We’re halfway through our theme week on Christmas Movies! Today we’re talking about A Christmas Story!
A Christmas Story is based on the semi-fictional anecdotes in the 1966 book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash by Jean Shepherd. Director Bob Clark happened to catch Shepherd reading some of his short stories on the radio, including some bits that eventually ended up in A Christmas Story.
Clark reportedly sent location scouts to 20 cities before choosing Cleveland for exterior filming. Cleveland was chosen because of the Higbees Department Store in downtown Cleveland. Before connecting with Higbees, scouts had been unsuccessful in finding a department store that was willing to be part of the movie. Exterior shots were also filmed in the Tremont section on Cleveland’s West Side. The house used in these scenes has since been restored and reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors. It’s open to the public year-round for tours and overnight stays.
Around 8,000 actors auditioned for the role of Ralphie. Among them were a young Sean Astin and Wil Wheaton. Peter Billingsly was already a successful actors in commercials. Clark initially wanted to cast him as Ralphie but thought he was “too obvious” of a choice, so he auditioned many others before realizing that Billingsly was the right choice after all.
The real Red Ryder BB Gun was first manufactured in 1938. However, it was never made in the exact configuration mentioned in the movie. The Red Ryder in the movie was specially made to match Shepherd’s story. And in case you’re wondering, Ralphie says he wants a Red Ryder BB Gun 28 times throughout the movie.
The iconic leg lamp was created after Shepherd saw an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement. The style of the lamp was made by production designer Reuben Freed, who had (obviously) never seen or heard of a leg lamp before. Three leg lamps were made for the movie and all of them were broken during filming.
The film was released on November 18, 1983. It was a sleeper hit, earning around $2 million it’s first weekend. In the years since, thanks to 24 hour TV-marathons and home video release, it’s become a holiday classic. The film has 3 sequels: It Runs in the Family, released in 1994; A Christmas Story 2, released straight to DVD in 2012; and A Christmas Story Christmas, which was released on HBO Max last year. Learn more here.