quote:For me, and I imagine for many others, watching this movie has become a wonderful Christmas season tradition.
egg-zactly!
egg-zactly!
egg-zactly!
I would say the movie took place in 1939 or early 1940. I base this on the Orphan Annie decoder.I also got suckered into it and of course when I did the decoding it was an Ovaltine ad.By the fall of 1940 I was in high school and beyond this kind of foolishness.
quote:Originally posted by laming:
Allan Miller quoted:quote:"Ralphie, a young boy growing up in the '40's, dreams of owning a Red Rider BB gun."
Where did you get that quote Allan? Is that on the DVD cover? If so, then like many books-to-films, the book content/era was tampered with again for the making of the film.
It came from IMDB
Thanks DennisB.
Andre
Andre
quote:Originally posted by CH:
For those of you looking to see what the Dept. 56 A Christmas Story buildings look like. I have a complete? set on my Christmas layout.
There's a police station that goes with the set. You might have it and I just don't see it? Other than that I think you have them all.
quote:But if he was shot down over Italy, then the earliest it could have been was 1943; most likely it would have been in/after July of 1943 when they invaded Sicily. Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, was in November of 1942 and the Americans were on the western half of the campaign in N. Africa, a good 600+ miles from Sicily. Even with drop tanks, American fighters couldn't reach that far. If they flew to interdict supplies brought in for the Axis, I doubt if they flew that far east until after Montgomery had defeated the Afrika Corp in mid 1943. BTW, Jimmy Doolittle was the American Army Air Force commander in Torch.
And the last thing the Americans wanted was to put an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean. It was still a Nazi pond until very late 1943.
my father was flying B-17's over italy (and other places) out of north africa beginning in june of 43.
seems to me that if the time of the movie is 1940, none of the boys would have been old enough to fight in WWII. they would have to have been born in 1918 or so like my father was.
It doesn't matter the least bit, people! It's not based on a real-life historical event from any specific period. It's an entertaining fantasy film and a fictitious representation of the type of life events that any of us in the "senior" category can easily relate to.
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
It doesn't matter the least bit, people! It's not based on a real-life historical event from any specific period. It's an entertaining fantasy film and a fictitious representation of the type of life events that any of us in the "senior" category can easily relate to.
Allan,
I understand... I see your point... Poor boy, they just don't get it!
Bless you!
C
so...
wasn't the first post asking about the trains, not a discussion on what year the movie was set?
I am also curious, (about the trains, not the year).
wasn't the first post asking about the trains, not a discussion on what year the movie was set?
I am also curious, (about the trains, not the year).
quote:It's not based on a real-life historical event from any specific period. It's an entertaining fantasy film and a fictitious representation of the type of life events that any of us in the "senior" category can easily relate to.
Psssst - Alan, don't tell 'em, but Lassie was a BOY!
To be honest i have watched the movie twice and i just don't get it. I grew up in the 50's and the movie does nothing for me. I would rather watch the likes of Srooge w/ Alastir syms (not spelled correctly) Holiday inn w/ Bing crosby, The polar express and a Charlie Browns Christmas. I tried watching the Christmas story again this year and could watch less then a third of the movie before i got bored. Oh well plenty of others to watch.
Dave
Dave
You have my sincere sympathies, Dave! Not sure where you grew up, but you apparently missed out on some pretty neat 50s-style living (bad and good).
I second that.
My Christmas story exactly parallels Ralphie's except that for me it was a Lionel train set-especially the part about not finding it under the tree; after the "orgy of unbridled avarice" ended my Dad asked me if I'd gotten what I wanted. Well, not exactly, upon which he pointed to a large box stuck back in a corner: the Lionel steam turbine set. Most memorable Christmas ever (I was eight).
My Christmas story exactly parallels Ralphie's except that for me it was a Lionel train set-especially the part about not finding it under the tree; after the "orgy of unbridled avarice" ended my Dad asked me if I'd gotten what I wanted. Well, not exactly, upon which he pointed to a large box stuck back in a corner: the Lionel steam turbine set. Most memorable Christmas ever (I was eight).
One of the sets shown in the dept. store window is a Lionel 250E Hiawatha set. (Lionel remade it about 20 yrs. ago.) Dick K.
quote:Originally posted by J. Motts:
Good Morning and Merry Chirstmas Everyone. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I'm watching the movie The Christmas Story, you know the one they run non-stop from Christmas Eve thru Christmas Day. I love this movie as it brings back a lot of memories of when I was a young lad about the same age as the guys in the movie. I can remember going to the depatrment stores here in town and seeing the large window displays with the Lionel trains running all around and then you could mosey on over to the toy department and see the Lionel display layouts that they would have up and running for the Christmas season. Unfortunately, my dad never gave me a Lionel train set for Christmas, he was into HO scale himself and so I got Atheran HO train sets for my trains. My uncle at my grandmothers house, had what I always wanted and we would play with them all night and day. We must have run the wheels off of them, but it was such a great time.
My question to the members is simply can you all tell me what trains were represented in the shots shown in the movie at the beginning? I'm sorry I'm not all that familiar with all the early train sets and locomotives and cars that were avilable during those time back in the late 40's and early 50's. I'd like to try and see if I could find some of those. What do you guys suggest I look for?
Thanks for your help, it is most appreciated.
J. Motts
sptrainnut
TCA 12-67009
quote:Originally posted by rex desilets:
I second that.
My Christmas story exactly parallels Ralphie's except that for me it was a Lionel train set-especially the part about not finding it under the tree; after the "orgy of unbridled avarice" ended my Dad asked me if I'd gotten what I wanted. Well, not exactly, upon which he pointed to a large box stuck back in a corner: the Lionel steam turbine set. Most memorable Christmas ever (I was eight).
now that had to be a great Christmas! do you still have the set?
Gave it to my son when he turned 6. Languishes in storage 
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:quote:By now I thought one of yinz car experts would have set the date by recognizing Ralphie's family automobile. What year was their car?
Kind of hard to date things by the year the Ralphie family car was made. Years ago, people didn't buy a new car every couple of years or so. They held onto the family wheels for a good number of years and weren't stuck in that latest-and-greatest rut that you see so often followed today and in recent times.
Didn't Ralphie say that some men were Catholics others Baptists and that his dad was an Oldsmobile man?
Jerry
The Hut Sut song playing in the kitchen background was written in 1941.
I do not get the feeling the movie is set in the Christmas season that included Pear Harbor. Apparently the best can be done is date the movie to a 5 year span and leave it as an entertaining work of fiction. Here's the version of the Hut Sut song from the movie .
I do not get the feeling the movie is set in the Christmas season that included Pear Harbor. Apparently the best can be done is date the movie to a 5 year span and leave it as an entertaining work of fiction. Here's the version of the Hut Sut song from the movie .
WIKI says....
Vehicles
Cleveland car buffs donated the use of a number of vintage vehicles for the film, which helped to enhance the authenticity of the production despite a limited budget. During filming in downtown Cleveland, members of a local antique automobile club, following a preset route, repeatedly circled the square.
The Parker family car was a 1937 Oldsmobile Model F-37 four-door trunkback sedan. The Old Man's relationship with his car is revealed in some of the film's lines: "Some men are Baptist, others Catholic; my father was an Oldsmobile man";
Vehicles
Cleveland car buffs donated the use of a number of vintage vehicles for the film, which helped to enhance the authenticity of the production despite a limited budget. During filming in downtown Cleveland, members of a local antique automobile club, following a preset route, repeatedly circled the square.
The Parker family car was a 1937 Oldsmobile Model F-37 four-door trunkback sedan. The Old Man's relationship with his car is revealed in some of the film's lines: "Some men are Baptist, others Catholic; my father was an Oldsmobile man";
quote:Originally posted by J. Motts:
My question to the members is simply can you all tell me what trains were represented in the shots shown in the movie at the beginning? J. Motts
sptrainnut
TCA 12-67009
I think by now it has been listed as a Hiawatha, an M10000, and there was a semi-scale hudson with an assortment of postwar cars.
There was also a layout inside the store, just like the old department stores had. It was cut from the movie. There was debate about the use of a Santa Fe F3 and a rebuilt 623 switcher painted for NYC.
I'll see if I can find the pictures of the inside layout.
At the end of shooting one night, Bob Clark suggested we all have a go at the slide where Santa sat. So at 2am one Sunday morning before we called it quits, we all went down the slide.
The guy had a good sense of humor.
Regards,
Lou N
Up late watching Baylor and Washington score 1,000 points in the Alamo Bowl.
Why the football reference? Here is my entry into the artistic license used with this movie, dates and correctness be damned! But that’s what makes it fun!
According to IMDB “The film is set in 1941, according to the reference made by Mrs. Parker to Mr. Parker about an upcoming game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. These two teams met in a playoff game on December 14, 1941, a Sunday. It was their only playoff game against each other until January 23, 2011. The only previous time these two teams met during a regular season game in December was December 10, 1933. Throughout the 1940's the second game of the regular season between these two teams all occurred in November, the two latest being mid-November in 1942 and 1948.”
I watched for the first time ever this year during the TBS marathon. Loved it right away and can’t believe what I’ve missed all these years. Here are two photos from the "Christmas Story" section of my layout.
Why the football reference? Here is my entry into the artistic license used with this movie, dates and correctness be damned! But that’s what makes it fun!
According to IMDB “The film is set in 1941, according to the reference made by Mrs. Parker to Mr. Parker about an upcoming game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears. These two teams met in a playoff game on December 14, 1941, a Sunday. It was their only playoff game against each other until January 23, 2011. The only previous time these two teams met during a regular season game in December was December 10, 1933. Throughout the 1940's the second game of the regular season between these two teams all occurred in November, the two latest being mid-November in 1942 and 1948.”
I watched for the first time ever this year during the TBS marathon. Loved it right away and can’t believe what I’ve missed all these years. Here are two photos from the "Christmas Story" section of my layout.
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
"The movie's fictional BB gun, described as the "Red Ryder carbine-action, two hundred shot Range Model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time", does not correspond to any model in existence nor even a prototype; the Red Ryder featured in the movie was specially made to match author Jean Shepherd's story (which may be artistic license, but was the configuration Shepherd claimed to remember). However, the "Buck Jones" Daisy air rifle, immediately above the Red Ryder in the Daisy line, did have a compass and sundial in the stock, but no other features of the "Red Ryder" model. The guns and a stand-up advertisement featuring the Red Ryder character appeared in a Higbee's store window in the film, along with dolls, a train, and Radio Flyer wagons."
If I remember correctly the Lone Ranger model also had a compass.
quote:Originally posted by david1:
To be honest i have watched the movie twice and i just don't get it. I grew up in the 50's and the movie does nothing for me. I would rather watch the likes of Srooge w/ Alastir syms (not spelled correctly) Holiday inn w/ Bing crosby, The polar express and a Charlie Browns Christmas. I tried watching the Christmas story again this year and could watch less then a third of the movie before i got bored. Oh well plenty of others to watch.
Dave
Had to chuckle when I saw this thread was still going. Always seems like it's one of the fun annual traditions here on the forum.
Dave, I really enjoy this movie and love to watch it several times each season (we have the DVD!), but I know where you're coming from. We had a spirited debate at the office last week about "A Chrstimas Story" and folks seem to fall into two camps, i.e., those that love the flick and others who don't. Not much in between. We also concluded that there's a bit of gender influence at work as most of the guys give it a thumbs up and the women did not. Unscientific poll, of course. Call it "The Three Stooges Effect".
"His eyes were yellow I tell you, he had yellow eyes."
quote:We had a spirited debate at the office last week about "A Chrstimas Story" and folks seem to fall into two camps, i.e., those that love the flick and others who don't. Not much in between. We also concluded that there's a bit of gender influence at work as most of the guys give it a thumbs up and the women did not.
Pretty much spot on!
There are folks who love the film (I'm among them) and folks who don't care for it at all. Very few in between.
Almost invariably, women think less of the film than do men, and that seems to hold true across all age groups.
Obviously a whole lot of folks like and/or relate to the movie or you wouldn't see it aired non-stop during every Christmas season, and you wouldn't see the many ancillary products made (I have a leg lamp on my desk at home).
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
Obviously a whole lot of folks like and/or relate to the movie or you wouldn't see it aired non-stop during every Christmas season, and you wouldn't see the many ancillary products made (I have a leg lamp on my desk at home).
The leg lamp!
"It's a major award!"
My wife and my adult daughters and at least a couple of my granddaughters love the film. So much for the gender thing, in my family, at least.
We all pronounce fragile Fra-gee-lay now.
When I get in trouble with my wife I'm apt to say "What'd I do Ma, what'd I do?"
We all pronounce fragile Fra-gee-lay now.
When I get in trouble with my wife I'm apt to say "What'd I do Ma, what'd I do?"
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
...(I have a leg lamp on my desk at home).
ROFLMAO
Just be careful - you'll shoot your eyes out!
George
I also have a neighbor up the street who also has a "Major Award" proudly displayed in his front window. Nothing like the soft glow of electric....errrr uhm I mean it must be italian....
quote:I will report any interesting "discoveries" here.
and????
quote:Originally posted by johnstrains:
And it should be noted, the "neighbor" who walks up to admire the the Major Award is Bob Clark. None other than the film's director making a cameo!
Also note that the well dressed gentleman in the Santa line that tells the kids that "this is the beginning of the line, the end in down there" - is Jean Shepard.
Regards,
Lou N
This has been a very fun thread.
Just think: We've learned what trains were used, cameo appearances by previously unknown (to us) personalities, the years of mfg'er concerning the cars that were involved... all sorts of fun stuff! Even some anecdotal recollections by forum members of their own versions of Christmas Story they've lived!
One of the Christmas gifts the wife and I purchased this year for our 12 year old grand daughter was the DVD version. She loves the film to death and just about wore out the VHS version we had.
As for me: The various anachronims in the film are gladly accepted. I super enjoy the movie and see SOOO many things I can relate to concerning my 50's childhood.
(Anybody else have to wear one of those snow suits??)
Andre
Just think: We've learned what trains were used, cameo appearances by previously unknown (to us) personalities, the years of mfg'er concerning the cars that were involved... all sorts of fun stuff! Even some anecdotal recollections by forum members of their own versions of Christmas Story they've lived!
One of the Christmas gifts the wife and I purchased this year for our 12 year old grand daughter was the DVD version. She loves the film to death and just about wore out the VHS version we had.
As for me: The various anachronims in the film are gladly accepted. I super enjoy the movie and see SOOO many things I can relate to concerning my 50's childhood.
(Anybody else have to wear one of those snow suits??)
Andre
sadly we lost Bob Clark (and hls som llRC) a couple years ago to a drunk drlver.
quote:Originally posted by CSXJOE:
Supposedly his first name is unknown, but in the street scene where he is admiring his Major Award, a neighbor walks up and calls him Mark.
The neighbor calls him "Parker", not Mark. Parker being his last name.
"Hey Parker, what is that?"
"The exact date the movie represents can be seen on the decoder disc Ralphie uses in the bathroom. You have to freeze frame it on a DVD player. It says 1938 or 1939."
In addition to the decoder ring, one might also see exactly which issue of LOOK Magazine Ralphie uses in the first minutes of the film to con his mom into seeing a Red Ryder ad he had taken from Boys Life. I bet the cover photo would allow an easy determination of its issue date.
My observance is that the Radio Flyer wagons in the store window bear a logo and typeface that was current in the '80s when the film was made! It is nothing even similar to the Radio Flyer wagon I had in the 1960s, let alone how it might have appeared in the late '30s - early '40s.
In addition to the decoder ring, one might also see exactly which issue of LOOK Magazine Ralphie uses in the first minutes of the film to con his mom into seeing a Red Ryder ad he had taken from Boys Life. I bet the cover photo would allow an easy determination of its issue date.
My observance is that the Radio Flyer wagons in the store window bear a logo and typeface that was current in the '80s when the film was made! It is nothing even similar to the Radio Flyer wagon I had in the 1960s, let alone how it might have appeared in the late '30s - early '40s.
quote:"The exact date the movie represents can be seen on the decoder disc Ralphie uses in the bathroom. You have to freeze frame it on a DVD player. It says 1938 or 1939."
Director Bob Clark, in the narration he provides on the Special Edition set of discs, says the film is set in the 1940s. That's good enough for me.
What ever the date the movies is supposed to be is not as important to me as the memories it provided of my childhood in the late 40s. Even though the location is different there were many similarities between it and where I lived. The stores that had toy and train layouts in the windows. The houses and we were always taking shortcuts through neighbors yards. The school and the snow. And I defiantly knew what was going to happen with the tongue except mine was stuck for only a couple of seconds to the downspout on the side of the house.
I don't remember wearing snowsuits. We wore what was called a Navy Pee coat.
The Little Orphan Annie Radio show ran from 1931 until 1942. Ovaltine was the sponsor until 1940 when Puffed Wheat Sparkies became the sponsor. The decoder rings started in 1935 and ended with 1940. Here is an article about the decoder rings. It says the decoder ring used in the movie was the 1940 version.
http://www.achristmasstoryhous...little-orphan-annie/
And if you download this youtube video of the bathroom scene, run it full screen you can see the decoder ring is the 1940 version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...tHNA&feature=related
Robert
I don't remember wearing snowsuits. We wore what was called a Navy Pee coat.
The Little Orphan Annie Radio show ran from 1931 until 1942. Ovaltine was the sponsor until 1940 when Puffed Wheat Sparkies became the sponsor. The decoder rings started in 1935 and ended with 1940. Here is an article about the decoder rings. It says the decoder ring used in the movie was the 1940 version.
http://www.achristmasstoryhous...little-orphan-annie/
And if you download this youtube video of the bathroom scene, run it full screen you can see the decoder ring is the 1940 version
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...tHNA&feature=related
Robert
quote:If you look closely during the infamous tire changing scene, you can see some boats in the background. They look like the type of craft you'd see on the Great Lakes. And they are! That scene, among others in the movie, was filmed in St. Catherines, Ontario right next to a ship canal.
That scene was shot at the Cherry Street bridge over the ship canal in Toronto's "Inner Harbor". The scene at the Christmas tree lot was also shot in Toronto. You can see the Dundas Street street car passing by in the background. I believe the St Catharines scenes are the exterior shots of Ralphie's school.
quote:This has been a very fun thread.
Just think: We've learned what trains were used, cameo appearances by previously unknown (to us) personalities, the years of mfg'er concerning the cars that were involved... all sorts of fun stuff! Even some anecdotal recollections by forum members of their own versions of Christmas Story they've lived!
Funny...I was at a Farmer's Market over the weekend and one of the vendors had old Playboys for sale (discretely I might add). I found myself asking about the issues from the 60's where chapters from the book were first printed. I'd be interested in any other background info which might have been printed with the chapters. He said I was the first person to ever ask him about the ARTICLES! lol
--Greg
quote:The Little Orphan Annie Radio show ran from 1931 until 1942. Ovaltine was the sponsor until 1940 when Puffed Wheat Sparkies became the sponsor. The decoder rings started in 1935 and ended with 1940. Here is an article about the decoder rings. It says the decoder ring used in the movie was the 1940 version.
The point is: There is no specific time (year) intended or implied for the film, per the director's own words. Also, no single published work of the author was used as the basis for creating the film's storyline--vignettes of this, that, or the other were taken from a variety of his stories, including those presented to live audiences during his college speaking tour.
The film is, as I noted earlier, designed to evoke nostalgic feelings in a wide-ranging audience, and especially those who can relate to similar situations in their own lives, be they from the 30s, 40s, or 50s.
quote:Originally posted by Allan Miller:
The film is, as I noted earlier, designed to evoke nostalgic feelings in a wide-ranging audience, and especially those who can relate to similar situations in their own lives, be they from the 30s, 40s, or 50s.
Allan, this is exactly correct. I was born in '61. Grew up in Chicago. This movie evokes all the memories of my era as well. WIndow shopping on State Street and Michigan Avenue. Waiting in line in the grand old Marshall Field's on State Street to see Santa. Pulling sleds thru the snow on Lake Shore Drive, bundled up like Eskimos
Snowball fights. Trains were still THE cool, mechanical toy my friends and I all wanted.
The special bond with dad, who always seemed to know exactly what my brother and I wanted for Christmas.
More worried about "the bell rang," than staying outside to save a friend from a mud/snow/slush puddle. (no one at my school licked the flag pole
).All the lights that adorned State street and Michigan Avenue.
I could go on and on...
Most importantly it evoked those wonderful memories of what was truly magical about Christmastime back then for us kids.
At least for this relative young'n (I'm 49), this film did it's job and did it excpetionally well. I, for one, have never cared to nor tried to figure out an exact year for this film. Oh sure I could tell it was the 40's, but to that I shrug my shoulders, as it just doesn't matter.
