#20 - “A Christmas Story” (1983) with Ron West

There’s no denying that this film has become a holiday tradition for many families around the world. Since the film’s release, it’s become regarded as a Christmas classic, and the original house shown in the movie has even been transformed into a tourist-attracting museum. Many families watch it every year around the holiday season, while cable-TV staple, TBS,  plays it continuously for 24 hours at least once a year. Between the captivating storytelling, quirky characters, and overall filming styles it has stood out compared to several other similarly-styled Christmas movies over the years. So take a sip of your Ovaltine, then grab your Little Orphan Annie Secret Decoder Ring, and your Red Ryder BB Gun as Tim Williams and guest co-host, Ron West, go back to 1940-esque Indiana with Ralphie, Randy, Mother and The Old Man to discuss “A Christmas Story” on this episode of the 80’s Flick Flashback! But be careful...or you’ll shoot your eye out, kid! 

Here are some additional behind the scenes trivia we were unable to cover on this episode: 

• In an interview with Variety, Billingsley explained that both Shepherd and Clark had a specific vision for the film and that Shepherd would often try to direct him after Clark had walked away. 
• It wasn't until a decade ago when Warner Bros., the studio that purchased the movie from MGM, pushed for companies to manufacture action figures, board games, and every other kind of memorabilia associated with the movie. When Ward signed his contract to play Scut "Yellow Eyes" Farkus in the '80s, he didn't receive merchandising rights because of a mishap with his contract. So when Ward discovered the studio had authorized a figurine resembling Ward without his permission, he sued Warner Bros. and another company called Enesco. Eventually, Ward settled that and another merchandising lawsuit. 

Sources: Wikipedia, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB,  www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a26653/a-christmas-story-trivia/ www.screenrant.com/a-christmas-story-trivia-making-of/ www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/trivia/ 

Intro & Outro Music: "Total Eclipse" by Nathaniel Wyver 

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