A Christmas Story (1983)

Director:

Bob Clark

Writers:

Jean Shepherd (based on the novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by)
Jean Shepherd (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 November 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Tagline:

A Tribute to the Original, Traditional, One-Hundred-Percent, Red-Blooded, Two-Fisted, All-American Christmas...

Plot:

Ralphie has to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect gift for the 1940s.

Plot Keywords:

Christmas | BB Gun | School | 1940s | Tongue

Awards:

3 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Melinda Dillon	...	Mother Parker
Darren McGavin	...	The Old Man Parker
Scott Schwartz	...	Flick
Jean Shepherd	...	Ralphie as an Adult (voice)
Ian Petrella	...	Randy
Tedde Moore	...	Miss Shields
R.D. Robb	...	Schwartz
Zack Ward	...	Scut Farkus
Yano Anaya	...	Grover Dill
Jeff Gillen	...	Santa Claus
Peter Billingsley	...	Ralphie
Colin Fox	...	Ming the Merciless (scenes deleted)
Paul Hubbard	...	Flash Gordon (scenes deleted)
Leslie Carlson	...	Christmas Tree Man (as Les Carlson)
Jim Hunter	...	Freight Man
Patty Johnson	...	Head Elf
Drew Hocevar	...	Male Elf
David Svoboda	...	Kid with Goggles
Dwayne McLean	...	Black Bart
Helen E. Kaider	...	Wicked Witch
John Wong	...	Chinese Father
Johan Sebastian Wong	...	Waiter #1
Fred Lee	...	Waiter #2
Dan Ma	...	Waiter #3
Rocco Bellusci	...	Street Kid
Tommy Wallace	...	Boy in School
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bob Clark	...	Swede (uncredited)
Giada Dobrzenska	...	Little Girl at Parade (uncredited)
John Kennedy	...	Fire Chief at Schoolyard (uncredited)
Bill Kravitz	...	Billy (uncredited)
Jordan-Patrick Marcantonio	...	Boy Visiting Santa (uncredited)
Julie Matthews	...	Caroler (uncredited)
Christine Powrie	...	Screaming Girl on Slide After Ralphie (uncredited)
Kristephan Warren-Stevens	...	Crowd Person (uncredited)

Directed by
Bob Clark

Writing credits
Jean Shepherd		(based on the novel "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash" by)
Jean Shepherd		(screenplay) &
Leigh Brown		(screenplay) &
Bob Clark		(screenplay)

Produced by
Bob Clark	....	producer
René Dupont	....	producer
Gary Goch	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Paul Zaza		(original score)
Carl Zittrer		(original score)

Cinematography by
Reginald H. Morris		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stan Cole		(film editor)

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton
Marci Liroff

Production Design by
Reuben Freed

Art Direction by
Gavin Mitchell

Set Decoration by
Mark S. Freeborn		(as Mark Freeborn)

Costume Design by
Mary E. McLeod

Makeup Department
Ken Brooke	....	makeup artist
James D. Brown	....	hair stylist (as James Brown)

Production Management
Kenneth Heeley-Ray	....	post production supervisor (as Ken Heeley-Ray)
Marilyn Stonehouse	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Brough	....	second assistant director
Ken Goch	....	first assistant director
Alan Goluboff	....	third assistant director

Art Department
J. Tracy Budd	....	property master
Ken Clark	....	prop man (as Ken Clarke)
Carmi Gallo	....	assistant art director
Bill Harman	....	construction supervisor (as Bill Harmon)
John Fraser	....	scene artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
David Appleby	....	sound recordist
Alan Bernard	....	sound mixer
Gudrun Christian	....	assistant sound editor
Steven Cole	....	sound effects editor
David Evans	....	sound effects editor
Wayne Griffin	....	dialogue editor
Joe Grimaldi	....	sound recordist
Tom Hanrath	....	assistant sound editor
Ann Heeley-Ray	....	assistant sound editor
Kenneth Heeley-Ray	....	sound supervisor (as Ken Heeley-Ray)
Malcolm Rennings	....	sound boom man
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Glen Gauthier	....	utility sound (uncredited)
Don White	....	adr recording mixer (uncredited)
Don White	....	foley recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Martin Malivoire	....	special effects
Neil Trifunovich	....	special effects coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ron Gillham	....	key grip
Chris Holmes	....	gaffer
Gordon Langevin	....	camera assistant
Harald Ortenburger	....	camera operator
Shin Sugino	....	still photographer
Jay Kohne	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Ken McCahan	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
P.K. Fields	....	casting assistant: New York/Chicago
Karen Hazzard	....	casting: Toronto
Joanne Pasciuto	....	casting: New York/Chicago
Marcia Shulman	....	casting: New York/Chicago
Julie Matthews	....	extras casting: Cleveland (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Linda Kemp	....	wardrobe supervisor (as Lynda Kemp)

Editorial Department
Richard Cadger	....	assistant editor (as Rick Cadger)
Neil Grieve	....	assistant editor
Stephen R. Sheridan	....	color timer (as Steve Sheridan)

Music Department
Frank Morrone	....	music engineer
Alexander Musicchuk	....	choirmaster: Ohio Boychoir
Deborah Scheufler	....	bandleader: Revere High School Band
Jim Sentz	....	bandleader: Parma High School Band

Other crew
David Craig	....	production co-ordinator: Cleveland
Anita Hunt	....	supervisor: North East Ohio Salvation Army Band
Joanne Jackson	....	production accountant
Janice Kaye	....	unit publicist
Suzanne Lore	....	production office coordinator
Michael MacDonald	....	location manager
Blanche McDermaid	....	script supervisor
Cindy Morton	....	location manager
Denise Mulvey	....	producers' secretary
Charles Northcote	....	coach: children's
Phyllis Payden	....	supervisor: The Holy Trinity Baptist Church Ensemble
Kevin King	....	payroll accountant (uncredited)
Dale Young	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• Christmas Tree Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (as MGM/UA Entertainment Co.)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1997) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• Fox Network (1988) (USA) (TV)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Vídeo Arte (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Bros. Television (1998-) (worldwide) (TV)
• Warner Home Video
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Other Companies

• Blazon Flexible Flyer  display toys supplied by
• City of Cleveland  the producers wish to thank
• Daisy Manufacturing Company  courtesy of: air rifles provided
• Film Opticals of Canada  optical effects and titles by (as Film Opticals Canada)
• Hasbro  display toys supplied by
• Higbee Company, The  the producers wish to thank
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Paris Manufacturing  display toys supplied by
• Pathé Sound  sound facilities (as Pathé Sound, Toronto)
• Playskool  display toys supplied by
• Radio Steel & Manufacturing  display toys supplied by
• Red Ryder Enterprises  courtesy of: the characters and trademarks of 'Red Ryder' and 'Little Beaver' provided (as Red Ryder Enterprises Inc.)
• Road Master  display toys supplied by
• William F. White International  grip and lighting equipment

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Singapore:PG | Sweden:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #27113) | Norway:7 (original rating) | Australia:G | Canada:G (Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Portugal:M/6 | Australia:PG (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

3159 W. 11th Street, Cleveland, Ohio, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Don Geyer, who played the Scarecrow, was the head of Display and Fixtures at Higbee's Department Store / Dillards. Santa's throne in the movie is one of the actual chairs owned by Higbee's and used annually for Santa. After his death in 1999, his co-workers reported seeing him on the loading dock, where he used to smoke and a few claim they heard his voice on the overhead paging system.

Goofs:

Continuity: After opening presents on Christmas morning, Ralphie goes outside while his mother bastes the turkey in a roasting pan at the kitchen table. In the next shot, a canning jar of pickles has appeared beside the roasting pan. In the next shot, the jar of pickles has disappeared from the table and is in her hand as she comes up from the basement and sets it on the table.

Quotes:

Mrs. Parker:Randy, will you eat? There are starving people in China!
Randy:[groans and shoves spoon into his mouth]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Atop the Fourth Wall: Doom IV #2 (#1.3)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Peter and the Wolf

The latest Christmas Classic -- A true gem!

Peter Billingsly in a custom made role as Ralphy, the 9-year old who wants a toy rifle for Christmas in 1940 Cleveland. Everyone from his mom to his teacher, to even Santa Claus himself tell him that "he'll shoot his eye out" and should not have such a dangerous toy. Many wonderful scenes of "boys will be boys" trouble, including the unforgettable "tongue frozen to the flag pole" make this movie a delight to watch again and again.

As an added bonus there is much authentic Cleveland nostalgia, including the old wooden escalators at Higgbees and the main Square in front of Tower City. Add this to your Christmas Classics and place it right next to "Miracle on 34th Street" and "It's A Wonderful Life"!