Harold Ramis, the American actor, writer and director of classic comedy films “Caddy Shack” and “Groundhog Day,” whose star turn came in “Ghostbusters,” died on Monday. He was 69.

    Ramis, a longtime resident of Chicago, was surrounded by family and friends when he succumbed to a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels, the United Talent Agency said in a statement.

    He came to prominence in an era in which U.S. comedy made a major leap forward on the big screen.

    His early films were often centered around a rebellion against authority or stuffy institutions — be it the military comedy “Stripes” in 1980, or college administrators in the frat house caper “Animal House.”

    His later work was infused with a subtle spirituality striving for redemption, such as in “Groundhog Day,” where Bill Murray is forced to relive the same day again and again until he gets it right.

    Ramis was cited as an inspiration by a new generation of comedians and directors such as Adam Sandler and Judd Apatow, who cast him as Seth Rogan’s father in the 2007 hit “Knocked Up.”

    His rise to fame started when he joined Chicago’s Second City improv* group in 1969.(SD-Agencies)