These fun facts about A Christmas Story are sure to shock you—in a jolly way!
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The Red Ryder BB gun in A Christmas Story wasn’t real
One of the most surprising fun facts about A Christmas Story is that the Red Ryder BB gun Ralphie wanted, the “carbine-action, 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time,” didn’t exist. The model was specifically created by the manufacturer, Daisy, for the movie.
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The leg lamp was designed just for A Christmas Story
If you remember the leg lamp in the film, well, you might be shocked to know that it wasn’t from Shepherd’s book. Production designer Reuben Freed created it after reading the script. Now it’s one of the most recognizable props in film history.
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Peter Billingsley was one of the few professional actors in A Christmas Story
A lesser-known fun fact about A Christmas Story, deemed one of the best Christmas films for kids, is that Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie, was one of the only professional child actors in the cast. Most of the other kids were local hires, while Billingsley was already known as “Messy Marvin” from Hershey’s syrup commercials.
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A Christmas Story has sequels
Not to mention spin-offs! Yep, the legendary Christmas movie has a few sequels under its belt.The beloved 1983 original was followed by My Summer Story (1994), also based on Jean Shepherd’s tales, then A Christmas Story 2 (2012), a direct-to-video sequel about teenage Ralphie and finally A Christmas Story Christmas (2022), which brings back Billingsley as an adult Ralphie. There were also three earlier TV movies based on the same Parker family stories—not to mention a Christmas cartoon. Together, they make up a quirky little universe inspired by Shepherd’s nostalgic writings
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There’s an A Christmas Story museum
If you’re looking to visit the best Christmas towns in America, stop by the A Christmas Story museum. Located at 3159 W. 11th Street in Cleveland, the actual Parker house from A Christmas Story is available for fans to visit. Superfan Brian Jones bought the house for $150,000 on eBay in 2005. He spent an additional $350,000 to restore both the inside and outside to look exactly how it did in the movie. In 2006, A Christmas Story House opened as a museum for costumes and the props actually used during production.
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There’s an A Christmas Story musical
In 2009, a musical based on A Christmas Story premiered at the Kansas City Repertory Theatre. Noted songwriting team Pasek and Paul did the music and lyrics for the show, while Joseph Robinette wrote the book. A Christmas Story: The Musical, full of Christmas songs, eventually made its way to Broadway in New York City in 2012.
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A Christmas Story was mostly filmed in Cleveland and Toronto
While the story takes place in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana, the movie was filmed in two locations: Cleveland and Toronto. All of A Christmas Story‘s exteriors were filmed in Cleveland, while all of its interiors were shot in Toronto. Fun fact: A Christmas Story was filmed during the winter, but there was not enough snow in Cleveland during production, so a majority of the snow used in the film was trucked in from area ski resorts, or substituted with potato flakes and firefighter’s foam.
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Jack Nicholson wanted to be in A Christmas Story
Believe it or not, Jack Nicholson was interested in playing the role of The Old Man. But the film had a very small budget and couldn’t afford him. Darren McGavin was eventually cast in the role, and we think the movie is better for it. Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Wil Wheaton and The Goonies‘s Sean Astin also auditioned for the role of Ralphie Parker.
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A Christmas Story has a story about the weird kid in line
Do you remember the scene where Ralphie and Randy were waiting in line to see Santa Claus? Well, the weird kid in line that started to talk to Ralphie wasn’t an actor. He was just an extra on set, and director Bob Clark thought he was … unique, so he put the kid in the movie. The actors who played Santa, his elves and the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz were also local extras.
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A Christmas Story features cameo by screenwriter and creator Jean Shepherd
Speaking of waiting in line to see Santa, screenwriter and creator Jean Shepherd made a brief cameo appearance in A Christmas Story. He plays the man at the department store who tells Ralphie and Randy that the line to see Santa begins at this spot, but it ends all the way down the line. Shepherd is also the voice of the Narrator.
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A daydream involving Flash Gordon was cut from A Christmas Story
Want the scoop on a little-known piece of movie trivia? Ralphie daydreams throughout A Christmas Story, but did you know there was a daydream sequence that was cut from the film? He dreams about helping Flash Gordon battle Ming the Merciless using his trusty Red Ryder BB Gun. Unfortunately, there is no footage of this scene available.
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Hugh Hefner had a role in bringing A Christmas Story to life
A Christmas Story is based on a Christmas book by Jean Shepherd called In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. Originally, it started out as a radio show, but then Playboy founder Hugh Hefner and author Shel Silverstein encouraged Shepherd to adapt and publish his stories in print. The short stories were later published as an ongoing series in Playboy magazine.
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There’s a bronze statue honoring A Christmas Story
There’s a bronze statue honoring Jean Shepherd in his hometown of Hammond, Indiana. It’s the character Flick getting his tongue stuck on a flagpole after he was triple-dog dared. The statue welcomes all guests at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond. It was erected to commemorate A Christmas Story‘s 30th anniversary in 2013.
Written with contribution from Kelly Kuehn.
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Sources:
- Deadline: “HBO Max Dates Four Holiday Movies Including Sequel ‘A Christmas Story Christmas’”
- Vanity Fair: “How A Christmas Story Went from Low-Budget Fluke to an American Tradition”
- Gizmodo: “Ralphie teamed up with Flash Gordon in a deleted scene from A Christmas Story“
- South Shore Indiana: “Flick Statue”
- Cleveland Magazine: “Iconic Cleveland: The Leg Lamp”
