Posted on 12/15/2005 6:04:54 PM PST by presidio9
Some former child actors cringe and protest when reminded by loyal fans of long-ago projects. Not Peter Billingsley, star of A Christmas Story.
According to journalist Rebecca Murray, he seems to genuinely light up when the movie is mentioned.
Billingsley is also used to passersby tossing their favorite quotes at him. They all still love it, he told Murray. People ask him if hes tired of talking about it, but hes not. Im really, really proud to be a part of it.
Billingsley still appears in front of the cameras now and then. (He had an uncredited role in last years seasonal hit, Elf, playing - what else? - an elf. He also served as the movies executive producer.
He was executive producer on Zathura, which is still playing locally in theatres. In the upcoming comedy, The Break-Up, starring Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Anniston, he also does dual duty in front of and behind the camera.
Its all part of a day in the life of a talented man who, unlike some child stars, was able to make his way gracefully from kid to grownup and remain in show business.
He credits his parents with this successful transition. From the beginning, back in New York City, the Billingsleys looked on the whole thing as fun, and never let themselves take their sons stardom too seriously. It was also something that was just done for fun, Peter said, in a 2002 interview with Wayne Chinsang. If it wasnt fun, it was going to stop.
On the advice of friends who told her that her sons were cute, Peters mother took them to a agent. The first one said we were too fat, the next one said too ugly, but the third one said, Yeah, theyll work, Peter said.
The three-year-olds first gig was a Geritol commercial. Other commercials followed, and then some forgettable movies. The Billingsleys moved to Phoenix, Ariz., and struck gold in 1983 with A Christmas Story.
Well, not literally gold. The movie was made with a modest budget by a director, Bob Clark, who believed in it. They (Bob and Jean Shepherd) tried for 12 years to get that film made, Peter said. Bob had to agree to direct another junky film for the studio to greenlight it. They hardly gave him any money. MGM didnt support the release of the movie.
It was so different, Jean Shepherd said in a 1998 interview for TV Guide. It was too real, and MGM didnt think kids would like it.
Theres no way for Peter to avoid the movie, even if he tried, not even in his own family. When the Billingsleys get together in Phoenix for Christmas, someone will invariably slip it in the VCR.
He doesnt mind the connection. Its a great film, he told Chinsang in the 2002 interview. Its something I want to be known for.
Besides a modest paycheck from the movie, Peter was allowed to keep one of the specially made Red Ryder BB guns, the cowboy suit, and the pink bunny suit. Its tucked away, he said. But the gun is really cool.
Peter never really left Hollywood, although he did vanish from sight for a while, leading to those predictable rumors that he died a derelict drug addict and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Thats not his style. He joked with Chinsang about his unremarkable, non-glamorous upbringing. Theres nothing to talk about, he said. I grew up in a loving family in Phoenix. I tried a cigarette once.
What Peter did do was move into editing, some writing, directing, and then producing, where he is most active today. He frequently teams up on projects with friends such as actor Vince Vaughn and director Jon Favreau.
Favreau and Peter collaborated on IFCs popular Dinner for Five, which ran for five seasons. Zathura and The Break-Up continue their association as director and producer.
Peter acknowledges there have been many changes since 1983 in the way Hollywood markets pictures. Today, there are so many things that are our of your control, he said. All that you can really ever do, which is what we did with A Christmas Story, is tell a great story.
I love this movie! So glad Peter Billingsley's parents raised him well. He sounds very level headed and well grounded.
For fans of Shep, some of his old radio shows are available for listening online here:
http://www.flicklives.com/Mass_Back/mass_back.htm
(I'm listening to the "Christmas is Coming" show from December 13, 1965 now...)
I attended a school that was identical to Ralphie's. We had neighbors who had goats and donkeys that would get loose and wander through our yard (this less than 3 miles from the center of Indianapolis). Our tree looked just like Ralphie's. The downtown Santa land was very similar to the one in the movie. I could go on and on, but the Darren McGavin's father role reminded me so much of my dad (who also did 5 years in the army during WWII and taught me MANY interesting turns of phrase...LOL).
"I could've sworn that kid grew up to be Phil Donahue."
ROFLMAO!!!!
Too Funny!
Jean Shepard bump!
"I could've sworn that kid grew up to be Phil Donahue."
ROFLMAO!!!!
Too Funny!
Jean Shepard bump!
It was grand to have dads such as ours, wasnt it?...my dad never backed down when it came to colorful language...he loved language in fact, and used as many different and 'colorful' words and phrases as he could think of...he thought it kept things interesting, and amused me and my brother all the time...
Hes been gone for many years now, and I sure do miss him...
Wanna see a 30 second recap of the movie, done by cartoon bunnies? (don't ask!)
Click here: http://www.angryalien.com/
No, it's "Yule shoot your eye out."
LOL...that was so true...some of those snowsuits were so puffy and thick, it was hard to put our arms down...ah well, our moms just wanted to make sure we were warm...
Most famous pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon.
With as much dignity as he could muster, the Old Man gathered up the sad remains of his shattered Major Award. Later that night, alone in the backyard, he buried it next to the garage. Now I could never be sure, but I thought that I heard the sound of "Taps" being played. Gently.
I just love this movie!
The furnace scenes crack me up. My brother and I fed our furnace many a shovelful of sawdust in those good ole days!
And I remember being bundled up in a snowsuit and galoshes.
Oh, the smell of snow-wet wool. Great movie!
Perhaps you were a girl.
I was a girl. We did not swear. I was shocked and so were my children, at the language of the film. I kept on waiting for the characters to somehow redeem themselves. It didnt happen.
Since we're all adults here, would you mind giving us an example of the language you found so offensive?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.