "Harold being the intelligent one," "Dan being the warm-hearted one," and "Bill being the eloquent one." It was precisely because they had clearly defined the basic setup that they were able to properly understand their own areas, never losing out on the good points of the others, and add more and more quality ad-libs to each other.

Of course, Ivan Reitman was also the perfect director, as he was well acquainted with their methods. Therefore, even when they suddenly started speaking lines that were not in the script during the actual shoot, he never stopped the camera. Instead, he asked them "Is there another version?" and made them try again and again, laughing every time and increasing the actors' motivation. It was because he respected their methods and showed his respect for them as comedic actors that the three of them were able to sharpen their sensibilities to the fullest in front of the camera and demonstrate their outstanding quick thinking.

Bill Murray was also respected by the other members as an "improvisation genius", and contributed to creating an organic scene by constantly changing the lines in the script. His strange and bizarre episodes, such as disappearing before his turn, remain the same as they are now. Perhaps this man's motto in real life is to be unpredictable like improvisational theater.

It was also fortunate that Harold Ramis was among the three. Although he was a rather low-key presence, he was a talented man who was not only an actor but also a screenwriter and director, and he always had a bird's-eye view from a step back. Therefore, he was in charge of the details, managing the actors in place of Ivan, and making adjustments to ensure that everything flowed smoothly.

With three comedians gathered together like this, one would imagine there would be fierce competition for the spotlight. However, to my surprise, they were full of a spirit of willingness to give each other the spotlight, such as letting someone else say the funny line or idea if they had it. Is this the essence of improvisational theater, or the tradition of Second City? It was a constructive stance that if the members could bring out the best in each other and make the whole production look funny in the end, then all the better.

"Ghostbusters" (c) 1984 COLUMBIA PICTURES INDUSTRIES, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

In this way, the exquisite timing and dialogue, the well-crafted lines, and the numerous ad-libs were woven together. Watching the film over and over again, it is clear that their acting, more than the various special effects and the eccentric storyline, was the driving force behind all the rhythm. It would be impossible to do the same thing now. Even the sequel released in 1989 feels like its effectiveness had already faded. This film is a gem-like result that could only have been achieved by the two actors in their mid-30s, when their skills were at their finest and in the prime of their careers.

Is it true that the green ghost is modeled after the late John Belushi?