A Christmas Story is actually based on Jean Shepherd's book In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. The novel is a collection of stories by Shepherd that he had told on the radio in the 1960s and 1970s.
Jean Shepherd also narrated the film, voicing adult Ralphie as he reflected on his past. The notorious "triple dog dare" and the hilarious leg lamp were lifted directly from Shepherd's stories.
A lot of us watched A Christmas Story and wanted nothing more than to have our own leg lamp. We bet the actors were probably thinking that too, but unfortunately they couldn't take one home with them.
Three custom leg lamps were built for the movie, but all three of them were broken on set. The design was inspired by a vintage soda ad. Nowadays, forutnately for fans, you can buy a knock-off.
Ralphie's glasses breaking wasn’t scripted, but it became a memorable moment. During filming, actor Peter Billingsley’s actual glasses accidentally shattered. Instead of halting production, the crew decided to incorporate the mishap into the story.
Peter Billingsley later revealed he kept the broken glasses as a cherished memento from the movie. This unplanned incident added authenticity to Ralphie's struggles and became a charming behind-the-scenes anecdote tied to the film's legacy.
No, Flick didn’t actually stick his tongue to a frozen flagpole! A hole in the pole and a hidden vacuum tube made it look like his tongue was stuck. The suction effect was so convincing that viewers often assumed it was real.
You still can't go sticking your tongue to a frozen flagpole, though, because it really will get stuck. Mythbusters proved that cold metal can make saliva into "a kind of superglue."
To create the winter wonderland seen in A Christmas Story, filmmakers used fake snow since it wasn't snowing in Cleveland where they were filming. They crafted the snowy scenes with soap flakes and firefighters’ foam, creating a convincing wintry backdrop.
While the fake snow created a magical look, it brought challenges too. The mixture made the set slippery, causing difficulties for the cast and crew during certain scenes. Despite this, the final effect brought Ralphie’s snowy adventures to life.
The Parker family house from A Christmas Story has been transformed into a museum in Cleveland, Ohio. Visitors can explore the restored home, carefully recreated to match the film’s iconic set, down to the smallest nostalgic details.
Fans of the beloved classic can see memorabilia like the leg lamp and Ralphie’s BB gun. The museum also features behind-the-scenes exhibits and souvenirs, making it a cherished destination for those reliving the magic of this timeless holiday film.
The Red Ryder BB Gun in A Christmas Story wasn’t based on a real model. Author Jean Shepherd described the gun by memory in his story, unintentionally merging features of two BB gun models from the same era.
Filmmakers discovered this while adapting the story, realizing the described gun didn’t exist. To stay true to Shepherd's vision, they crafted a custom hybrid for Ralphie’s iconic gift, blending the features he nostalgically detailed in his tale.
Jean Shepherd, the author of the story that inspired A Christmas Story, made a memorable cameo in the film. He appears as a man in line at the department store, directing Ralphie to the Santa Claus display, embodying his connection to the tale.
His cameo is a subtle nod to the narrative source, as Shepherd also provided the film's voiceover narration. His distinctive voice guided viewers through Ralphie’s adventures, weaving a seamless bridge between the original story and its cinematic adaptation.
The slide you see in the department store Santa scene was built specifically for the movie. The production team constructed it in the very real Higbee’s Department Store in Cleveland, Ohio.
This larger-than-life set piece was a key part of the department store's transformation into a whimsical holiday wonderland for the film. It’s one of the most memorable—and chaotic—moments in the film.
Ian Petrella, the actor who played Randy, has a unique connection to the Parker house. Years after filming, he briefly lived in the Cleveland home, which had been restored as a museum.
Petrella had quit acting to pursue graphic design and became friends with the owner of the house, who let him stay there for a few months. He lived on the third floor and guests of the museum got an unexpected treat when he was the one who gave tours and did meet-and-greets.
The infamous mouth-washing scene involved Ralphie being punished with a bar of "soap" after uttering a forbidden word. Thankfully, the bar was made of wax, not real soap, saving the young actor from an unpleasant taste.
Wax was chosen to make the scene look realistic while keeping Peter Billingsley safe and comfortable during filming. He did a great job at giving a believable performance, though. After seeing the scene, no one wanted to be punished like that.
A Christmas Story originally featured a fantasy sequence where Ralphie teamed up with Flash Gordon to battle Ming the Merciless. Although the scene was cut, it imagined Ralphie on the planet Mongo, clad in a spacesuit and armed with his trusty BB gun.
While the scene isn't available online, fans can glimpse its remnants at the A Christmas Story Museum in Ohio. The museum displays script pages and a rare image of Ralphie in his cosmic adventure, offering a peek at this whimsical, deleted moment from the holiday classic.
To shoot the daydream sequence where Ralphie is a sheriff defending his family from a gang, the prop master gave Peter Billingsley actual chewing tobacco. You'd think a grown man would know better than to give a 12-year-old dip.
Billingsley later said that within 15 minutes his world was spinning. He was sweating and throwing up before the director yelled cut and found out what happened. Luckily, Billingsley was okay and can laugh about it now.
You'll remember that we said Jean Shepherd's book was a collection of stories he told on the radio. Well, director Bob Clark heard one of these stories in 1968 while he was driving to a date.
He became so engrossed in the story that he drove around until it was over, making himself late. We don't know how that date turned out, but we do know he was inspired enough to create a classic movie.
Peter Billingsley was actually the first actor to audition for the role of Ralphie. Although Director Bob Clark really liked him, he thought he was "too obvious" of a choice.
Roughly 8,000 more kids auditioned for the part, but none of them were right. Clark went back to his original plan and hired Billingsley, for which we're extremely grateful. We can't imagine anyone else as Ralphie.
The movie includes several nods to The Wizard of Oz, notably during the Santa scene at Higbee’s department store, where Ralphie encounters the Tin Man and Wicked Witch.
These references highlight the cultural impact of the 1939 classic, which was still a beloved staple in the 1940s, the period in which the film is though to be set.
We all know that the character of Ralphie didn't actually say "Oh fudge" when he dropped the lug nuts. Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie, didn't say it either (but at least he didn't get in trouble for it).
Billingsley had to say the bad word over and over to make sure the camera caught the right mouth movements. He admitted he had to say it so much that he got tired of it.
A Christmas Story wasn't an immediate hit when it released in November 1983. It did okay at the box office, but it had a lot of competition. Not to mention that because it was released in November, audiences weren't in the holiday spirit yet.
Over time, the movie found its audience through repeated television airings and home video. Its relatable humor and heartfelt nostalgia transformed it into a beloved holiday classic, gaining more recognition decades after its first run in theaters.
The ridiculous bunny suit that Ralphie loathes was inspired by Shepherd’s original story. It represents the embarrassing reality of receiving “thoughtful” but unwanted gifts from well-meaning relatives. Unfortunately, we've all been there.
Peter Billingsley actually got to take home the pink bunny suit as a keepsake from the set, so it was a win for him (although he probably wasn't such a big fan while he was in it).
Nobody expected "A Christmas Story" to become such a beloved movie. It was made with a small budget and very few resources, especially compared to the big films coming out at the time.
Most of the actors took their roles because they needed the job, not because they thought the movie would be a hit. But the simple way it was made and its heartfelt story won over audiences as the years passed.
