"A Christmas Story" is turning 40, and Ralphie is coming home.
The star of the holiday classic, Peter Billingsley, will make his first visit to Tremont’s A Christmas Story House this fall. It’s part of a long weekend planned to mark the anniversary of Bob Clark’s 1983 film, partly shot in Cleveland, including the home that’s now a museum attracting film aficionados.
The Greater Cleveland Film Commission is hosting a dozen actors from the movie from November 10-12, including Zack Ward, who played bully Scut Farkus.
Ward recalled staying Downtown during the film's production at a press event announcing the plans Wednesday.
“At night, you couldn’t go out because of the level of crime,” he said. “The entire area was boarded up. It was a very different city. Over the last 40 years… Cleveland has become this other home to us, and we've watched it grow up and become this beautiful place.”
He’s visited the house several times, as has Scott Schwartz, who played the hapless Flick. He remembered auditioning for director Clark.
“I enjoyed Bob from the second I met him,” he said. “We talked for 10 minutes, and he says, ‘I didn’t have lunch. Do you want to get a hot dog?’ After that we came back upstairs, Bob says, ‘It was nice to meet you.’ I said, ‘Do you want me to read anything?’ He says, ‘No, whatever it is, you can handle it.’”
Ward and Schwartz have remained active in Hollywood on both sides of the camera. They also participated in last year’s sequel, “A Christmas Story Christmas,” executive produced by Billingsley.
Ward points out that his friend and co-star’s schedule since producing “Iron Man” has made it difficult to visit the house in Tremont.
“After ‘Iron man’ he got a little busy, because that did okay, ” he said. “Now the stars are aligned for it to happen.”
The “A Christmas Story” home was converted from an ordinary residence into a museum in 2006, but it is currently for sale. As part of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission’s Behind the Camera: "A Christmas Story" Official 40th Anniversary, the annual 5K/10K run at the home has been relaunched as the Cleveland Christmas Run. Director Amy Kentner said in its previous incarnation, the race attracted about 7,000 runners each year, many dressed as Ralphie or pink bunnies, a reference to pajamas he wears begrudgingly in the film.
“There was one lady who dyed her poodle pink,” she said. “I’ve had people dress up as Lifebuoy soap. We encourage all types of dress.”
“A Christmas Story” tells the tale of Ralphie Parker, a Midwestern boy who just wanted a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. Much of the film was shot in Cleveland, including on Public Square and at Higbee’s department store. The film received excellent reviews, and director Bob Clark was coming off massive success with the “Porky’s” series of raunchy teen comedies. Yet, “A Christmas Story” came and went from theaters quickly due to a packed holiday film slate of high-profile competition, such as “Terms of Endearment,” “Scarface,” “Sudden Impact,” “Yentl,” “Silkwood” and “The Dresser.” The film didn’t become a classic until the late 1990s, with playback on cable TV and home video.
Other cast members participating this fall include Ian Petrella (Randy Parker), R. D. Robb (Schwartz), Yano Anaya (Grover Dill), Tedde Moore (Miss Shields) and elves Patty Johnson and Drew Hocevar.A plum spot for filmmaking
By the early 1980s, only a few Hollywood productions had been shot in Cleveland. The 1966 Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau movie “The Fortune Cookie” and 1978 ‘s “The Deer Hunter” were both produced here, and both won Oscars. Aside from that, there was little consistent film industry to speak of on the North Coast.
Since 2008, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission estimates there has been $1.2 billion in impact on the region from filmmaking.
