I love reading up on my favorite movies, and because it’s Christmas time, there’s no movie I love more this season than A Christmas Story, which my family has watched every year since the dawn of time. Please enjoy these 17 really cool facts about the film.
1.
When Flick’s tongue is stuck to the flagpole, a hidden suction tube keeps his tongue in place. It doesn’t matter that I know this now; this scene will still be hard for my mouth to watch.
2.
During Ralphie’s sheriff dream, Peter Billingsly was given real chewing tobacco by the prop department. When it made him very sick, the prop department swapped it out for raisins on subsequent takes, so it was chewy and still created the brown spit.
3.
There were three prop leg lamps on set, and all three of them broke at one point or another during the process of filming.
4.
The Cleveland home used in the movie was bought in 2005 by a fan of the film and lovingly restaged to be faithful to the movie. Today, it’s still open for visits, and you can stay there overnight!
5.
Melinda Dillon was the only one given a fake script for the scene at Bo Ling’s so the director could get a genuine reaction when the duck’s head is chopped off.
6.
Peter Billingsly, the actor who played Ralphie, was an executive producer on Iron Man. He also made a cameo in the film as one of Obadiah Stain’s scientists.
7.
Speaking of cameos, you can also see Peter as Ming Ming in Elf.
8.
The Old Man’s 1937 Oldsmobile used in the film is still running and on the road today.
9.
In the movie, Ralphie says he wants a Red Ryder BB gun 28 times.
10.
In the story the movie was based on, In God We Trust…All Others Pay Cash, author Jean Shepherd recalled the description of the BB gun by memory. When the movie came around, and Ralphie described it, the filmmakers realized the gun didn’t exist, as Shepherd was conflating two different gun models from around the same time. The gun in the film is, therefore, a custom-made hybrid that follows Shepherd’s description in the story.
11.
Every last curse Ralphie says when he’s beating up Scut Farkus was scripted.
12.
A scene where Ralphie teams up with Flash Gordon to fight Ming the Merciless was filmed but was ultimately scrapped from the final cut.
13.
There’s a behind-the-scenes documentary called Road Trip for Ralphie which follows two superfans who try to visit every location for the film. They even uncover movie props from dumpsters and find stowed-away costumes.
14.
Peter Billingsly, though occupying most of the movie’s screen time, only has around 90 lines of dialogue.
15.
The Indiana Welcome Center has a statue of Flick with his tongue stuck to a flagpole outside.
16.
Wil Wheaton auditioned for the role of Ralphie.
17.
You can tell Bo Ling’s used to be a bowling alley, but they just turned off the W in the sign.
18.
Finally, the only person who Ralphie didn’t ask for a BB gun was his dad, who was the one who ultimately got it for him.
Has there ever been a present you wanted as much as Ralphie wanted a Red Ryder BB gun? Tell us in the comments below!
