John Hughes, film director, producer and writer, died the other day. Early in his career Hughes wrote for National Lampoon (more on that later).

Hughes did quite a few movies that you’d know including:

• Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
• Uncle Buck
• Sixteen Candles
• The Breakfast Club
• Pretty in Pink
• Home Alone 1 – 4
• and the Chevy Chase “vacation” series

He also seems to have unfortunately penned the Beethoven (big dog, Charles Grodin) series, though fortunately did it under a pen name.