Spotlight on Jean Shepherd

"A Christmas Story" opens this week at the GCP's Vam York Theater. The 1983 movie that became a holiday classic was penned by American author, humorist and radio personality Jean Shepherd (1921-1999).
Like the hero of "A Christmas Story," Shepherd grew up in an Indiana town in the 1930s. He got his start in radio in Cincinnati in 1948 and moved to New York City in 1956. Before long, he was entertaining fans with stories, poetry and elaborate hoaxes, such as him encouraging listeners to ask booksellers for a copy of "I, Libertine" -- a book that did not exist -- to place it on the bestseller lists, which at that time were partly based on demand as well as sales. (Shepherd later wrote the book.) His narrative style inspired many young announcers, notably Garrison Keillor.
Although he talked about many topics in his almost 50-year radio career, Shepherd's most popular stories were those about ordinary American life. Some of these were published in Playboy magazine, and some were incorporated into books, such as "In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash," "Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories: and Other Disasters," "The Ferrari in the Bedroom," and "A Fistful of Fig Newtons."
Shepherd co-wrote and narrated the movie "A Christmas Story," drawing on previous stories and his own childhood experiences. He also appears in a cameo role in the movie as the man in the department store who directs Ralphie to the end of the Santa line. Some interesting movie trivia:

• Shepherd's middle name is Parker, the family's last name in "A Christmas Story." He grew up on Cleveland Street (in Hammond, Ind.) and attended Warren G. Harding School, just like Ralphie.
  
• Shepherd's younger brother was also named Randall.
• The director, Bob Clark, became interested in Shepherd's work after hearing him read the story "Flick's Tongue" on the radio in 1968.
• Clark has said in interviews that actor Jack Nicholson was originally considered for the part of The Old Man.
• Peter Billingsley, who played Ralphie, was already well known as "Messy Marvin" from the Hershey's Syrup commercials.
• A sequel, "My Summer Story," was filmed in 1994.

Thanks to 24-hour marathons and a heavy dose of holiday nostalgia, "A Christmas Story" is a beloved classic and a holiday tradition for many. Come spend an evening this holiday season with the Parkers at the GCP!

Source material: Jean Shepherd (Wikipedia); A Christmas Story (Wikipedia); A Christmas Story House