25 Things You Didn’t Know About ‘A Christmas Story’
No other holiday has as many movies associated with it as Christmas, so there is plenty for film buffs to discuss and debate at this time of year. Were Ernie…
Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Jason Merritt/Getty ImagesNo other holiday has as many movies associated with it as Christmas, so there is plenty for film buffs to discuss and debate at this time of year. Were Ernie the taxi driver and Bert the policeman from It's a Wonderful Life really the inspiration for the Sesame Street characters? Did Will Ferrell really eat cotton balls in Elf? Is Die Hard actually a Christmas movie? And what is the best Christmas movie of all time?
For my money, the answer to that last question is A Christmas Story. There's a reason that the 1983 movie has had its own 24-hour cable TV marathon every Christmas Eve since 1997. It's funny, warm, relatable, and somehow nostalgic for people who weren't even alive yet in 1940. But after all these years and countless viewings, there are still things I'm learning about A Christmas Story.
Do you know...
- ...that none of the movie was filmed in Indiana, which is where it took place?
- ...that a much more famous actor than Darren McGavin was the first choice to play the father, and that Peter Billingsley (top) almost didn't get to play Ralphie?
- ...how Flick's tongue was made to appear stuck to the flagpole?
- ...that the producers were lucky to avoid a lawsuit from Disney because of the parade scene?
- ...where the infamous pink bunny suit is now?
You can get the answers to those questions and more in the video below:
