RIP Harold Ramis: A comedy genius and 'Ghostbuster' gone too soon

Harold Ramis in Ghostbusters

I was shocked this afternoon to learn that the great comedy writer-actor-director Harold Ramis has passed away due to a rare inflammatory disease at just 69 years old.

This man played a pivotal role in my childhood and directed some of my favorite comedy films of all time. Like top 10 worthy.

Even if he'd fallen off a bit in recent years, this is a huge loss.

Most people will remember him best as the brainy straight man of the Ghostbusters, Egon Spangler, which is fitting because he actually was the brains behind that film (he co-wrote it with Dan Aykroyd) and so many other seminal movies.

He got his first big break as a part of the first SCTV group which grew out of Toronto's (and later Chicago's) legendary improv theater (Second City) and spawned other legends like the late John Candy, Martin Short and Rick Moranis.

As someone who has dabbled in improv I can really appreciate how he infused his best comedy films with the creative spirit he likely carried from the stage. Each of his signature comedies: Caddyshack, National Lampoon's Vacation, Stripes, Groundhog Day and Ghostbusters, all contain moments that were most definitely improvised for maximum effect.

As great and legendary as Ghostbusters is, we shouldn't forget his entire -- largely quite impressive, body of work. After helping to write the 1978 classic Animal House, Ramis made his directorial debut with one of most beloved comedies of all time -- Caddyshack. That was his debut folks, and it contains some of the best work Chevy Chase, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield have ever done.

He followed that up with a hilarious sidekick role opposite Bill Murray in the vastly underrated military comedy Stripes (1981) and then directed the best of the Vacation movies, the 1983 original.

Of course his role in Ghostbusters is the one that really made him a recognizable face to American audiences. His part is so tailor-made for his preternaturally geeky comic persona. He made a line like "I collect spores, molds and fungus" quotable.

Bill Murray is undoubtedly the star of that film but it's Ramis who makes the utterly ridiculous premise (laid off Columbia professors open us business to catch ghosts) plausible because he played it so straight. He seemed like a scientist, or at least what we imagine they're like.

In 1992, he crafted another masterpiece -- Groundhog Day. A movie which has only grown in stature over the last twenty years.

It's a perfect Bill Murray role, the weatherman forced to relive the same day until he can develop some social skills. Ramis and Murray made such a perfect team but unfortunately they had an infamous falling out while making this film and never worked together again. To this day neither has revealed what happened.

It's a shame because Ramis was so good at getting the best out of his scene partner/collaborator, whether it be Chase or Murray, which if you study improv is the mark of a great performer.

The best improvisers try to make the other guy or gal look good, and Ramis did that better than anyone I can think of. He will be missed but at least we still have his hilarious movies to keep us laughing.