One film that is played on repeat in many homes this time of year is A Christmas Story. Even those who have never seen the movie know of its existence. It is hard to escape a film that is played on a 24-hour marathon each Christmas Eve. From merchandise to fans quoting every chance they get, most people have at least heard of the movie.
What most people may not have known are all the hidden facts and details about the film. Even the most hardcore fans can find something new to point out each year. If the movie wasn't rewatchable enough, here is another reason for fans to check the movie out this year.
Not The Only Bob Clark Directed Christmas Movie
The man who helped bring Christmas Story to life on the big screen was Bob Clark. Fans would assume that the movie is filled with such spirit, Clark must have other Christmas movies under his belt. They would be right, although his other film is far more sinister. in 1974, Clark directed Black Christmas. As the title suggests, this isn't a light-hearted family film to watch around the holidays.
The movie is not only a horror movie, but it was one of the first slasher movies and helped jumpstart the genre. It's funny to think the same person that brought Ralphie to the big screen helped the domino effect that brought to life characters such as Michael Myers.
The Author Had A Cameo
Most fans know that A Christmas Story was based on a book by Jean Sheppard. Many also know that Sheppard was the voice of the adult Ralphie that is heard throughout the movie narrating the story. What they may not realize, is the author has an on-screen cameo as well. In the scene in the mall, Ralphie is irritated to find out he has to wait in a long line to see Santa.
He learns this by unknowingly cutting in front of a family. He leans this when the father scolds him and tells him where the line actually starts. This irritated father is played by Jean Sheppard. This role may be but a small blip in the film, but is nonetheless a fun fact for fans to point out on their next viewing.
Not The Only Movie Featuring Ralphie
It is more or less common knowledge the film received a direct sequel, fittingly called A Christmas Story 2, in 2012. The film, to many, is a so-bad-it's-good holiday movie, while to others it is just bad. What they may not know, though, is that there are actually two other films featuring Ralphie and his misadventures.
The first was released in 1988 and featured the Parkers on summer vacation. Jean Sheppard even reprised his role as an adult Ralphie narrating the film. From a production standpoint, the closest to the original is My Summer Story from 1994. Like the first movie, the film was directed by original director Bob Clark and again featured Jean Sheppard narrating.
There's A Bob Clark Cameo
Like original writer Jean Sheppard, Bob Clark also makes an on-screen cameo appearance. He is on-screen a bit longer than Sheppard was, but his presence is still very brief. When the Old Man first gets his award, he sets it up and runs out to the street to marvel at it. He isn't the only one, as it seems as if all of the neighbors him in iring the famous lamp. One of them, perhaps the most memorable one, was none other than Clark.
Bob plays the neighbor with the southern accent that keeps inquiring about the lamp. Like Sheppard, this role is very small. However, this dimwitted neighbor is often quoted y fans, many of them not realizing it is the film's director.
Flash Gordon Is Credited
Attentive viewers will notice two characters in the end credits that weren't present in the film. These credits are Paul Hubbard as Flash Gordon and Colin Fox as Ming The Merciless. These two characters are from the Flash Gordon comics and serials and are obviously nowhere to be seen in the final product.
These two did in fact appear in one of Ralphie's fantasy sequences that were ultimately cut. The scene certainly existed at some point, as they are present in the shooting script, as well as in photos from the shoot. The scenes are lost to time with only the photos and credits existing to confirm that it was indeed shot.
Ralphie And The MCU
Peter Billingsly, who played Ralphie, became a frequent collaborator of Jon Favreau in later years. Most Christmas movie fans know that Peter appears in a cameo in Elf. However, he has collaborated with that film's director, Jon Favreau, many other times.
Most interestingly he was an executive producer on Iron Man, which of course kicked off the MCU. Even more interesting, is that Billingsly actually appeared on-screen. In a memorable scene, Obidiah yells at a scientist that "Tony Stark built this in a cave!" that scientist was none other than Ralphie himself.
The Film Was Originally Considered A Dud
Nowadays, A Christmas Story is considered, by many, to be the perfect holiday movie alongside Christmas Vacation. This was not always the case, however. As reported by Vanity Fair, the film performed fairly well at the box office but quickly fizzled out of public consciousness.
While not necessarily a flop, the movie failed to live up to studio expectations and was quietly swept under the rug. Thanks to home video and the film's famous 24-hour marathon each year, more and more people have discovered it and it is considered a classic today.
Ralphie Can't Spell "Christmas"
A running joke throughout the film is adults telling Ralphie he is too young for his coveted Red Ryder gun. In his imagination, this will all change when he writes a theme for his teacher, a theme so beautifully written he has to get the gun.
However to his dismay, this backfires and he gets a C+, along with the iconic Christmas Story quote he has heard time and time again, "You'll shoot your eye out." While the teacher's note is the focus, eagle-eyed viewers have noticed that Ralphie has misspelled Christmas as "Chistmas" This just goes to show that at the end of the day, Ralphie is just a child.
The Film Is Truly Timeless
A Christmas Story is one of the most timeless movies of all time, in more ways than one. There are several inconsistencies throughout that make it confusing when the film actually takes place. The inclusion of The Wizard Of Oz characters makes it seem as if it is 1939 when that movie came out.
Yet the decoder Ralphie receives, which is supposed to be brand new, is from 1940. To round it all off, the Old Man talks about a football game from 1941. While the time period isn't all that important, it is still a topic of discussion for many fans.
The Kid With The Goggles Wasn't Scripted
When Ralphie reluctantly goes to the back of the line to see Santa, he encounters an odd boy. The boy has a giant grin and large goggles and he just stares at Ralphie. This child may have had a small part, but he is responsible for one of the most memorable moments of the movie.
This boy was not in the original script, in fact, he was never even cast. The crew spotted him while filming and included him in the shoot. Not much is known about the child today, but he can rest assured he is part of Christmas history.
