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 he’s tired of talking about it, but he’s not. “I’m 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 year’s seasonal hit, “Elf,” playing - what else? - an elf. He also served as the movie’s 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.
It’s 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 son’s stardom too seriously. “It was also something that was just done for fun,” Peter said, in a 2002 interview with Wayne Chinsang. “If it wasn’t fun, it was going to stop.”
On the advice of friends who told her that her sons were cute, Peter’s 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, they’ll work,’” Peter said.
The three-year-old’s 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 didn’t 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 didn’t think kids would like it.”
There’s 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 doesn’t mind the connection. “It’s a great film,” he told Chinsang in the 2002 interview. “It’s 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. “It’s 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.
That’s not his style. He joked with Chinsang about his unremarkable, non-glamorous upbringing. “There’s 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 IFC’s 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.”
Thanks for that..Jean Shepherd is great...
We always had the cheaper Ivory at home...but my grandmother always had Lava at her house...
My gosh, I forgot the most famous Ivory ad line of all: "It floats!"
Myself find it challenging to copy 22 WPM.. impressive person indeed.
Peter Billingsley is also the producer of IFC's (Independent Film Channel) "Dinner For Five".
An intersting series that has Jon Favreau (Director of "Swingers", "Elf and "Zathura" sitting down with assorted actors, actresses and directors.
Not a Home Run each time, but the one episode that included Roger Corman, Billy Bob Thorton and Bruce Campbell proved a superb Tresure Trove of Film History, Financing, Budget, How To and Corman's excellent eye for talent.
Jack.
Meat loaf, beat loaf. I hate meat loaf.
Oh how I remember those days.Luckily for me, my sister,who sat next to me at the table, loved the food that I disliked.
I became quite good passing the food under the table to her.LOL!
Gosh, I had forgotten all about that line...its a wonderful line...
In the tire changing scene, the license plate had "40" in the lower right hand corner.
I was being sarcastic, but you're right - Harlem Nights is extremely (no pun intended) filthy.
(Favorite part, from Redd Foxx to Della Reese) - "Swallow it and STFU!"
My dad caught either my brother or me, passing food to the dog under the table...he put a stop to that quickly...he taught the dog to sit under the sink, while we were eating...we would have had to throw quite noticeably to reach the dog...dad, he was always smarter than his two wise acre kids...
You know, I still like to use Ivory soap...my husband does not like the Ivory, but I do...and it still floats today, same as it did then...
How about "Ivory, 99 and 44 hundreds per cent pure"
The same thing wouldn't work today though. The article doesn't go into it, but in part the hoax was a test of Shepherds theory that there were "day people" and "night people" inhabiting basically separate and distinct worlds. (Although since "day" culture was dominant, the "night people" knew more about it than vice-versa.)
Shepherd thus calculated that he could openly plan, implement and provide updates on the hoax on a New York City radio station, and that because his show was on late at night the "day people" would never catch on.
The interent and other factors have broken down the night/day barrier.
Boy you sure do have an eagle eye...I will have to look at the license plate, on Christmas Day...thanks for that info...
And of course, ,take note that Ralphies parents sleep in separate twin beds...I remember it was also like that in the old Lucy TV programs...I never could understand that, as my mom and dad, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents always slept in the same big full sized bed...
But I guess the censors of that time, did not allow for married couples to be in the same bed...
OMG you are one sick puppy..........and that's, hands down, the funniest post I've seen here in ages. Damn.......gonna send ya a bill for my 21" monitor and a new keyboard for the laptop.
Thank you for posting about the 30 second bunny Christmas Story! (I loved the 1953 War of the Worlds bunny version - the noise the alien craft made when rising out of the pit was hilarious!).
Comin' in late, but Fels Naptha (sp?) with Octagon a close second.
Ugh, it makes me wince to think about it.
I had use the freeze frame on the dvd to find it. It's just after the Old Man orders Ralphie back into the car after he says "fudge". (Hopefully, no one reading that will go into shock)
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