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| A Christmas Story House, restored in Cleveland, Ohio |
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| I think I'll get my son a "major award" at the Gift Shop |
Reflection
The house sure looks just like
the one in the movie! As you tour, all the famous movie scenes pop back into
your head. Everyone on the tour seemed so excited to see their favorite part of the house and remembering their
favorite part of the movie like: the kitchen
where the dogs stole the turkey; the bathroom where Ralphie’s mouth was washed
out with soap; and of course the living
room with the Red Ryder BB gun under the Christmas tree. The tour is interactive and you’re encouraged to sit on the
furniture and pick up any of the props. Everyone seemed to enjoy running around
the house taking pictures and acting out parts of the movie!
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| Kitchen were the Christmas Eve turkey was taken by the dogs |
My tour guide, Gary, was very
knowledgeable sharing interesting facts about the movie, actors, and home
owner. The movie was a flop in 1983 and
was given to Ted Turner for his new classic movie cable station. Turner then started playing the movie as a 24 hour Christmas Eve marathon making it the “classic” hit that it is today. Yes
my son and I are one of those people who watch it every year thanks to Ted
Turner who is probably laughing all the way to the bank (interestingly none of the actors
have royalty rights to the movie).
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| Scene from movie, outside the house |
You learn all kinds of tidbits about the movie. The box that held the leg lamp had to be cut to fit through the door. Any movie
scene with the “T” cut off of “This
end up” on the box was filmed in the house and with the “T” in the studio. They
used a suction device for the scene where Ralphie’s friend’s tongue gets stuck to the flag pole and potato flakes were used for the snow in the movie. Also the movie was filmed in Cleveland because Higbee’s Department Story (featured in three scenes in the movie) was the
only store that agreed to permit the director to construct the huge Santa snow mountain that is part of the film. The store continued to put up the Christmas display every year thereafter
until it closed. Cleveland’s casino now occupies the place that
used to be Higbee’s Department Store.
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| Ralphie got the soap treatment here |
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| Cut off "T" to fit through the door |
In 2004, the current owner, Brian Jones, bought the home on E-bay for $150,000, which was an exorbitant amount for the neighborhood and the home’s disrepair. Mr. Jones had a vision to open the home to the public. His love for the movie began when he received his first leg lamp as a joke in the service. His fellow service men all wanted a lamp, so he started his own company, “The Red Rider Lamp Company” making the lamps in his basement. He used the equity in his company to support the $250,000 needed for the home restorations because he had a dream, and at $16.00 a tour, and with 80,000 visitors a year, he has joined Ted Turner at the bank!
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| You'll Shoot your eye out |
(The home, the museum across the street and the gift shop where you can get all the iconic props, is open to the public year-round.)
Other Sources
A Christmas Story House http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/
Way You Watch A Christmas story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjVRyyyqhxA