A Christmas Story
Original poster
Directed by	Bob Clark
Produced by	Bob Clark René Dupont Gary Goch
Written by	Jean Shepherd Leigh Brown Bob Clark
Narrated by	Jean Shepherd
Starring	Peter Billingsley Melinda Dillon Darren McGavin Ian Petrella Zack Ward Tedde Moore
Music by	Paul Zaza Carl Zittrer
Cinematography	Reginald H. Morris
Editing by	Stan Cole
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (theatrical) Warner Bros./Turner Entertainment
Release date(s)	November 18, 1983
Running time	94 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	USD $4,000,000 (estimated)
Followed by	My Summer Story
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

For the Christian Christmas story, see Nativity of Jesus

A Christmas Story is a 1983 film based on the short stories and semi-fictional anecdotes of author and raconteur Jean Shepherd, including material from his books In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash and Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories. It was directed by Bob Clark. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ... Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ... Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971, in New York, New York), also known as Peter Michaelsen[1] and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen[2], is an American actor, director, and producer known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, whose requests for a genuine Red Ryder BB... Melinda Dillon (born October 13, 1939 in Hope, Arkansas), is an American actress and comedienne. ... William Lyle Richardson (May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006), who adopted the name Darren McGavin, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and also his portrayal in the movie A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given... Ian Petrella (born December 17th, 1974 in California), is an 80s American child actor. ... Zack Ward (born August 31, 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian actor. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... Warner Bros. ... Turner Entertainment Company was established August 4, 1986 to oversee Turner Broadcastings film library after its acquisition of MGM/UA. In addition to the studio, Turner got its library, which included all of MGMs films, Warner Bros. ... is the 322nd day of the year (323rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... My Summer Story is a film that follows the further adventures of Ralphie and his family from A Christmas Story. ... The Nativity by Caravaggio, 1609. ... Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1983 Gregorian calendar). ... This article is in need of attention. ... An anecdote is a short tale narrating an interesting or amusing biographical incident. ... A raconteur is a person known for telling amusing stories and anecdotes. ... Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash (1966, ISBN 0385021747) is the title of a book by Jean Shepherd. ... Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ...

Plot summary

Ralph in bunny pajamas is a memorable moment in the movie.

The film relates the tale of Ralphie Parker (played by Peter Billingsley), who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas (specifically, "an official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle, with a compass in the stock and 'this thing' which tells time") and will go to any lengths to get it despite the numerous adult admonitions of "you'll shoot your eye out." Over the course of the film, Ralphie hides a Red Ryder advertisement in his mother's magazine, fibs about the spotting of a dangerous animal in the neighborhood, blurts his desire outright, writes a theme on the subject, and asks an impatient Santa just as the department store closes. Ultimately, Ralphie's "Old Man" gives Ralphie his BB gun for Christmas, stating that he had one himself at an earlier age. Ralphie eagerly runs outside in his boots and pajamas to "try it out", but the BB ricochets off his glasses, injuring him slightly and briefly convincing him that he did indeed shoot his eye out. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971, in New York, New York), also known as Peter Michaelsen[1] and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen[2], is an American actor, director, and producer known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, whose requests for a genuine Red Ryder BB... The Red Ryder BB Gun, is a BB gun made by Daisy Outdoor Products and introduced in 1938. ... Red Ryyder was a popular American comic strip cowboy created by Fred Harman, an artist and former partner of Walt Disney. ... For other uses, see Sundial (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Subplots include the Old Man (Darren McGavin) winning a "major award": a lamp shaped like a woman's leg wearing fishnet stockings, much to his wife's displeasure (the leg was the logo of the contest's sponsor, the Nehi bottling company; this was not made clear in the movie)^{[citation needed]}; Ralphie getting his Little Orphan Annie secret decoder pin; and Ralphie dealing with the neighborhood bully, Scut Farkus, played by Zack Ward. There are also numerous vignettes, including the Old Man's battle with the furnace, Ralphie not saying "fudge" in a moment of stress, and disaster with the Christmas dinner, courtesy of the Bumpuses' dogs. One memorable scene involves a dispute over whether or not a person's tongue immediately sticks to a frozen metal object, in this case a flag pole. When Flick responds to the "triple dog dare" and touches his tongue to the flag pole, he is proven wrong, and begins to scream in terror. Several fantasy sequences depict Ralphie's daydreams of glory and vindication, including the vanquishing of prison-striped villains, an extremely good grade for his written theme about the BB gun, and parental remorse over a case of "soap poisoning". William Lyle Richardson (May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006), who adopted the name Darren McGavin, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and also his portrayal in the movie A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given... A stocking is a close-fitting, variously elastic garment covering the foot and lower part of the leg, but usually not intended to conceal the leg. ... An advertisement for Nehi soda on a matchcover Nehi (pronounced , like knee high) is an American, flavored soft drink. ... Cover of Cupples & Leon strip collection (1933) Little Orphan Annie is a full page (later half page or tab) American comic strip, created by Harold Gray (1894-1968), that first appeared on August 5, 1924. ... A secret decoder was an inexpensive toy popular among young children during from 1930s through rest of the 20th century. ... Scut Farkus is the redheaded town bully played by Zack Ward in the movie A Christmas Story. ... Zack Ward (born August 31, 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian actor. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... “Bad guy” redirects here. ...

Major credits

The movie was written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark. Shepherd provides the movie's narration from the perspective of an adult Ralphie, a narrative style later used in the dramedy The Wonder Years. Shepherd also has a cameo appearance in the department store scene, as the man who directs Ralphie and Randy to the end of the line. Director Clark has a cameo as Swede, the neighbor who questions the Old Man about the Leg Lamp. Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... The tone or style of this article or section may not be appropriate for Wikipedia. ... Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ... Dramedy, a portmanteau of drama and comedy, is a genre of movies and television in which the lines between these very different genres were blurred. ... The Wonder Years is an Emmy Award winning American television dramedy created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. ...

Cast

• Melinda Dillon as Mrs. Parker - Ralphie's mom is the primary dispenser of the oft-repeated phrase, "You'll shoot your eye out"
• Darren McGavin as The Old Man (Mr. Parker) - Ralphie's dad is at the center of the Major Award vignette, and is depicted using colorful nonsensical invective
• Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker - the film's protagonist, an imaginative dreamer
• Ian Petrella as Randy Parker - Ralphie's little brother, who won't eat his meatloaf
• Scott Schwartz as Flick - Ralphie's friend, who learns about tongues and cold metal the hard way
• R.D. Robb as Schwartz - Ralphie's other friend, on whom Ralphie pins the blame for him knowing "the f-dash-dash-dash word"
• Tedde Moore as Miss Shields - Ralphie's fourth grade teacher, who appears in two fantasy sequences, calls the fire department to help Flick, and is the only on-screen character played by the same actor in the sequel, My Summer Story
• Zack Ward as Scut Farkus - the neighborhood bully, who torments Ralphie and his friends en route to and from school
• Yano Anaya as Grover Dill - Scut's crony, who is promoted to main bully in My Summer Story
• Jeff Gillen as Santa Claus - the rather frightening department store incarnation of "the Head Honcho", who delivers the last blow to Ralphie's hope for a BB gun
• Jean Shepherd as adult Ralphie - the narrator. (Also has an on-screen cameo; see above.)
• Drew Hocevar: As Christmas Elf, he pushes Ralphie down the slide at Higbees.

In the DVD commentary, director Bob Clark mentions that Jack Nicholson was considered for the role of the Old Man; Clark expresses gratitude that he ended up with Darren McGavin instead, who also appeared in several other Clark films. He cast Melinda Dillon on the basis of her similar role in Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Peter Billingsley was already a minor star from co-hosting the TV series Real People; Clark initially wanted him for the role of Ralphie, but decided he was "too obvious" a choice and auditioned many other young actors before realizing that Billingsley was the right one after all. Ian Petrella was cast immediately before filming began. Tedde Moore had previously appeared in Clark's film Murder by Decree, and Jeff Gillen was an old friend of Clark's who had been in one of his earliest films.^[1] Melinda Dillon (born October 13, 1939 in Hope, Arkansas), is an American actress and comedienne. ... William Lyle Richardson (May 7, 1922 – February 25, 2006), who adopted the name Darren McGavin, was an American actor best known for playing the title role in the television horror series Kolchak: The Night Stalker, and also his portrayal in the movie A Christmas Story of the grumpy father given... Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971, in New York, New York), also known as Peter Michaelsen[1] and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen[2], is an American actor, director, and producer known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, whose requests for a genuine Red Ryder BB... Ian Petrella (born December 17th, 1974 in California), is an 80s American child actor. ... A meatloaf with a tomato sauce topping. ... Scott Schwartz was a child actor most famous for playing opposite Richard Pryor in 1982s The Toy. ... Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ... My Summer Story is a film that follows the further adventures of Ralphie and his family from A Christmas Story. ... Zack Ward (born August 31, 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada) is a Canadian actor. ... Friendship is a type of interpersonal relationship that is found among humans and among animals with a high intelligence, such as the higher mammals and some birds. ... Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... Nicholson as Wilbur Force in The Little Shop of Horrors (1960). ... This article is about the film; for the a definition of the UFO related phenomenon, see Close encounter. ... Real People was an NBC reality television series that aired from 1979 to 1984, generally on Sunday nights. ... A still from Murder by Decree showing the Goulston Street graffiti containing the word Juwes, which is portrayed erroneously as a Masonic term. ...

History and related works

Three of the semi-autobiographical short stories on which the film is based were originally published by Playboy magazine in 1964 – 1966.^[2] Shepherd later read "Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder nails the Cleveland Street Kid" and told the otherwise unpublished story "Flick's Tongue" on his WOR Radio talk show, as can be heard in one of the DVD extras.^[3] Bob Clark states on the DVD commentary that he became interested in Shepherd's work when he heard "Flick's Tongue" on the radio in 1968. Additional source material for the film, according to Clark, came from unpublished anecdotes Shepherd told live audiences "on the college circuit."^[1] Cover of the first English edition of 1793 of Benjamin Franklins autobiography. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Playboy is an American mens magazine, founded in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, which has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc. ... WOR-AM is a class A (nighttime clear channel), AM radio station located in New York, New York, USA, operating on 710kHz. ... A talk show (U.S.) or chat show (Brit. ... On a DVD (or laserdisc), an audio commentary is a bonus track consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, who talk about the movie as it progresses. ...

Initially overlooked as a sleeper film, A Christmas Story was released a week before Thanksgiving to moderate success. By Christmas, however, the movie was no longer playing at most venues, but remained in about a hundred theaters until January 1984.^[1] In the years since, A Christmas Story has become widely popular and is now a perennial Christmas special. Originally released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Time Warner (through Turner Entertainment Co.) now has ownership of the film due to Ted Turner's purchase of MGM's pre-1985 library and Time Warner's subsequent purchase of Turner Entertainment. However, it should be noted that producer-director Bob Clark is said to still hold 20% of the film's rights. Turner Broadcasting System owns the broadcast rights, and for several years the Turner-initiated station TNT aired it 12 consecutive times over a 24-hour period beginning on Christmas Eve. When TNT switched to a predominantly drama format, sister network TBS took over the marathon beginning in 2004. Clark has stated that one year, an estimated 38.4 million people tuned into the marathon at one point or another, nearly one sixth of the country.^[1] A sleeper hit or sleeper film (often simply called a sleeper) refers to an underestimated film that gains unexpected success or recognition. ... The First Thanksgiving, painted by Jean Leon Gerome Ferris (1863-1930). ... Christmas is an annual holiday that celebrates the birth of Jesus. ... For alternate meanings of MGM, see MGM (disambiguation). ... Time Warner Inc. ... Turner Entertainment Company was established August 4, 1986 to oversee Turner Broadcastings film library after its acquisition of MGM/UA. In addition to the studio, Turner got its library, which included all of MGMs films, Warner Bros. ... Robert Edward Turner III (born November 19, 1938) in Cincinnati, Ohio[1]) is an American media mogul and philanthropist. ... Year 1985 (MCMLXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar). ... Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ... Turner Broadcasting logo Turner Broadcasting System (often abbreviated to Turner), based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, is the company managing the collection of cable networks and properties started by Robert Edward Ted Turner from the mid-1970s to the late-1990s. ... Turner Network Television, usually referred to as TNT, is an American cable TV network created by media mogul Ted Turner and currently owned by the Turner Broadcasting System division of Time Warner. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24th, the preceding day or vigil before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas season. ... TBS also stands for Tokyo Broadcasting System, a Japanese television network. ...

A movie sequel involving Ralphie and his family, called My Summer Story (alternate title It Runs in the Family) was made in 1994, featuring an almost entirely different cast. A series of television movies involving the Parker family, also from Shepherd stories, was made by PBS, including Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss, The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters, and The Phantom of the Open Hearth. My Summer Story is a film that follows the further adventures of Ralphie and his family from A Christmas Story. ... // November 1 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical (while on sabbatical, he wrote the prequel Star Wars trilogy). ... Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss was a 1988 film following the family from A Christmas Story on their annual vacation to Ollie Hopnoodles Haven of Bliss, a set of cabins by a lake in Michigan. ...

In the year 2000, an authorized stage play adaptation of A Christmas Story was written by Philip Grecian and is produced widely each Christmas season. In 2003, Broadway Books published the five Jean Shepherd short stories from which the movie and stage play were adapted in a single volume under the title A Christmas Story (ISBN 0-7679-1622-0), with stories including: "Duel in the Snow, or Red Ryder nails the Cleveland Street Kid", "The Counterfeit Secret Circle Member Gets the Message, or The Asp Strikes Again", "My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award that Heralded the Birth of Pop Art", "Grover Dill and the Tasmanian Devil", and "The Grandstand Passion Play of Delbert and the Bumpus Hounds". This collection was also released as an audio book (ISBN 0-7393-1674-5), read by Dick Cavett. Cassette recording of Patrick OBrians The Mauritius Command An audio book is a recording of the contents of a book read aloud. ... The current version of this article or section is written in an informal style and with a personally invested tone. ...

The book Excelsior, You Fathead! The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd (2005, ISBN 0-55783-600-0), has several sections which comment on the movie A Christmas Story.

Settings

Locations

Main article: A Christmas Story House

The front of the Christmas house where Ralphie was filmed, in the Tremont Ohio section of Cleveland's west side

The movie is set in fictional Hohman, Indiana, based on Hammond, Indiana, where writer Jean Shepherd grew up. The name is drawn from Hammond's early settlers, Ernst and Caroline Hohman. ^[4] Local references in the film include Higbee's department store, Warren G. Harding Elementary School, Cleveland Street (where Shepherd spent his childhood years), and a mention of nearby Griffith, Indiana.^[5] A Christmas Story House is both a tribute to and recreation of the Parker familys house as seen in the movie A Christmas Story (1983). ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (509 × 687 pixel, file size: 349 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 444 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (509 × 687 pixel, file size: 349 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Location in the state of Indiana Coordinates: County Lake Mayor Thomas McDermott, Jr. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Warren Gamaliel Harding (November 2, 1865 – August 2, 1923) was an American politician and the twenty-ninth President of the United States, from 1921 to 1923, when he became the fifth president to die in office. ... Griffith is a town located in Lake County, Indiana and Calumet Township of Lake County, USA. It is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, and is located in The Region of Northwest Indiana. ...

The school scenes were shot at the Victoria School in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The school was sold to developers in 2005 and has been remodeled into a women's shelter. The Christmas tree purchasing scene was filmed in Toronto, Ontario, as it was the only location that still used red PCC streetcars - in fact, TTC streetcars can be seen during the scene. Ralphie beating up the neighbourhood bully was also filmed in Toronto, as was the soundstage filming of interior shots of the Parker home.^[6] The St. Catharine's Museum owns some props used in the film, including two pairs of Ralphie's glasses (one of which is the smashed pair), and two scripts. St. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... A Christmas tree from 1900. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area [1] Ranked... A Twin City Rapid Transit PCC streetcar in museum operation. ... A CLRV streetcar, used on most of the TTCs streetcar routes, is seen here in downtown Toronto, shown here on the 506 route. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Director Bob Clark reportedly sent location scouts to twenty cities before selecting Cleveland, Ohio, as the principal site for filming. Higbee's department store in downtown Cleveland was the stage for three scenes in A Christmas Story. The first is the opening scene in which Ralphie first spies the Red Ryder BB Gun. The second is the parade scene, filmed just outside Higbee’s, on Public Square, at 3 AM. The final scene is Ralphie and Randy’s visit to see Santa which was filmed inside Higbee’s. Higbee’s kept the Santa slide that was made for the movie and used it for several years after the movie’s release. Higbee's was known for decades as a cornerstone of Public Square, as well as for its elaborate child-centered Christmas themes and decorations (e.g. the Twigbee Shop [1]), with Santa as the centerpiece, until the store, which became Dillard's in 1992, closed for good in 2002.^[7] Higbee's was exclusive to Northeast Ohio -- there were no Higbee's stores in Shepherd's hometown. As such, he was most likely referring to Goldblatts in downtown Hammond (with the Cam-Lan Chinese Restaurant three doors down on Sibley Ave.) Benjamin Bob Clark (August 5, 1941[1] – April 4, 2007) was an American director known for the 1982 hit film Porkys and its sequel Porkys II: The Next Day. ... Nickname: Motto: Progress & Prosperity Location in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: , Country State County Cuyahoga Founded 1796 Incorporated 1814 (village)   1836 (city) Government  - Mayor Frank G. Jackson (D) Area [1]  - City  82. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... In the United States, a town square is an area in the middle of a traditional town consisting of a park or plaza and surrounded by small shops. ... This article is about a department store chain. ...

The exterior shots (and select interior shots, including the opening of the leg lamp) of the house and neighborhood where Ralphie lived were filmed in the Tremont section of Cleveland's West Side. The house used as the Parker home in these scenes has been restored, reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors, and opened to the public as A Christmas Story House. The "...only I didn't say fudge" scene was filmed just down the street from the house. A Christmas Story House is both a tribute to and recreation of the Parker familys house as seen in the movie A Christmas Story (1983). ...

Vehicles

Cleveland car buffs donated a number of vintage vehicles for use in the film, which helped to enhance the authenticity of the production despite a limited budget. During filming in downtown Cleveland, members of a local antique automobile club, following a preset route, repeatedly circled the square. At the end of filming each day, the cars were washed under pressure to remove road salt, and parked underground beneath the Terminal Tower.^{[citation needed]} Sodium chloride, also known as common salt, table salt, or halite, is a chemical compound with formula NaCl. ... The Terminal Tower complex in 1987 Lobby off of Public Square Construction workers building the Terminal Tower in 1927 The Terminal Tower is a landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. ...

The Parkers' car was a Model 6, four-door Oldsmobile sedan from 1937. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Dating the story

Based on references to popular culture in the film, the story takes place no earlier than 1939, when the MGM film The Wizard of Oz came out, and no later than 1940, the last year that Ovaltine had sponsorship of the Little Orphan Annie radio broadcasts.^[8][9] The World War II time frame is consistent with the presence of shoppers in military uniforms peering into the display window, which contained a toy tank. The most likely year is 1940, because Ralphie's new Radio Orphan Annie decoder pin is the 1940 model.^[10] This dating is slightly later than author Jean Shepherd's own childhood (he was 19 years old in 1940) but earlier than that of director Bob Clark (who was born in 1941). The Red Ryder BB gun was available during this period and for many years afterward, but never in the exact configuration mentioned in the film.^[11] Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... Year 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Wizard of Oz (film) redirects here. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cover of Cupples & Leon strip collection (1933) Little Orphan Annie is a full page (later half page or tab) American comic strip, created by Harold Gray (1894-1968), that first appeared on August 5, 1924. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... US Marine Corps MARPAT uniform Military uniforms comprises standardised dress worn by members of the armed forces of various nations. ... Year 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Code-O-Graph is a field cipher device and identifier from the Captain Midnight radio serial. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ...

Despite the many props and other references to this era, however, one can find the occasional anachronism, such as Scut Farkus (and the Old Man in a fantasy sequence) wearing a coonskin cap, a piece of apparel more evocative of the 1950s. Also, the police car (which can be seen through the classroom window) that responds to the stuck tongue is a 1947 Chevrolet . Such fuzziness of dating may be seen as a way to generalize the nostalgia for Ralphie's childhood as applying to other time periods as well. As Clark states in the commentary: "I set it in my mind as basically close to World War II. 1940 is my idea of when it is. That's when the cars are set for.... It's amorphously later Thirties, early Forties."^[1] Look up Anachronism in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Coonskin cap A coonskin cap is a cap fashioned from the skin and fur of a raccoon. ... Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor of the United States Federal Protective Service. ... Year 1947 (MCMXLVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chevrolet (IPA: ʃɛv. ... Childhood (song) Childhood is a broad term usually applied to the phase of development in humans between infancy and adulthood. ...

Music

The mock heroic tone of the narration, filled with such hyperbole as "the legendary battle of the lamp", is matched by the extensive use of familiar classical music themes. For example, when the character Scut Farkas appears, the Wolf's theme from Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf plays in the background. (The name "Farkas" is derived from the Hungarian word for "wolf.") The piece that plays after Ralphie says "fudge", and after the lamp breaks for the second time, is the opening of Hamlet by Tchaikovsky. The Grand Canyon Suite by Ferde Grofe is featured prominently in the movie. Movement 3- On The Trail provides a suitable Western feeling to a Red Ryder rifle fantasy sequence, and bits of Movement 1 [Sunrise] and Movement 4 [Sunset] were also freely arranged and adapted throughout the score. The music in the dream sequence with Ralphie in a cowboy outfit shooting at bandits and later when he finally plays with his BB gun outside of the house is based on the main theme from the classic John Ford western Stagecoach (1939). The Harp Solo from Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" is briefly excerpted for the scene in which Ralphie awakens to a snowy Christmas morning. Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (Russian: , Sergej Sergejevič Prokofijev; April 27 (April 151 O.S.), 1891–March 5, 1953) was a Russian and Soviet composer who mastered numerous musical genres and came to be admired as one of the greatest composers of the 20th century. ... 1947 coloring book cover. ... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский, sometimes transliterated as Piotr, Anglicised as Peter Ilich), (May 7, 1840 – November 6, 1893 (N.S.); April 25, 1840 – October... The Grand Canyon Suite is a popular suite by Ferde Grofé. It consists in 5 parts or movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon. ... Ferde Grofé (New York City, March 27, 1892 – Santa Monica, California, April 3, 1972) was a United States composer, pianist, and arranger. ... John Ford (February 1, 1894 – August 31, 1973) was an American film director famous for westerns such as Stagecoach and The Searchers and adaptations of such classic 20th century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath. ... Stagecoach is a 1939 western film, starring Claire Trevor and John Wayne in his breakthrough role. ...

Popular music of the time was also used, ostensibly as coming from the radio. This included three Christmas songs sung by Bing Crosby, two of them in conjunction with the Andrews Sisters. Popular music is music belonging to any of a number of musical styles that are accessible to the general public and are disseminated by one or more of the mass media. ... Harry Lillis Bing Crosby (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer and actor whose career lasted from 1926 until his death in 1977. ... The Andrews Sisters on the cover of the reissue collection The Best of the Andrew Sisters: The Millennium Collection. ...

Original music for the film's score was by Carl Zittrer, who worked with director Bob Clark on at least ten films between 1972 and 1998; and by Paul Zaza, who has worked with Clark on at least sixteen films, including Murder by Decree (1979) and My Summer Story (1994). // Top grossing films The Godfather Fiddler on the Roof Diamonds Are Forever Whats Up, Doc?, starring Barbra Streisand and Ryan ONeal Dirty Harry The Last Picture Show A Clockwork Orange Cabaret, starring Liza Minnelli The Hospital Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex Academy Awards Best Picture... // February 14 - Sharon Stone marries Phil Bronstein. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A still from Murder by Decree showing the Goulston Street graffiti containing the word Juwes, which is portrayed erroneously as a Masonic term. ... // Events March 5 - Production begins on Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. ... // November 1 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical (while on sabbatical, he wrote the prequel Star Wars trilogy). ...

Parodies and homages

• The television show The Wonder Years was inspired by the this film. The show, set in the 1970's, centered on its young male character, Kevin Arnold and his experiences growing up. It was narrated by an older, wiser Kevin (voiced by Daniel Stern), describing what is happening and what he learned from his experiences. Peter Billingsley makes a guest appearance as one of Kevin's roommates on the series finale.
• The Starz cable network has an animated online parody of the film entitled "A Christmas Story in 30 Seconds (and Re-enacted by Bunnies)", produced in 2005 by Jennifer Shiman.^[12]

• For the 2006 Christmas season, Cingular Wireless commissioned a television commercial that featured a condensed version of the film's story where the lead character has a similar obsession with getting a particular type of Motorola cell phone. The repeated admonition is "You'll run the bill up!" (the commercial is for a prepaid service).

• On the December 21, 2006 edition of TNA iMPACT!, professional wrestler Eric Young walked around carrying a leg lamp similar to the "major award" featured in the film. He also brought it with him for his match on the next night's Xplosion.

• On the ESPN sports talk show Pardon the Interruption, a leg lamp similar to the "major award" appears in the background.

• In the The Powerpuff Girls Christmas episode "'Twas the Fight before Christmas", first aired October 7, 2003, Buttercup wants an air rifle similar to Ralphie's. Princess Morbucks tells her "You'll shoot your eye out."

• The Flash animation "A Fairly Stoopid Christmas Story" by animator Thorne Winter as appears on Newgrounds contains several comedic elements relating to "A Christmas Story", and is a semi-parody.[2]

• A series of passwords from The Lost Vikings II (specifically, the pirate-themed levels) spell out "Be sure to drink your Ovaltine", the message on the Little Orphan Annie show in the film.

The Wonder Years is an Emmy Award winning American television dramedy created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. ... It is proposed that this article be deleted, because of the following concern: Needs to expand on topic; otherwise, should be considered for redirection to Wonder Years. ... Peter Billingsley (born April 16, 1971, in New York, New York), also known as Peter Michaelsen[1] and Peter Billingsley-Michaelsen[2], is an American actor, director, and producer known for his role as Ralphie in the 1983 movie A Christmas Story, whose requests for a genuine Red Ryder BB... Starz can refer to: Starz!, a cable TV network, or Starz the online downloadable movie service from RealNetworks. ... 30-Second Bunnies Theatre is a Flash cartoon series featuring films re-enacted by bunnies in 30 seconds. ... “AT&T Wireless” redirects here. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Motorola Inc. ... Motorola T2288 mobile phone A mobile phone is a portable electronic device which behaves as a normal telephone whilst being able to move over a wide area (compare cordless phone which acts as a telephone only within a limited range). ... Prepaid refers to services paid for in advance. ... TNA Impact! (official typeset TNA iMPACT!) is a professional wrestling television program produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) as its main television program. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Jeremy Fritz (born December 15, 1979 in Florence, Ontario) is a Canadian professional wrestler, better known by his ring name, Eric Young. ... TNA Xplosion is a syndicated television program produced by Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, featuring both highlights from TNA iMPACT! and exclusive taped matches. ... ESPN, formerly an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American cable television network dedicated to broadcasting sports-related programming 24 hours a day. ... Pardon the Interruption (abbreviated PTI) is a sports television show that airs weekdays on various ESPN TV channels, TSN, XM and Sirius satellite radio services, and as a downloadable podcast. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This is a list of television-related events in 2003. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The Lost Vikings is a side-scrolling puzzle/platform video game which was developed by Blizzard Entertainment (then known as Silicon & Synapse) and released in 1992 by publisher Interplay Entertainment. ... Cover of Cupples & Leon strip collection (1933) Little Orphan Annie is a full page (later half page or tab) American comic strip, created by Harold Gray (1894-1968), that first appeared on August 5, 1924. ...

References

Jean Shepherd posed as Frederick R. Ewing on the back cover of Ballantines I, Libertine (1956). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 114th day of the year (115th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 330th day of the year (331st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // == Macromedia Flash == ==]] Using Macromedia Flash 8 (bundled in Studio 8) in Windows XP. Maintainer: Adobe Systems (formerly Macromedia) Latest release: 8 / September 30th, 2005 OS: Windows (no native Windows XP Professional x64 Edition support), Mac OS X, Linux (i386 only, via wine [1]) Use: Multimedia Content Creator License: Proprietary Website... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 337th day of the year (338th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

A Christmas Story

• A Christmas Story House
• Article about the Red Rider Leg Lamp company