‘A Christmas Story’ still hits people where they live after 25 years

Kansas City Star ^ | 12/04/08 | Star news services

[qam1]

Fans of the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” are celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie was made.

The 1983 film, an adaptation of Jean Shepard’s memoir of a boy in the 1940s, was set in Indiana but largely filmed in Ohio. The movie starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, a young boy determined to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

The film was a modest theatrical success, but critics loved it. It eventually joined “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” as a Christmas classic.

“It’s a film about being a kid and looking back,” said Brian Jones, who owns the house where the movie was shot and the neighboring museum dedicated to the film.

About 4,000 fans attended the recent convention at Cleveland’s Renaissance Hotel, where they met some of the film’s actors, watched documentaries made about the film, and saw the original 1938 fire truck from a famous scene in the movie involving a child’s tongue stuck to a frozen pole.

“It is unbelievable that a movie has touched the lives of millions of families,” said Phil Gillen, son of the late actor Jeff Gillen who played the movie’s worn-out Santa Claus. He traveled from Miami with his family to attend the convention....

[edzo4]

oh Fudge....

[maine-iac7]

My brother still has his Red Ryder BB gun he got one Christmas in the ‘40’s...

We grew up with our grandparents on a farm in the north woods.

We loved “Red Ryder and Little Beaver”. Instead of snow men, I would make snow horses - with a little snow “Little Beaver” to ride on the horse behind me.

Kids don't have a much fun these days - and definitely not as much fresh air, sunshine, and exercise of both body and imagination.

[djf]

...except he didn’t say “fudge”...

[Fiji Hill]

a ...famous scene in the movie involving a child’s tongue stuck to a frozen pole.

When I saw that scene, I switched to another station. I have never seen the film and probably never will.

[day10]

The better half and I put this ornament on the tree at day10's house this year.

[BibChr]

I do not, for the life of me, understand the popularity of this movie.

[Hootowl]

You might pick up My Summer Story, which is a follow-on to A Christmas Story. Same author, different actors, but not bad in its own way.

[traderrob6]

Was the plot set up in Gary, Whiting, Highland Indiana?

[savedbygrace]

Reminds me of Weird Al’s Supplies Closet bit.

[Mike Fieschko]

Has anyone read or heard Jean Shepherd’s other work? Any recommend place to begin?

To begin, get his first book, In God We Trust All Others Pay Cash. It's on the used book site abebooks.com here.

A good site for Shep stuff is flicklives.com.

Shep's radio shows are available in mp3 audio file format via The Brass Figlagee RSS feed at the Internet Archive.

I listened to Shep on WOR AM growing up in New Jersey. He was a great storyteller. 'Leopold Doppler and The Great Orpheum Gravy Boat Riot', and 'Ludlow Kissel and the Dago Bomb that Struck Back' are two of the most hilarious stories you'll ever hear.

[clintonh8r]

I’ve read all of his books. He was a wonderful story teller. My favorite, I guess, is “In God We Trust. All Others Pay Cash.”

[Poison Pill]

Best. Movie. Ever!

[oh8eleven]

Has anyone read or heard Jean Shepherd’s other work?
I've read most if not all of his stories in Playboy when I was in the Marine Corps many moons ago. He was the best.
Today, you can find many of his stories bundled together in books that are available through the book stores like Barnes and Noble.

[woodbutcher1963]

You’ll shoot you eye out !

[netmilsmom]

>>Sorry, but this movie is the closest I can come to reliving my childhood. It gives the feel of authentic America in the late ‘40s throught the late ‘50s.<<

Don’t be sorry. I loved it! It’s a Christmas tradition in our house. In fact, I remember the Christmas lights being left up on Public Square in Cleveland until March for the filming.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I feel sorry for anyone who thinks this movie is worth watching. Gag.

I feel sorry for anyone so devoid of emotion and childhood memories that this movie doesn't stir something in them.

[Mad Dawgg]

'“Fragggg—iilll—eeee....it must be Italian.” It say that line everytime I see something arrive marked “Fragile”.'

I used to take several packages a day to the Post Office and anytime I had a package marked fragile one of the Ladies at the counter would say "Fra-gee-eh-lee" and someone in the back would shout: "Must be Italian" and almost everyone in line would laugh.

[jellybean]

I watched it the other night on YouTube. All 10 parts are listed here except part 5. I don't know what happened to part 5.

[oh8eleven]

My favorite ....... The Secret Mission of the Blue Assed-Buzzard.

[newfreep]

His mother, Barbara Billingsley, was “June Cleaver” on “Leave it to Beaver” and the passenger on “Airplane-1” who did the jive talking scene.