What You Probably Didn't Know About A Christmas Story (1983)

That's right I've got another What You Probably Didn't Know About and this time it's about a Christmas film that there's no way you can escape from, whether you like it or not. As always despite the numbering there is no specific order.






1. For the tongue stuck to a flagpole scene, a hidden suction tube was used to ensure a safe illusion that Flick had his tongue stuck to a piece of metal.






2. Ralphie said "Red Ryder BB Gun" 28 times.





3. The movie was the inspiration for the hit 1980's TV show The Wonder Years.







4. In the DVD commentary Peter Billingsley (young Ralphie) said that nonsensical rambling Ralphie was saying while beating schoolyard bully Scut was scripted word by word.






5. The film's setting is in an Indiana town, but it was actually filmed in Cleveland, Ohio. To find an American city that resembled Indiana in the 1940s, the director Bob Clark sent his location scouts to 20 cities before finally deciding with Cleveland.






6. Bob Clark actually has a cameo appearance in his own movie. He played the neighbor Swede who is one of the on-lookers who marveled at the Leg Lamp.





7. There was going to be a fantasy scene that would have involved Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless but it was not in the final cut of the movie. And even thought it didn't show up in A Christmas Story the actors are included in the ending credits.





8. Ralphie ask three adults for a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Those adults being his mother, his teacher, and a mall Santa and they all said the same thing "You'll shot your eye out." But the one person Ralphie never asked was his father and he gave him the BB gun regardless.






9. The name of the Chinese restaurant is named "Bo Ling." That was actually a bowling sign across the top of the storefront but with the "w" not lit.






10. Ralphie's friends are named Flick and Schwartz. The actor who plays Flick is Scott Schwartz.






11. The film was released just before Thanksgiving and became a surprise hit. By the time Christmas rolled around, the movie had already been pulled from most theaters because it had been "played out". After complaints from audiences to both theater owners and the studio, the film was played on select screens until the first year of 1984.






12. According to Bob Clark, Jack Nicholson was given the script and was very much interested in play the role of Mr. Parker aka The Old Man. However Clark didn't learn of this until later and the studio didn't want to pay Jack's fee anyway, which would have doubled the budget. Regardless Bob Clark said that Darren McGavin was still the better choice and was born to play the role.






13. The writer/narrator for A Christmas Story Jean Shepherd also has a cameo. He plays the irate man waiting in line for Santa at the department store. Also the woman standing behind him is wife Leigh Brown.






14. The melody in Miss Shield's classroom is "Mary Had a Little Lamb". However if you listening closely the last two notes are incorrect.






15. Parts of the movie were filmed in Toronto, Ontario including the Christmas tree shopping scene. Another thing that shows you it was shot in Toronto is their red trolleys can be seen driving by the same tree scene.






16. Wil Wheaton auditioned for the role of Ralphie.






17. The music that plays when Ralphie said "fudge" and when the leg lamp breaks for a second time is the opening of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Hamlet.







18. Due to the film's popularity of being a holiday classic, the Daisy Rifle Company started producing Red Ryder BB Guns for the Christmas season. As such the Red Ryder BB Gun has become one of Daisy's best selling rifle models.






19. When Scut Farkus first appears the music that plays in the background is Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and The Wolf. Fun fact his last "Farkus" is the Hungarian word for wolf.






20. With the success of Bob Clark's 1981 comedy film Porky's he was allowed to make any film he wanted. So without Porky's we wouldn't have gotten A Christmas Story.





21. While Peter Billingsley has the most screen time he only had 93 lines of dialogue.






22. When they were filming for the Chinese restaurant scene, Melinda Dillon was purposely given the wrong script and everybody was in on it. She had no idea that the duck would have it's head and the first time she saw it was when filming was taking place. Which means her entire reaction in that scene was real. And that's exactly what Bob Clark wanted.



Well that ends this post. But before I go on to work on other post I want to tell you something. Next year I'll review A Christmas Story which will be fun but unfortunately I'll also review it's unnecessary sequel A Christmas Story 2. I know you'll have to wait a long time for that but I hope when that happens you'll enjoy what I have to say about both those movies.

State of The Project (Dec 4th - Dec 21st)



Dec 4th - Cinematic Disasters - The Christmas Tree


Dec 7th - What You Probably Didn't Know About It's a Wonderful Life


Dec 11th - Scrooged Review


Dec 14th - Raiders of The Lost Media - Cranberry Christmas


Dec 16th - Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi Review


Dec 18th - What You Probably Didn't Know A Christmas Story


Dec 21st - Bad Santa Review



NOTE: IF ANYTHING CHANGES I WILL TELL YOU.