Flick's Echoes & Revelations: Behind the Scenes with Scott Schwartz | Ep004
Download MP3First up, if you were Yes. Dare If you were If you were dared to have a karaoke battle singing Christmas carols against Peter Billingsley and the rest of the cast, would you take the dare or would you pass? Welcome back to talking a Christmas story, your go to place for all things related to our beloved holiday classic. I'm your host, Jan Olenaya. And today, we've got a special treat for all you fans out there.
Yano Anaya:But before we dive into this exclusive interview with Scottie Shorts, who you know played the unforgettable flick. Let's take a moment to explore some of the rich themes and fascinating trivia about a Christmas story that continues to endear it to audiences across generations. The quest for the perfect Christmas presents, the trials and tribulations of the Parker family, and of course the unforgettable dare that left Flick's tongue stuck to that frozen flagpole. These moments aren't just entertaining, they're a mirror to joy, anticipation, and sometimes let downs that come with the holiday seasons. It's these a universally relatable themes that make a Christmas story not just a film, but a yearly tradition for many of us.
Yano Anaya:Did you know that much of the film's charms comes from authenticity? Many of the on screen antics were inspired by real childhood experiences of Jean Shepherd, the narrator and author of the book, which you know the movie is based on. This blending of reality and whimsical storytelling is what breezed life into the streets of Hammond, Indiana, making every watch a trip down memory lane for many. Thank you to Bob Clark. And who could forget the scene that brought the perils of peer pressure to a freezing point.
Yano Anaya:Flick's encounter with the flagpole is a testament to the film's ability to blend humor with lessons that resonate with us long after the credits roll. It's these moments that remind us of the innocence and boldness of childhood where every dare is a test of bravery and every challenge is an adventure. Over the years, the Christmas story has embedded itself into the fabric of holiday pop culture, influencing countless other works and sparking traditions like the 24 hour marathon. Its impact is a testament to the timeless appeal of its story and characters, proving that the magic of the holidays can indeed be captured on film. And speaking of special connections to a Christmas story, I've got a little revelation that might just surprise you.
Yano Anaya:So no no one knows this and I I hate to spill the beans, but we have a secret society more rare than the little orphan Annie community with a handful of members. This group enjoys a level of exclusive access to the cast and other incredible things related to a Christmas story that you simply can't get anywhere else. Now why am I telling you this? Because today, we've got something a little special. We've gathered some questions, from this ultra exclusive community and from our broader Christmas Story Family community.
Yano Anaya:These aren't your everyday inquiries. They come from a place of deep appreciation and curiosity about the film and the people who brought it to life. So let's start there. Sharing these insightful questions with our guests today, Scott Schwartz. Trust me, you're gonna wanna hear this.
Yano Anaya:You're gonna wanna hear all of his answers. Without further ado, let's welcome our esteemed guest, Scott Schwartz, better known to all of us as the brave, if not a little bit full heartedly flick. What's up, Scotty? How you doing, my brother?
Scott Schwartz:It's been a while since then. What's going on? Been a few days.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. It's been a few days.
Scott Schwartz:You busy? Few days. Yeah. Always. Yeah.
Yano Anaya:So, Scotty, welcome to, the talking with a Christmas story cast. This is, like, super exciting for all of the fans that have been anticipating you coming on to the show. I know there's a couple of fans that have been waiting, to ask you some questions. So I just wanna kinda dive right into this so that, you can go on about your daily life and handle business. Right?
Yano Anaya:So
Scott Schwartz:Oh, it's all good.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. Yeah. For sure. All right. So, Scotty, this question is from our community.
Yano Anaya:Actually, all of these questions are from the free group in our community. And so this question is for you that they wanna hear, is, Scotty, moving beyond the Christmas story, the fans would love to explore a bit more about you. You've had quite the journey since the movie's release. Can you share with us how the experience of being Flick influenced your path after the movie?
Scott Schwartz:I don't know if you could say influenced. You know? It was just something that, it was just a job that I did. I mean, I did many other jobs. You know?
Scott Schwartz:It it really doesn't come to fruition or become a big deal until, what, 14 years later. You know? I mean, all throughout, the rest of the eighties and through the up to mid nineties. I mean, you know, I was the kid from the toy. I mean, that's really what it was.
Scott Schwartz:So the the more influence in my life was more Richard Pryor. You know? You know, him being my mentor and my muse and my teacher and and my informational place to go when I had a question I needed answered. I mean, a Christmas story doesn't come until 97 and 98. It really starts building momentum, but it became the 2nd generation.
Scott Schwartz:It became the the the people that were our age, hitting their twenties, having seen it on cable or VHS, and then their kids starting to see it, you know, that's when it it became, I wanna show this to my kids. I've shown it to my son. I've shown it to my grandfather, you know, but it it didn't really doesn't really impact your life. I don't think kind of think the way maybe fans think it does. You know?
Scott Schwartz:Getting the bronze statue in Hammond, Indiana. Yes. I mean, it's a wonderful thing. It's, you know, one of 30 that exist in the world and all those wonderful things. But, you know, I I kinda say it the way that it is, and it's funny because I'm wearing my shirt.
Scott Schwartz:Friends don't let friends drink Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts because I use the example that, you know, it's great having a statue. It's it's it's an honor. There's no question. At the same time, I walk in a Dunkin' Donuts, and coffee and a donut is still $5. You know?
Scott Schwartz:So in that way, it doesn't, but it's more the invitations to dinners that you get when you go, and you travel, and you go literally all over the country, you know, or North America, where people just they feel they know us, they know me, they know you, they know Peter and Zach and Ian, and they invite you to dinner, they invite you into their home. You gotta meet their mom. You gotta meet their dad, their grandma, their grandfather, their aunt, their uncle, their brother, sister. It's that's really the differences. It just there's just so many, fans and people out there that because they grew up with us that it's like we're a member of the family that they never get to meet.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. I can resonate with that with a 100%. It's happened so many times in in our experience of going out events is going into somebody's home. Like, remember Joe Levy? I can't remember.
Yano Anaya:I remember that that one time where we went into his home and he was just in awe that the Christmas story cast was in its home, you know, eating his cookies. So, yeah, I that is that's an amazing experience that people can have.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. No. I mean, I've gone, you know, to people that I've met somewhere along the way, maybe more than once or twice, you know, and they invite you into their home or their apartment or whatever
Yano Anaya:it is. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:And it to them, it's surreal because they see us on television. Yeah. You know? So it's like they see us on TV, so we're not real people. Right.
Scott Schwartz:You know? We're just those guys. Right. You know? We're we're those guys that's on TV, and they're you would never think that we would come into their home, like, you know, you said with Joe and I mean and then there's yet the people that we know, you know, since either before or after.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I I give the example. My friend Scott, who you met, he was with Peter
Yano Anaya:Oh, yeah.
Scott Schwartz:For the events. I do. You know? It's like I have Scott's combination to his house. Right.
Scott Schwartz:I just go and I go, dude, what's up? And I take off my shoes, and we sit, and we yippity yap about whatever's going on. You know? And, I mean, that's Jersey. He's my you know?
Scott Schwartz:Minegar is my Jersey boy, so it's like, okay. Fine. But I mean, I have other friends and places that I go to, and and it's kind of the same thing. They just they may have started out as fans, not the ones that we grew up with. You know?
Scott Schwartz:But other people may have started out as fans, and then you become friends with them. You know? Jerry Lawler, you know, who you find you got to meet. You know?
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:I mean, he's famous into his own right
Yano Anaya:Right.
Scott Schwartz:And yet he's a Christmas story lover. And it's like, you know, when are you coming back over? Whatever. And I have the combination to his house and it's like, okay, fine. And, you know, I spoke to him yesterday and, you know, it's like fans are everywhere.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. You
Scott Schwartz:know, if you're in show business, and it's it's just the kind of person you are. You know? Some people are more warm than others and, you know That's true. Some are cooler than others and you know? Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:Mindy says hi, by the way. Mindy from from Florida.
Yano Anaya:What's up, Mindy? Hi, Mindy. What was your last name again?
Scott Schwartz:Do you remember? Strickland?
Yano Anaya:Mindy Strickland. Go marines.
Scott Schwartz:I'm pretty sure.
Yano Anaya:That she's a marine. That's I'm pretty sure.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. Oh my god. You're gonna make me look now.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. No. You're right.
Scott Schwartz:Mindy Strickland. No. She yeah. Minish yeah. Because she sent me a text this morning.
Scott Schwartz:Alright. She's like, hey. What's up? How are you? Aw.
Scott Schwartz:You know? Yeah. So I got you know, I went down and and we met in Cleveland and everybody, and then it was like, come and come down to Florida. You're coming down, hang out. And so we did, and and she's wonderful.
Scott Schwartz:So it's like, you get to meet good mostly good people along the way. And, you know, it's there's so much negativity in the world and badness in the world. And why not give somebody a smile? Yeah. You know?
Scott Schwartz:And and I went to see a friend of mine today. As a matter of fact, I I won't mention her name.
Yano Anaya:So now, next question. So, Scott, looking back, how has been a part of such an iconic film, changed your perspective on life or added to your perspective on life and your career choices moving forward?
Scott Schwartz:You know, have always just kind of put it in Richard taught me this. It was, again, it's just Richard taught me. Teachings of Richard. You know? Yes.
Scott Schwartz:The job is the job. Life is life. They are 2 different things. You know? And you're never bigger than the job, and yet the job is not bigger than you.
Scott Schwartz:You know? You you have to sort of understand that no matter what you do, when you walk through the door at home, you're you're just you.
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I never I I never let doing 2 iconic films change my perspectives. You know, there were other things in my life that changed my perspectives along the way, especially Richard. You know, he kind of gave me a guidance, about life itself. You know?
Scott Schwartz:But, you know, I will always be that kid from Bridgewater, New Jersey no matter where I go, what I do. However old I get or no matter where I live, I will always be that guy. I've had about the wildest wackiest career of of of, you know, of any of you guys by far. I've had the good and I've had the bad, you know, over the course of of the career. I don't say life because you got a kid, and I don't.
Scott Schwartz:So darn I missed out on that grandpa. But, you know, I I've always just been I've kept my head straight on the ball. You know? You don't get lost in who you think you are. You know?
Scott Schwartz:So I mean I mean, listen. I'm not saying it's not wonderful. It's great to be known for something that brings smiles and love and and and wonderful, feelings to people. Yeah. You know?
Scott Schwartz:To be honored with a statue and, you know, being on a Monopoly board and an action figure and all these wild, wacky things that I never thought. Never. You know? You because you don't think about that stuff. You know?
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. You know, we make the movie in 83, and it's a small little movie and okay. Fine. And whatever. And there's no product for damn near 20 years.
Scott Schwartz:You know? There's not anything, you know, other than a leg lamp, but that's not us. Yeah. You know? I think I think the first monopoly is, like, o 8.
Scott Schwartz:I mean, you're talking 25 years after a movie is made.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? So it's not like, oh, we're Star Wars, and we're gonna have toys and dolls and
Yano Anaya:games. No. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? None of us expected any of that stuff. You know? Yeah. But it's again, it's it's forged different paths for each of us.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I mean, in my case, I mean, I'm sitting here and and I mean, I could I can tell the people this is actually the week of WrestleMania. They probably won't see it till after that, but that's okay. You know? And over on this side is my shot of of the mega powers of of Randy Savage and, and Hulk Hogan.
Scott Schwartz:And over here is is one of the most famous portrait photos of the lovely miss Elizabeth who was Randy's wife. If people don't know wrestling, that's okay. Right.
Yano Anaya:But they
Scott Schwartz:were my friends. Yeah. You know? And these actually came from the offices of what used to be WWF back in the day. The photographer actually gave me his originals.
Yano Anaya:Wow. You
Scott Schwartz:know? And and and him and his wife and his family, Christmas story fanatics. Right. Again, I met him after Christmas story. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:But nobody knew what it was. It was, you know, oh my god. He's the guy Richard Pryor. That's so cool. You know?
Scott Schwartz:So, I mean, all this other stuff came later. But to say it at at not only my age, but our ages, to just have this thing that people love and people embrace, and they just it brings a good feeling. You know? How did there's an old saying by by Wonka from from Gene Wilder's movie from Willy Wonka, and I'm just now thinking of it, but it's about the dreary world and, you know, we should have a smile and a good thing. Something like that.
Scott Schwartz:I don't remember it. I have to remember it. You know? But it's, yep, it's been a it's been a roller coaster.
Yano Anaya:Been a wild ride. That's for sure.
Scott Schwartz:It's been a wild ride, but but, you know, we I I wanna say we reap the benefits. It may not necessarily be the financial benefits of it. Mhmm. But it's the fun things we get to do.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. That's for sure.
Scott Schwartz:You know?
Yano Anaya:And it's
Scott Schwartz:The places, the people.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. Yeah. It's a good segue into this next question. So this next question is, would you, and can you share a moment or experience from your life that, although not related to the film, has been significantly shaped by the values or lessons that you've learned during your time as flick.
Scott Schwartz:Not really.
Yano Anaya:It was pride. You know what
Scott Schwartz:I mean?
Yano Anaya:Like the toy because that was like you you were
Scott Schwartz:Well, yeah. I mean, you know Like,
Yano Anaya:it's a big part of your life.
Scott Schwartz:You know what I mean?
Yano Anaya:And that's rare for anybody to stay. You know what I mean? I mean, most people don't even know that you had that kind of relationship with with Richard Pryor. I mean, he was, an extremely famous individual at that time. And you were just a you were, what, 13 when you did the toy?
Yano Anaya:Mhmm.
Scott Schwartz:I turned 14 while we shot. Uh-huh. You know? Then is
Yano Anaya:a lot
Scott Schwartz:I mean, a lot of the stories, I just can't tell because it's a kid friendly show. But Sure.
Yano Anaya:So maybe we'll keep that one for the after hour.
Scott Schwartz:We met. We talked. I had a background that I loved Hollywood to begin with. You know, I've gone to the movies with dad every Saturday. And not just one movie, we would go all day long from literally 9:30, 10 o'clock in the morning until after midnight.
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:We would be in a double feature on 42nd Street seeing a kung fu picture and a horror movie. We would be at a film club called Joe's Place right inside the Lincoln Tunnel in in Manhattan. We would go to town hall, which was right off Broadway 45th. You know? So I knew a lot about old Hollywood, and I knew about comedy, and I knew who Richard was.
Scott Schwartz:So when I met him, we had discussions about things that your normal typical 13 year old would have no idea. You know, there was an old western star named Lash LaRue, and his his moniker was the master of the bullwhip. Well, sure enough, just, again, things happen for reasons. You know? Richard and I were talking one day.
Scott Schwartz:We had just gotten to Louisiana. We just started shooting. And he's and and and something on the TV was on. I think it was a western lone ranger or something like that. And I said, yeah.
Scott Schwartz:I met Clayton Moore at a convention in this. And he says, oh, my favorite was Lash The Roux. And I said, oh, the master of the bullwhip. And he said, how do you know that? And I said, I'm a movie guy is what I know.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. Ended up getting him, like, 25 different Lashler movies on VHS tapes so he could watch them in Louisiana and whatever. We all had the VCRs at that time. Yeah. But it opened me up to having conversations with him.
Scott Schwartz:And little did I know that, you know, he was on the other side after him burning himself up. I knew about it. You know? But he wanted to be a teacher. And I just kind of stepped up as the student even though that's not really how it started.
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know, we just started with conversations and friendship, and okay. Fine. And then it's asked me any question, and I would just ask questions. And, again, mentally, I was way ahead because since I was 6 years old, I spent more time with adults than the kids. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:So he he gave me perspectives on just about everything you could possibly imagine.
Yano Anaya:Mhmm.
Scott Schwartz:So that is what really changed, you know, my life at that point. And then when I went through a tough period, you know, yeah, he and I talked, and he's like, you just gotta kinda find the answer on your own. It's like this particular question. He's like, I can't really give you that answer because you have to find what you're looking for. You know?
Scott Schwartz:And I moved from California, went back to Jersey. I was on the road for 17 months, but then I found the answer to the question. You know? And I talked to him in the meantime here and there. You know?
Scott Schwartz:And it it was it was amazing to have somebody who was so deep intellectually. The man who I mean, you name something, and he could tell you something about it. At the same time, he was a crack addict before that. You know? He loved his crack, and he loved his Coke, and he was an alcoholic and did all the things he did, burn himself up and all that stuff.
Scott Schwartz:But, man, there's been nobody that I would ever have wanted to be my teacher more than him. You know? Because to to I can hear I can still hear his voice. I think about it. I think of a question and I go, what would he say?
Scott Schwartz:And I can hear him.
Yano Anaya:You know, I gotta tell you, I will I'll never forget the excitement that I had when I got hired, for Grover Dill, and then I read the casting sheet and read Scott Schwartz and Peter Billingsley. Like, I was I was blown away that I was actually gonna work with superstars. That that's what the first thing that came about. You guys are superstars because of the toy and because the dirt bike kid was one one of my favorite, you know, movies back in those days because I loved dirt bikes. So it was it was an exciting time, of meeting you guys and then learning about who you are and and seeing your personality.
Yano Anaya:Like, your personalities fit your characters, like, perfectly because, you know, we could say that, you know, we we were trained as actors, but it was all authentic. Like, literally, those characters that were in the movie were just brought out by Bob Clark pretty easily. It was just it was a it was a wonderful experience for me when I was a kid.
Scott Schwartz:But Bob Bob wanted Bob wanted us to be natural.
Yano Anaya:Yep. A 100%.
Scott Schwartz:That's what he that's what he said more than anything else. He wanted a natural group of kids
Yano Anaya:Mhmm.
Scott Schwartz:To do this. You know, I mean, the only one that realistically I knew at the time was was Peter about Yay Much, you know.
Yano Anaya:From what? From, like, auditions or something and, you know, and
Scott Schwartz:No. No. From, I think it's real people.
Yano Anaya:Oh, that's right.
Scott Schwartz:Or the show that he did. Yeah. You know? I mean, yes. I knew who Darren McGavin was.
Scott Schwartz:Nightstalker. Sure. You know? Yeah. But I certainly didn't have, for some reason.
Scott Schwartz:I mean, I knew he was a knife stalker and I just didn't talk to him about that. Yeah. It was, you know and I really didn't have too long conversations with the guy. It was, hey. It's nice to meet you.
Scott Schwartz:How you doing? Okay. Great. Can you grab me a bagel? You know, Melinda, I knew more because of close encounters, you know, and enjoyed, chit chatting with her a little bit about that.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. You know? But I mean I did, like I never said to her, oh my god you work with Steven Spielberg. Right. I didn't say that to her.
Yano Anaya:Of course not. Yeah. That's not a You know
Scott Schwartz:I was more, you worked with Richard Dreyfus. You know? Because he had done a film that I loved growing up, called The Competition. And it's a concert pianist movie with him and Amy Irving and just always loved the movie. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know he thinks I'm nuts because I met Dreyfus many times. He's like seriously? You know I'm like yeah. So you know, outside of really that, I mean, Porky's had made the money, but for whatever reason, either I don't even remember if I had seen Porky's yet at that point. I probably did because my father and I saw R rated picture on 42nd Street but probably didn't realize it was Bob you know at the time.
Yano Anaya:Sure.
Scott Schwartz:You know? But, you know, everybody else was newbies, you know? Mhmm. Mhmm. I'm not saying it's a bad day.
Scott Schwartz:It's just that's you gotta start somewhere. Yeah. You do. Yeah.
Yano Anaya:And it's tapping You
Scott Schwartz:know, I mean, I walked on a set, and when I walked on the toy there was nobody there that went oh my god that's the kid from that commercial. Right. You know? No. Of course not.
Yano Anaya:Of course not. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? Whereas I was going, oh, jeez. You know? No. I mean, I'm in Richard Donner's office in California on on on the lot, the Burbank lot.
Scott Schwartz:And, you know, he's got a poster of Superman and The Omen and I'm just like, oh, this is cool. Yeah. This is cool. Okay. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:And I'm playing a pinball machine. He's got in his office and I'm like, oh, this is cool. And then and then Dick Donner's like, Scott, you gotta stop for a second if somebody here wants to see you. And I turn around as Richard Pryor. And I'm like, alright.
Scott Schwartz:This is cool. Okay. You know? Hi. How you doing?
Scott Schwartz:You know? So it's like, you know, Richard would tell a joke and there'd be a word in there that, you know, it's a 13 year old kid, you know, really?
Yano Anaya:You know? Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:And I laughed or we just went on with whatever we were talking about because I I it didn't matter to me. It wasn't something that meant anything. You know? Now, you know, oh my god. You can't and you can't and you can't.
Scott Schwartz:Know, I'm sitting on a set for 4 months with Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason. You got you have a literally 5 to 7 pack a day smoker. Oh, wow. Who doesn't stop for anything. Gleason didn't stop for anything.
Scott Schwartz:Unfiltered red palm oils all day from the morning at at makeup. I mean, we I would sit and we would talk it and he'd be smoking away. I you know? He found a he found a piece of the puzzle he he never had before with me. Sounds very strange, but I'll explain.
Scott Schwartz:He never had a way to keep people away from him on a set. Because if he just sat there, people would come up, oh, mister Gleason. Oh, mister Gleason. Oh, mister Gleason. One day he and I were chit chatting and I mean, I was tiny.
Scott Schwartz:I weighed £50 when I was doing the toy and he put me on his lap. He just put me on his left thigh and I'm sitting there. Now you gotta realize he's smoking away. I'm I'm this far away from him and he's just smoking away. But nobody came over to bother him.
Scott Schwartz:Nobody came over to talk to him. So he figured out, if I put the kid on my lap, nobody else will nobody will bother us. So it once he did it once, then it was, like, pretty much almost every time we were on the set at one point or another if we had downtime, he'd say, kid, come here. And he literally just picked me up, put me on his how you how's today going? You doing alright?
Scott Schwartz:You know? But we would again, we would talk about old Hollywood stuff, but he'd be smoking away. You can't do that today. You can't smoke near a kid. You got you got enough problems smoking in the studio.
Scott Schwartz:Go outside. Go across the street. You take a boat to the other side of the island. Smoke over there. You know?
Scott Schwartz:Back then, it did Oh, yeah.
Yano Anaya:It didn't
Scott Schwartz:matter. No. It didn't matter. It didn't matter. You know?
Yano Anaya:That's awesome.
Scott Schwartz:But I got I got a chance to get an amazing education because I ask questions.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. You know?
Scott Schwartz:You know, people like, oh, well, what was it like being directed by Bob Clark? I've had that question.
Yano Anaya:You know?
Scott Schwartz:I said, what was it like? Well, let's see. Bob said, okay.
Yano Anaya:Go do it. Do this and And
Scott Schwartz:I said, well, what do you want me to do? Do what you do. If I don't like it, I'll tell you to change it. Okay. So I did it.
Scott Schwartz:It wasn't he didn't like. He just wanted me to exaggerate more of what I was doing. So I did that. He goes, nope. You did it right the first time.
Scott Schwartz:Go back to what you did. Okay. Fine. That there's my directional, you know, objective from Bob Clark was do what you do. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I mean, Peter, I know, you know, got 98% of Bob because you know, of the directional stuff because he wanted Ralphie to be done right. You know? And, I mean, Peter was spectacular. You know?
Scott Schwartz:Whether it was Bob, whether it's Peter, it still gotta come out of you. Yeah. You know? You can you can be explained how to do something every which way but loose, but unless you get it and you do it properly, you know, you you're never gonna get it. And, I mean, to this day, it's like, you know, we turned around and, you know, we we we brushed off the old, you know, the old shoes, and we got back into them again.
Scott Schwartz:And then we go out and we do it, you know, 39 years later. And, you know, and, I mean, you know, listen. It peep you have regrets in life? Yeah. I was sure in, Bulgaria with us.
Scott Schwartz:I really do. Because, you know, we had fun, you would've had fun. You would've had to quit your job, but you would've had fun. Sure. That wouldn't have made it worth it.
Scott Schwartz:You know? But but being there for 10 days and then the war in Ukraine broke out,
Yano Anaya:and
Scott Schwartz:it's like, oh my god. And we're just freaking out. And you got, you know, you got basically 2 American stations. You know? You got CNN International and MTV.
Scott Schwartz:That's pretty much your American stations in Bulgaria. Wow. Everything else is different lenders. You know?
Yano Anaya:Alright. Well, I've got one question, from John Demmer, which, actually, John Demmer came, to the event in Cleveland. And this is John
Scott Schwartz:John Demmer? No. Demmer, d
Yano Anaya:e m m r. Demmer.
Scott Schwartz:Oh, Demmer. I was gonna start singing calypso. It's like, okay. You know?
Yano Anaya:Yeah. So
Scott Schwartz:Take me home, country roads. Okay. Go ahead.
Yano Anaya:John has been on a mission to try to find out this answer because he is all about trying to find the little quirks and things about this movie to bring truth to it. So he said a rumor persists that it is a flex voice on the phone when Ralphie's mom calls Schwartz mom. The character getting spanked is supposed to be movie Schwartz, but who did the voice for that audio? Who was that? So it was not you?
Scott Schwartz:No. No. Well, first of all, she doesn't call Flick's mother. She calls Schwartz's mother. Right.
Scott Schwartz:Yes. Okay. So it's not our date
Yano Anaya:either. Call Schwartz's mom. Oh my god. I
Scott Schwartz:met the guy. Believe it or not, I was at the outlet center up in Oxnard or Camarillo, whatever it was here. And the guy worked at a Sony the Sony store. Okay. And I went in.
Scott Schwartz:I'm walking around. He goes, excuse me. Are you? And I said, yeah. He said, well, we kinda worked together, but we didn't.
Scott Schwartz:I said, really? You know, what was it? He said, well, I was the phone on the voice that got his ass whooped by, Schwartz's mom. I did the voice over for, you know, to whoever he says whoever the guy was that did Schwartz, you know, he was the, what? Mom?
Scott Schwartz:Mom? Mom? Mom? What? Whatever.
Yano Anaya:Oh my god. That's that's that's hilarious.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. I think I talked to the guy once after that, and it was really funny because he was a New York kid. He came out of New York the same time frame we all did. And he was nice about it, but he's like, I have to tell you something. I absolutely despise you.
Scott Schwartz:What what did I do? What have what have I done? He's like, because every time you walked in for an audition, I knew my ass was handed to me, and I wasn't gonna get it. It was gonna be you. Because I was killing it.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I just had 1 2 year stretch that it was just insanity. Back back. I was booking 80% of the stuff I went up for. And I'm like, dude, I'm sorry.
Scott Schwartz:Back
Yano Anaya:in eighties.
Scott Schwartz:Do you make commission? I'm like, do you make commission? I'll buy something just because. You know? But he was a nice guy.
Scott Schwartz:I wish I could remember his name. But he was in Oxnard, Ventura.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:You know? And this has gotta be oh my god. It's gotta be 20 plus years ago. But, no, that's the answer to the question is, you know, yeah. I actually did meet the guy, but he wasn't one of us.
Scott Schwartz:Right. You know? He just did the voice over.
Yano Anaya:Alright. So one last one last question for you, is alright. So if you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would that look like? What would that be,
Scott Schwartz:and why? Invest in Microsoft.
Yano Anaya:Microsoft. What else? Google. Google maybe.
Scott Schwartz:Nope. Invest in Microsoft. Microsoft. Find find that guy named named Mark who is from Boston with Facebook. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:Find that guy. Give him a few dollars too. Okay? You know, I believe in fate and destiny, and everything happens for a reason. So if I were to go back, would I really wanna change anything, you know, other than maybe the financial situation?
Scott Schwartz:Because I guess could've told my my younger self, hey. Listen. This is where you gotta do it. Just put the money in here until this point, and then you're good. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:No. You don't have to do anything else. But career wise, you know, yeah, I I probably after Christmas story, I probably should have come out to LA, you know, for 3 to 6 months and try to, you know, about, you know, doing a pilot or something like that. Mhmm. That would have been one thing.
Scott Schwartz:You know? Again, I'm just I'm thinking career wise. You know? I'm not really thinking, you know, on the the personal level because there are things that we all do that we wish we could change. You know?
Scott Schwartz:I probably shouldn't have cheated on my high school sweetheart because this day, it still haunts me. You know? Never cheated on another girlfriend or my ex wife for that matter. That was a long time ago. Still love that girl.
Scott Schwartz:Let's see. You know, but she's in the past.
Yano Anaya:What can I do?
Scott Schwartz:You know, it's really hard to think of, you know, what would you have changed? You know, people said to me, oh, well, would you trade one movie for the other? And I'm like, okay. Well, go ahead. Mhmm.
Scott Schwartz:What kind
Yano Anaya:of advice?
Scott Schwartz:You tell me what you think.
Yano Anaya:What what advice would you give your younger self? I mean, because you got a lot. You got you had a lot of support from mentors when you were a kid. So I mean
Scott Schwartz:Well, yeah. But but
Yano Anaya:Now what
Scott Schwartz:The things that I learned Yeah. My younger self would learn. Because if I'm going back, I'm going back in time. Yeah. You know?
Scott Schwartz:So he would be able to learn from Richard like I did. Yeah. You know? So that those things would happen. It's the ancillary things that you do, you know, that you you again, it it's just it's just it's a a wild question.
Scott Schwartz:If it's career wise, was there a movie or something else I would have wanna do? Not really. You know? I mean, jeez. You know?
Scott Schwartz:I did 3 movies back to back to back. 2 of them, you know, I'm the star of. 1, I become an icon because of the 2nd most famous tongue in the world. There you go.
Yano Anaya:There you go.
Scott Schwartz:The friendships that I've had, you know, Barry Bonds, Shaquille O'Neal, Sugar Ray Leonard, Julius Erving, I mean, Hulk Hogan. I mean, you know, these are 40 year friendships damn near in some cases. You know? So would I really wanna change any of that? No.
Scott Schwartz:I probably would just have gone back and told my my younger self, you know, do this and this financially, and then when you get to this point, don't do this. You know? But that was more, you know, where I kind of went off the rails and just became a miserable person for for a time. You know? I I would I would sort of help him with that so that he wouldn't have to go through what I went through even though he's supposed to go through it because he's me.
Scott Schwartz:You know? Yeah. But, you know, there's been a lot of child stars that have good, you know, good memories, you know, good times. Some have had bad times. You know?
Scott Schwartz:Again, we see what's going on, whatever. Yeah. I was I was fortunate. I was lucky. I worked with great people, with good people who treated me right and didn't do stupid things and didn't, you know, none of the wackiness, you know, Nickelodeon nonsense and any of that.
Scott Schwartz:Right. Right. And I was advanced enough as a kid by that point. You know? Again, 13, 14 years old.
Scott Schwartz:I was 22, 25 mentally. Yeah. You know? And they helped me flourish. The somewhat is an actor more as a person.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. Right. The life lessons you get.
Yano Anaya:Sure. Yep.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I mean, being taught how to do stand up by Richard Pryor, It's impossible to give my younger self that answer. Yeah. The amount of hours that we spent. You know?
Yano Anaya:But, you
Scott Schwartz:know, I I I would probably just leave him be for the most part. You know? I mean, I think I'm an okay guy. You know? I'm sure that there's somebody that doesn't like me, and that's okay.
Scott Schwartz:You know? I I I've tried to do right by people, do good things by people, be a good person. You know? We've all been very fortunate to be a part of something Yeah. That's part of Americana.
Scott Schwartz:You know? And it's not a matter of tarnishing it. It's not a matter of anything we're gonna do reflects upon that. You know? That's there.
Scott Schwartz:It's it's all done. You know? The work is done. The legacy is there. You know?
Scott Schwartz:That's not gonna change.
Yano Anaya:You know?
Scott Schwartz:It doesn't make any difference who we talk about, who we vote for, who we care about. Yep. The good things in life, the bad things, that's already there. It's there.
Yano Anaya:That's for sure. Awesome. Cool, man. That's amazing. So before before we wrap it up, I do have
Scott Schwartz:That's it. That's all the that's it. That's tough questions. Why don't you come on, dude?
Yano Anaya:That's all the tough questions we got for you today. We'll we'll pick up later. You want another one? I think I got another one. Hey.
Yano Anaya:You know what? Here's another one. So, and this might be actually a a a good one. So the theme of friendship is central to a Christmas story. The theme of friendship.
Yano Anaya:So how has this theme played out in your personal relationships and life after the film?
Scott Schwartz:How has it played out? I mean, it's an interesting question. Again, I think it's all within us, each each of us, because we all have different personalities. You know? I mean, I have my friend David Wilbur.
Scott Schwartz:I've had him since kindergarten for goodness sakes. My friend Kenny Ovek, I've had since 2nd grade.
Yano Anaya:You
Scott Schwartz:know? He's best man at my wedding, man. Then was the best man at my divorce, but that's a side point. But, you know, there's differences in people and things that you do or you don't do. Okay?
Scott Schwartz:As the oldest of us, I've always I believe to have been more or less the ringleader Because I'm always doing rope in every hey. Do you wanna hey, do you we got the you know, you do the family thing, you know, but outside of that, it's like, hey. We gotta this. We gotta that. Oh, keep on.
Scott Schwartz:Yes. You did Indiana. I'm not gonna forget that. Okay. But everything is it's it's within each person, and it's not something you can teach somebody.
Scott Schwartz:You know? Yeah. It's not you can tell somebody. You know? Again, it's a Richard thing.
Scott Schwartz:You know? And he was he explained it to me. My uncle just did it, and I saw what he did. And I just always did it, but kinda Richard explained it to me. And he's like, if you wanna hear some from somebody, you pick up the phone.
Scott Schwartz:You wanna talk to him, you pick up the phone.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. You
Scott Schwartz:wanna know what's going on?
Yano Anaya:Pick up the phone.
Scott Schwartz:Pick up the phone. You know? And he mean, he was around you know, we were friends before
Yano Anaya:Cell phones.
Scott Schwartz:These things.
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:The phone was on the wall in the kitchen. Yeah. Yeah. You know? Or you had the 20 foot cord in the bedroom.
Scott Schwartz:You know?
Yano Anaya:Yep.
Scott Schwartz:So I I was just I was the one that always picked up the phone and called and, hey. How you doing? And what's going on? And how you've been? Not everybody's like that.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. You know? People go through different things in their lives. Sometimes they wanna talk about things. Sometimes they don't wanna talk about things.
Scott Schwartz:You know, and sometimes getting asked that question can be upsetting. It's like, hey. How you been? What's going on? Well and he then they gotta start explaining it.
Scott Schwartz:Uh-huh. And they don't necessarily wanna do that. Yeah. Yeah.
Yano Anaya:Do you want the truth, or do you just want me to say everything is fine?
Scott Schwartz:It's been wonderful that we shared time as youngsters and ended up being in something that people wanted to see us to be together again.
Yano Anaya:Right? Like, that that's
Scott Schwartz:You know?
Yano Anaya:It's like there's only a couple of iconic things that are like that.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. I mean, it's Willy Wonka. It's Porky's. You know, it's Animal House. Right.
Scott Schwartz:Yeah. Right. Goonies. Yeah. You know?
Scott Schwartz:But then you have different personalities and different careers and where have people gone and what have they done.
Yano Anaya:Right.
Scott Schwartz:And can we pull it off, you know, and all this stuff?
Yano Anaya:Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:Sometimes you can. Sometimes you can't. Yep. You know? So, it's been great though being able to spend time with people that you did something with that impacted people's lives, you know.
Scott Schwartz:It it it made a difference. It was I mean, realistically, it's a movie.
Yano Anaya:Yeah. Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:Right. I don't know. But it's become so embedded in people
Yano Anaya:Mhmm.
Scott Schwartz:And the fans that love it. They can't wait to watch 24 hours of it. Yeah. You know? That it's become a part of their life.
Scott Schwartz:It's wonderful. I'm not seeing anything wrong with it. You know? Better that than some of the other movies that are made. You know?
Scott Schwartz:But to be able to call a band of brothers brothers after 40 plus years
Yano Anaya:That's rare.
Scott Schwartz:You know? And we're all still around somehow. You know? We're all still walking, and we're all still talking somehow.
Yano Anaya:You
Scott Schwartz:know? There are many casts of many other films where there's, you know, little pieces. I mean, we understand, you know, God rest both of their souls, Melinda and Darren and Bob and Jean, you know, I mean I mean, from us, from from the kids. You know? And, of course, you know, god bless her.
Scott Schwartz:Teach is still around. Teddy is still around and Yeah. You know? I'm probably I'll probably see her sometime soon. I gotta go up there.
Yano Anaya:Before we we wrap this up, I do have a crazy little game that I wanna play with you. Okay? So this game is called
Scott Schwartz:a triple dog dare you.
Yano Anaya:Of course it is. Of course it's called at triple dog dare you. So what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna present you with a series of fun and hypothetical situations and scenarios, and your job is pretty simple. You just have to let us know if you take the dare or just like Flick did with the flagpole or if you'd rather pass. It's really up to you.
Yano Anaya:Okay? So
Scott Schwartz:Okay. Wait. So it's it's I can accept it that this I can accept the dare?
Yano Anaya:Or you pass. Yes. K. Alright.
Scott Schwartz:Okay.
Yano Anaya:So dare number 1. First up, if you were dare if you if you were dared to have a karaoke battle singing Christmas carols against Peter Billingsley and the rest of the cast, would you take the dare or would you pass?
Scott Schwartz:I'd take I would I would take the dare.
Yano Anaya:Yes. We would do that. Yes. We would. Absolutely.
Yano Anaya:Okay. Dare number 2. Alright. So next, imagine you're dared to recreate the flagpole scene, but this time as an adult with latest social media platform live streaming the events, do you triple dog there yet? You take that or you pass?
Scott Schwartz:How much is the paycheck?
Yano Anaya:How big every if you want it.
Scott Schwartz:Oh, for enough a paycheck? Sure. Why not? I would do it. Absolutely.
Scott Schwartz:Okay.
Yano Anaya:What if he would
Scott Schwartz:Considering I forget it.
Yano Anaya:No no flagpole for you.
Scott Schwartz:I think I've taken that picture less than 5 times in my life since then, you know, of of sticking the tongue out on something like a pole. That's the only 4 or 5 times since 1983
Yano Anaya:You've done that.
Scott Schwartz:That I've I've I've done the tongue on the flagpole thing.
Yano Anaya:Alright. So
Scott Schwartz:Now if Gene Simmons asked me to do it, I would do it for Gene.
Yano Anaya:Oh, so we've got we've got 2 opportunities. 1 either we can get.
Scott Schwartz:He's way too much money though.
Yano Anaya:Click paid. Right? What's a skip flip paid? Because Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:Where's the budget? It all went to Jean.
Yano Anaya:Lose that battle too though. I mean, you So you're dared to wear the infamous pink bunny suit at a major public event, say, throwing the first pitch at a baseball game or during the live TV interview. Would you embrace your inner flick and take the dare, or would you take a hard pass?
Scott Schwartz:It's really more a Peter thing. There would have to be a reason why I'm doing it. I'm not saying I wouldn't, but there would have to be a really damn good reason why.
Yano Anaya:So what if Pete what if Pete did you?
Scott Schwartz:I know him better than that.
Yano Anaya:He wouldn't dare you.
Scott Schwartz:It. He would never put me in that position because he knows how the game is played. Because then I would have something to say if I wanted him to just do something like that, and he would look to me like I'm from outer space. Exactly. It's do you guys That would just matter.
Scott Schwartz:That's what yeah. Yeah. It's not, you know, it's not again, it's just what's the situation? Why? You know?
Scott Schwartz:But I'm not saying it disgusts me, and I'm not saying I wouldn't. I'm just saying the why.
Yano Anaya:Dare number 4. Remember the scene where Randy plays with his food, not wanting to eat his red cabbage? Well, if you were dared to eat an entire plate of red cabbage while pretending it's the most delicious meal you've ever had, would you take the dare?
Scott Schwartz:Nope. Hate red cabbage. Hard pass. Okay. No.
Scott Schwartz:Easy pass. Now if you said mashed potatoes, you said mashed potatoes, that I would do. Oh, so mashed potatoes. Potatoes I would do. I love mashed potatoes.
Scott Schwartz:Right on.
Yano Anaya:Alright. Dare number 5. Sleep in the department store window with the leg lamp. So imagine being dared to spend the night sleeping in a department store window, let's just say Macy's in New York, right beside the leg lamp as a live holiday display. Do you take the dare for an ultimate a or Christmas or, do you pass?
Scott Schwartz:I'm a native New Yorker. You know, I might I I might take that dare. I probably would. I don't really like the city much right now because of the crime and what's going on, but Macy's display window? Can somebody bring me a couple of hot dogs?
Scott Schwartz:I you know? And some hot chocolate?
Yano Anaya:And and some and some I
Scott Schwartz:don't know. I don't know. Hot chocolate. I I just take a couple of dogs and
Yano Anaya:Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yep. That that that would be a thing of the past. Give me
Scott Schwartz:give me a kraut dog. I'm good. You know?
Yano Anaya:We got them. Yes. Alright. Cool. Alright.
Yano Anaya:Well, so Yeah.
Scott Schwartz:When am I going to New York? Yeah. Okay.
Yano Anaya:Probably next week. Couple months. When did? Well, Scotty, man, it was, it was a pleasure. I I appreciate you coming and hanging out, man, and having some fun and answer these these questions and just being just being with us again, being with me again because it's, you know, it's been since since the craziness that happened in in Indiana.
Yano Anaya:I know you've been traveling a lot too, man. You got a lot a lot going on. So I just wanna say thank you for taking the time out. Appreciate you, and I love you very much, man.
Scott Schwartz:You too, bro. Everybody out there, be well. Stay good. Be healthy. Enjoy life.
Scott Schwartz:Whatever.
Yano Anaya:All of that good stuff. Yes. Alright, brother. We'll talk soon. Okay?
Yano Anaya:Love you, man. Before we wrap up today, I wanted to touch on something that always strikes me about a Christmas story. It's the way that the film captures the essence of the holiday spirit. Hope, anticipation, the inevitable ups and downs, and, ultimately, the joy of being together. This movie isn't just a collection of funny scenes or memorable quotes.
Yano Anaya:It's a mosaic of moments that reflect our own holiday experiences, whether it's the frenzied excitement of opening presents, the warmth of family gatherings, or even the occasional mishaps that become cherished moments, a Christmas story invites us to see our own lives in the glow of its Christmas lights. It teaches us that perfection isn't what makes the holiday season special. It's the love. It is the community. It's family and sometimes the sheer unpredictability of it all.
Yano Anaya:And for those of us who hold this movie close to our hearts, there is a desire to keep that connection alive, to delve deeper into the stories behind the story, to understand more about the people who made it and to find new ways to celebrate the magic it brings to our holiday traditions. This brings me to something truly special for everyone who's joined us today and feels that deep connection to a Christmas story. Every morning, you can receive an email personally crafted by the beloved cast filled with behind the scenes tales, personal reflections, and little known facts. About your favorite holiday classic, you can dive into the world of Ralphie, the leg lamp, the bumpuses and through the eyes of those who brought them to life. And keep this spirit of a Christmas story and Christmas alive every single day.
Yano Anaya:Join the A Christmas Story family. Connect with over a 100,000 fans and the cast united by love and laughter. It's your daily reminder that the magic of a Christmas story isn't just the holiday season. It's a feeling we can carry with us year round. So to everyone listening, from Scott and myself, thank you for tuning in, and don't forget to subscribe to our talking Christmas story family newsletter at acristmasstoryfamily.com for your daily sprinkle of joy.
Yano Anaya:This is Yano Anaya signing off. So stay connected, stay curious and above all my friends, stay kind. We'll see you on the next episode of talking a Christmas story. Well, yes, I forgot. But here it is.
Yano Anaya:The grand winner of the sweepstakes of the celebration from a Christmas story's 40th anniversary year is, and this is what you're gonna get.
Scott Schwartz:Oh, look at that. Oh, look at that.
Yano Anaya:Who is a grand prize winner? Who can it be? Oh my god. Well, are you guys ready? Drumroll, please.
Yano Anaya:And the winner of the sweepstakes of the 40th anniversary year from a Christmas story is Holly Osborne. Holly congratulations expect this in the mail shortly. Thank you. We love you guys, and have a fantastic rest of your week. Bye.
Scott Schwartz:Oh my god. I shot my eye out. You'll shoot your eye out, kid.
