Richard Pryor Kinda Saved the Film
There was one scene that studio execs were scared about, even in the politically incorrect world of 1978. The roadhouse scene involved a bar and African-American guys, and Universal was anticipating riots in the theaters. Universal head Ned Tanen was adamant that the scene is cut, but the producers fought back the only way they knew how.
Source: The Grapevine – The Root
They screened the film for Richard Pryor, who was at the time, the biggest African-American comedian in Hollywood. Pryor’s reaction saved the scene and even the integrity of the film. According to an interview with John Landis from the New York Times, a note landed on Tanen’s desk, “From the desk of Richard Pryor.” It read: “Ned, Animal House is (expletive) funny, and white people are crazy.” That was all it took.