It’s the time of year to curl up with a nice cup of eggnog and revisit your favorite holiday movies, and at the top of any must-see list is the timeless family film A Christmas Story (1983).
Classic scenes from this movie live in our memories. The vision of bespectacled cherubic-faced Ralphie forced by his mom into footed pink bunny pajamas, a gift from Aunt Clara, the table lamp in the shape of a woman’s leg wearing a fishnet stocking that Mr. Parker won in a newspaper contest, and who can ever forget Flick’s tongue stuck to the frozen flagpole after being “triple dog dared” by Schwartz. The fun images go on and on, and if you would like to relive them, there is the annual marathon on TNT and TBS starting Christmas Eve and running through Christmas Day, or you can experience an extra-special treat when on Dec. 3, Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie, appears at Patchogue Theatre for a screening of the iconic movie followed by a Q&A with the audience.
Billingsley has been an actor since the age of 3, appearing in television commercials, shows, and films before landing the role of Ralphie that stamped him into our consciousness forever. He went on to work on and off the screen and teamed up with longtime friend Vince Vaughn to co-produce some major motion pictures, including Iron Man and The Break-Up.
Billingsley was part of the team that brought the Tony Award-nominated A Christmas Story: The Musical to Broadway in November 2012 and in 2022, he starred as the grown-up Ralphie in the sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas, accompanied by most of the original cast.
For a fun walk into a holiday classic, join Peter Billingsley with A Christmas Story at Patchogue Theatre.
What can audiences expect when they come to see you at Patchogue Theatre?
They should expect the chance to see the film on the big screen in a theater with lots of other people. It’s a comedy and plays well with large groups. When people know the movie, it’s fun to hear them laughing in anticipation of something. I will talk about the movie, tell some personal stories, reveal things from behind the scenes, speak about the themes and why this film resonates so much. Also, a portion of the evening will be audience questions.
During the making of A Christmas Story, was there a feeling that this film was going to become a holiday classic?
Definitely not! It was 1983, before cable. Films have a very different shelf life now, I think in a good way. This was the early days of VHS, so you didn’t think about the future of the movie other than it might play on television. I started acting in commercials and films around 3 years old, so I had done a fair amount of work leading into this and I remember a very different sense of purpose on this set because the filmmakers had tried for 12 years to get this movie made and they used all that time to prepare. They cared so deeply about it. I had never seen a team more prepared on a movie.
I think the author, Jean Shepherd, wanted to see this movie made since it’s somewhat autobiographical. Correct?
It really is. There had been other iterations of Jean’s work. He talked a lot about it on the radio and wrote a series of short stories, so for this to become a film was special. It’s a period piece, a full voice-over and it’s got a kid lead. It didn’t check a lot of boxes for what Hollywood ordinarily looks for. But obviously they knew what they were doing.
As a director and producer, what would you like to say about the film’s narrative perspective that has been copied by later comedy-drama television series like The Wonder Years?
I spoke to some of the guys that did The Wonder Years and they were shocked that no one else jumped on the bandwagon right after that to do it because it was groundbreaking and such a great way of telling a story. It’s not only looking back with the voice-over, but then the character through the voice-over puts himself in the present as though it’s happening to him now. It gives a very personal appeal. Even though this movie takes place about 1940, there’s a timeless quality to it. The story is relevant; it encapsulates the family well. The most consistent comment that I have gotten is, “That’s my family.”
Why did it take 39 years to make the sequel, A Christmas Story Christmas?
I think because it wasn’t a very successful movie. I enjoyed doing the Broadway musical version which probably reinvigorated me to return to the Ralphie character and it was exciting to think of him as a parent, as a grown-up. What are his hopes and dreams? How was he as a dad? Where is Ralph in life now? We took many years to develop the sequel to get it right. We wanted to reflect the Parker family in the way that the audience would want to see them and to have the chance to bring back Schwartz, Flick and Scott.
You and Vince Vaughan are good friends and have produced numerous films together. How did you meet?
We met originally when I was about 17 in Los Angeles on an after-school special. He had just moved out from Chicago and was starting his acting career in Los Angeles. We formed a great friendship and the partnership started out of that.
You were involved in the Young Astronauts Program and were at the ill-fated launch of the Challenger. After the disaster, you were interviewed by Jane Pauley on the Today show. What do you remember about that highly emotional interview and time?
I remember it vividly. I remember being there and what a tragic event it was. I remember going for the launch because I was a spokesperson for this event, we had planned a press tour for myself and Christa McAuliffe when she was to have landed. Part of this was about the competition with Japan and the emphasis on math and science in schools and we were going to take a tour. Things shifted obviously and when I got back home to Phoenix, I got a phone call asking me to go on the show and try to relay a message of hope. It was live via satellite at 7 a.m. on the East Coast and 5 a.m. in Phoenix, where I was. I remember a lone cameraman. I was told don’t fidget, you’ll be on national television, 5-4-3-2 go! It was surreal because I was in a dark, quiet studio. Then I was communicating with Jane Pauley who was lovely and even though it was a challenging experience, I was grateful to have been asked to speak on it.
Is Christmas your favorite holiday?
Of course! It’ll be nice to come back to New York where I was born and lived as a kid. That’s where I started my acting career. Being back there around the holidays is so beautiful and I still have family there that I visit. New York is a big part of my life.
