A Christmas Story was a 1983 sleeper film that shot to fame over the following decades as a Christmastime classic. The comedy became so popular, it began airing for 24 hours straight from Christmas Eve through Christmas Day each year on TBS and TNT starting in 1997.
With the upcoming release of the sequel A Christmas Story Christmas, this film is about to see a resurgence thanks to its 1940s charm and Christmas nostalgia. But even the mega fans who watch the film's 24-hour marathon every year may not know a thing or two about the holiday hit.
The Book It's Based On Isn't About Christmas
A Christmas Story is indeed a film adaption of a book, but the book it's based on isn't entirely a story about Christmas. In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash was written by Jean Shepherd in 1966 and is a collection of semi-autobiographical stories told by the fictional character Ralph.
While Christmas-themed stories do take place within the book and would later be the basis behind the classic film, it also features other holidays like Easter, which inspired the famous pink bunny pajama scene.
Peter Billingsly Was The First Kid To Audition For Ralphie
It's hard to imagine anyone but Peter Billingsly as Ralphie Parker. At just 11 years old, the young actor known for Hershey's chocolate syrup commercials not only scored the role that he would forever be remembered for, but he was also the very first kid to audition.
According to an interview Billingsly did with Buzzfeed in 2013, he was the very first kid to audition for the role of Ralphie among thousands. "Bob Clark said, for whatever reason, that I was the first kid that he saw, but thought, 'Well, geez, you can't just hire the first person you see," Billingsly explained.
Darren McGavin Improvised The Furnace Scene
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If you're someone who watches A Christmas Story for a full 24 hours every Christmas, then you might just have The Old Man's furnace rant memorized, despite it being complete and utter gibberish coming through that vent.
While it's supposed to sound like muffled profanity, the entire string of drivel was ad-libbed by Darren McGavin, according to IMDb. In order to keep the film's PG rating, McGavin spewed nonsense for the scene, while Billingsly's not-so-profane rant as Ralphie beats up Farkus was, in fact, entirely scripted.
2022's 'A Christmas Story Christmas' Isn't The Only Sequel
A Christmas Story Christmas is a 2022 sequel that will see the return of Ralphie and Randy when they go back to their childhood home for Christmas. While the new film will star a lot of the original cast of A Christmas Story reprising their roles, it isn't the first sequel to the 1983 movie.
The first sequel to the film was 1994's My Summer Story, starring an entirely new cast as The Parkers with Home Alone alum Kieran Culkin as Ralphie. The next sequel, A Christmas Story 2, came in 2012, again starring an entirely different cast and ignoring the plots of My Summer Story.
Neither Ralphie Nor Peter Billingsly Said "Fudge"
It's got to be one of the most quoted scenes in the film when Ralphie accidentally drops all the lugnuts into the road and, much like his father would, proceeds to curse with the F-word that the film replaces with the word 'fudge.'
Except, he didn't say fudge. Not only did Ralphie not actually say the word 'fudge,' but his portrayer Peter Billingsly admitted in a 2013 interview with Buzzfeed that the film made him say the actual curse word several times in order to get the take just right.
The Kid With Goggles Wasn't An Actor
Everyone remembers the cringe-worthy scene when Ralphie and Randy are waiting in line to see Santa and in front of them is a weird little boy wearing flight goggles, who turns around with a creepy smile on his face and states, "I like the Wizard of Oz."
As it turns out, that weird little boy wasn't an actor, but a 10-year-old David Svoboda, who, according to Peter Billingsly on some DVD commentary, was found in the mall by director Bob Clark, who decided Svoboda's weirdness was perfect for the film.
Melinda Dillon Genuinely Reacted To Their Chinese Dinner
While the entire movie is full of unforgettable scenes, one of the most memorable is toward the end when the Parker family must give up on the idea of a turkey dinner on Christmas and instead, head to the only open eatery in town: a Chinese restaurant. After the waiters perform a hilarious rendition of "Deck The Halls," they serve the family duck for dinner, head and all.
As reported by News 5 Cleveland in 2015, Mrs. Parker's portrayer Melinda Dillon's shocked shrieks as the duck is served and proceeds to get its head chopped off were entirely genuine. The actor was purposely given the wrong script in order for her reactions to be authentic during the scene.
Jack Nicholson Almost Played The Old Man
It may be hard to imagine a father like Jack Torrance from The Shining doubling as Ralphie's old man in A Christmas Story, but that was almost the case during casting for the 1983 film.
According to trivia offered from A Christmas Story House, Jack Nicholson showed interest in playing the role of The Old Man, but director Bob Clark lobbied for Darren McGavin, and after some worry over Nicholson's high salary, McGavin was awarded the part.
The House On Cleveland Street Is Real And You Can Visit It
While it may not sit on an actual Cleveland Street, the Parkers' house does reside in Cleveland, Ohio, and was used for exterior shots of the home. But in 2006, the house that was built in 1895 was bought by a mega fan who turned it into a museum.
A Christmas Story House is a year-round tourist attraction that features a walkthrough of the house that was renovated to look exactly like The Parkers' home on the inside and out and includes movie props, set photos, and one of the actual Red Ryder BB guns used in the film.
Jean Shepherd Had A Cameo
Not only did Jean Shepherd write the book the film is based on, but the author narrated the entire film and its sequel My Summer Story. But what many may not know is that it wasn't only Shepherd's voice that appeared in the film.
Shepherd made a cameo during the iconic mall scene when Ralphie and Randy get in line to see Santa. When they accidentally cut the line, the man who informs them of where the line starts and ends is none other than the writer himself, Shepherd.