Chapter nine comes from the author’s conversations with Philip Grecian, Brian Jones, Valerie Mah, Tedde Moore, Ian Petrella, Scott Davenport Richards, Scott Schwartz, and Zack Ward. The information about the death of Jean Shepherd comes primarily from Eugene Bergmann’s biography (Excelsior, You Fathead! The Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd [Applause Theatre & Cinema Books, 2004]) and his obituary as published by the New York Times. The Loren King article that is referenced is “Stage Adaptation Gives Films Second Act on Broadway” from the January 2, 2011 edition of the Boston Globe. Doug McIntyre’s quote comes from “A Christmas Eulogy for Jean Shepherd,” written in December of 1999 and available on Flick Lives, a Jean Shepherd tribute website (www.flicklives.com). The Vin Scelsa quote comes from a blog post (www.wfmu.org/LCD/25/shep2.html). The quote from Shepherd’s letter accepting the award was posted at www.hammondindiana.com/award.htm but is no longer available. The bulk of the information about the pre-Broadway run of A Christmas Story, the Musical! comes from the show’s website (www.achristmasstorythemusical.com). The quotes from Peter Billingsley and the musical’s creative team come from articles written by Erik Piepenburg (“That Wish for a BB Gun, Set to Song and Dance,” New York Times, December 5, 2011), Sean Daly (“A Christmas Story’s Peter Billingsley Talks Musical, Today’s Child Stars and His Beloved Red Ryder BB Gun,” Tampa Bay Times, December 8, 2011), Chris Jones (“‘A Christmas Story’ Comes to Chicago,” Chicago Tribune, December 5, 2011), and Andrew Gans and Adam Hetrick (“Broadway’s A Christmas Story, the Musical! finds its Ralphie(s),” www.playbill.com, October 2, 2012). The biographical information about Peter Billingsley, Vince Vaughn, and Jon Favreau comes from IMDb and the Wild West Picture Show Productions website (www.wwpsp.com). Bob Clark’s quote comes from the twentieth anniversary DVD commentary. Steve Oxman’s review appeared in Variety on December 18, 2011, in an article entitled, “A Christmas Story: The Musical.” The reviews of the Broadway show were written by Joseph Cervelli (“Imaginative ‘A Christmas Story’ Takes to the Stage,” The Record, November 29, 2012), Richard Zoglin (“Musical Treats, and Trials, of the Season, www.time.com, November 27, 2012), and Steven Suskin (“A Christmas Story,” Variety, November 19, 2012).
The last chapter comes primarily out of conversations with Tedde Moore, Ian Petrella, Scott Schwartz, Tyler Schwartz, and Zack Ward. Information about Ollie Hopnoodle’s Haven of Bliss, and the quotes about the film, come from articles by Jay Sharbutt (“Jean Shepherd’s Midwest in ‘Haven of Bliss,’” Los Angeles Times, August 6, 1988), and Daniel Ruth (“Fine Casting Adds to Fun of Nostalgic Film,” Chicago Sun Times, August 5, 1988). The quotes from Mary Steenburgen and Troy Stevens, as well as additional information about My Summer Story, come from the Clarkworld documentary. More information about My Summer Story is from Mark Faris’ article, “Charles Grodin Feels at Home in Cleveland,” published in the Akron Beacon Journal on August 15, 1993. Once again, box office information is from www.boxofficemojo.com. Information about the death of Bob Clark is from the Clarkworld documentary and “Director of ‘Christmas Story’ Dies in Collision,” published on April 5, 2007, written by Valerie Reitman and Andrew Blankstein for the Los Angeles Times. The information about the marathon ratings comes from an Examiner article published by Eric Fortney on December 24, 2009: “‘A Christmas Story’ Marathon Slated for 13th Year on TBS.” The box office information about the musical comes from www.playbill.com, while the specific information about the Lunt-Fontanne record being broken comes from articles published on Playbill’s website by Adam Hetrick on December 26, 2012, and December 31, 2012. Peter Billingsley’s last quote comes from an article by Adrienne LaFrance on December 25, 2012, in the San Jose Mercury News: “Peter Billingsley Gets Nostalgic About ‘A Christmas Story.’” The DVD sales information comes from The Numbers website (www.the-numbers.com), while Jean Shepherd’s quote comes once again from the 1997 History Channel documentary, and Bob Clark’s quotes and ending anecdote once again come from the DVD commentary track.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A world of gratitude is owed to Jen Hale, my awesome editor at ECW Press, for her support and guidance throughout this process. I’m so glad we have similar pop culture tastes and that we’re able to make fun books together! Please give my best to Nikki and tell her I’m appreciative of her support, too.
Of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank ECW co-publishers David Caron and Jack David for once again entrusting me to write a book for you guys. You have always been there when I’ve needed you, which seems to be quite often, and I thank you for constantly talking me off the ledge when I’m perched and ready to jump.
Three members of the Christmas Story family have gone above and beyond to help me — and this book is better for it. Ian Petrella, thank you so much for your help along the way. It’s been an honor getting to know you and work with you for this project.
Brian Jones, you have been a great asset. I’m in awe of what you created out in Cleveland, and I think I speak for Christmas Story fans worldwide on that front. Thanks for opening your Rolodex and letting me raid it. You saved me a lot of time hunting people down!
Tyler Schwartz, you swooped in at the eleventh hour with tons of information that kept me busy for many hours! Thanks for sharing your extensive research with me and pointing me to several Canadians in the cast and crew. It’s been fun getting to know you.
Eugene B. Bergmann and Wil Wheaton, thank you both for your thoughtful forewords! I am so honored to have you both as a part of this project with me. Tammy Tunyavongs, thank you for your help with transcriptions. To Terecille Basa-Ong, thank you immensely for your help in indexing and for being an extra set of eyes and ears. All of your contributions have made this book better.
To Josh Bellocchio, Johanna Calle, Angela De Gregorio, Vanessa “Curly Fries” Matthews, Chris Ryan, Fiona Sarne, and Wendy Salkin: thank you for being soundboards for ideas, listening to me go on and on about how the writing process was going, and most importantly for your friendship and love. Having you all in my life made the process a little less lonely.
Irwin Zwilling and Lyne Leavy, of the Jean Shepherd and Bob Clark estates, respectively, have been so generous with me in terms of having permission to use the two filmmakers’ stories in this book. Thank you for your faith that I would do the legacy of these two great men justice.
As always, I have to extend my heartfelt appreciation for my pals on Facebook (www.facebook.com/caseengaines) — they are truly the best! If you aren’t a part of the party happening over there, you need to give my page a “like” and see what we’re up to.
Finally, to my family, thank you for your unending support of my many incongruous endeavors. You are my biggest cheerleaders and I can always count on you to lend an ear or to sell a co-worker a book. I hope you have some sales lying in wait now. I love you with all my heart.
Enjoy the marathon, everybody! Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.
CASEEN GAINES is a pop culture enthusiast. His first book, Inside Pee-wee’s Playhouse: The Untold, Unauthorized, and Unpredictable Story of a Pop Phenomenon, received the praise and recognition of journalists from Ain’t It Cool News, The Advocate, The Village Voice, In Touch Weekly, and a host of other publications. It won a silver medal at the 2012 Independent Publisher Book Awards in their popular culture/leisure category. Gaines is a high school English teacher and the cofounder of Hackensack Theatre Company. He lives in New Jersey.
Copyright © Caseen Gaines, 2013
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library and archives canada cataloguing in publication
Gaines, Caseen, 1986-, author
A Christmas story: behind the scenes of a holiday classic
/ Caseen Gaines ; illustrated by Ian Petrella.
ISBN 978-1-77041-140-1 (bound)
Also issued as: 978-1-77090-414-9 (PDF)
978-1-77090-415-6 (ePUB)
1. Christmas story (Motion picture).
2. Christmas story (Motion picture)—Influence.
I. Title. II. Title: Christmas story (Motion picture)
PN1997.C57G35 2013 791.43’634 C2013-902480-8
Cover design: Jessica Sullivan
Cover images: Center: MGM/UA Entertainment / Photofest; Top to Bottom: Anne Dean, Ian Petrella, David Monseur, Ian Petrella, Anne Dean, Ian Petrella, Anne Dean, Ian Petrella
Interior layout: Natalie Olsen, Kisscut Design
Illustrations: Ian Petrella
Index: Terecille Basa-Ong
A Christmas Story Page 20