Talking A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story Family (00:00)
Fondest memories were who had a crush on who. Why did I have this obsession over those teeth? I think they're the coolest thing going, right? Like the family itself has given me a community that I can look up to, that I can open up to. When they lost my nylon.

That's something I don't know if everybody knows so what talk about that like what do you mean they lost your nylons but the brain came from the US So where where did the brains come from do you do you know do you remember like let's let's take two of them right so Bob Clark and engine shepard

I am your host, Yano Onaya, beaming out to you from Roswell, Georgia. Each week, we dive into the heart of this magical tale, and today, we're bridging the snowy stretches from the US to Canada. We're not just telling these stories, we're revealing the secrets behind them, complete with a touch of frost on the windows and a full heart by the fire. This week, as we sifted through our mailbox brimming with inquiries, a reoccurring theme caught all of our attention, the enchanting Canadian backdrops of a Christmas story.

Many fans are intrigued by the iconic scenes filmed outside the typical US setting. And today, Monica Harvey will help us explore those snowy landscapes and the magical moments captured there. Picture this, a brisk Canadian winter setting the stage for what would become some of the most memorable scenes in a holiday film history. It's here amidst the frosty breaths and bundled up extras that A Christmas Story found its whimsical yet relatable spirit.

Monica, standing by both in front of the classroom and at the center of the flagpole scene, experienced the making of this magic firsthand. Today, she's here to share those stories, giving us a glimpse behind the frost glazed windows of the film's legacy. From the chilly outdoor scenes that had all of us feeling the bites of the cold through our screens to the warm camaraderie on set, Monica Harvey was part of it all. Monica.

Let's go ahead and start by warming up with some behind the scenes insights from those days. Let's welcome Monica Hart.

Hey Monica, it is a pleasure to see you. Welcome to the A Christmas Story family's Talking A Christmas. We're super excited to have you on as a family member and a big part of what it is that we are here to celebrate. So just wanted to welcome you on. So how's it going? How you doing? Oh, it's great. Everything's good. Working hard and enjoying the family. You know how it goes. Yeah, that's awesome. How's the weather up there in Canada? Where are you in Canada, by the way? Actually, we're the...

Classroom in the flagpole scene was filmed right in St. Catharines by Niagara Falls. Wow, I bet it's beautiful this time of year out there. A little cold though? It's not too bad. We haven't really had winter. It's a little damp and cool, you know, rough on the bones. As we age gracefully, right? All right, so Monica, you are a native and resident of Canada.

St. Catherine's area where these iconic scenes were filmed. What was it like bringing to life such a quintessentially American story in your hometown and how did you find yourself actually involved in a Christmas story? Well, as a child, we didn't really understand the whole aspect of the story. We were told that we were going to be in a movie.

Um, and it was going to be a Christmas movie, but as an adult, to actually know what's an actual true story and everything is like, wow, like this man that wrote this, you know, was like an amazing guy. Like where it all came from and everything like it's was like his dream, his life, like completely different. Um, so it brings more meaning it to the heart.

to know that you're involved in something like that and to have all these people, which I call family, nobody's a fan to me, is just amazing. 40 years later and his memory lives in all of us. Yeah, that's, that is so deep within the essence of what this or what

Bob Clark and what Gene Shippard created for all of us. Like, you know, just like what you said, it's just amazing to kind of think back to their creative processes and what they actually brought to life. And when we were kids, we didn't really know. Like we were just, you know, being involved in a movie and it was so cool and there was so much going on and it was so much action and so much fun. And, and we had no idea that this would be such a big part of American history. So it's amazing. All right. So I've got some.

some questions for you from some fans and also some deeper questions about who you are, Monaco. I'm sorry, I'm just gonna keep going, but I'm gonna talk to my editor. So the minor, I'm sorry, I keep knocking my desk because he told me, he's like, you keep knocking your desk, your camera keeps moving. So he'll edit that out. So, all right, pause. So the questions that...

you know we have from fans is there's a couple of them that are really good so Monica you know what are some of your fondest memories from the sets and particularly during the school and the flagpole scenes well to start it out was just be an average individual as a child and to know you're going to be in a movie with messy Marvin and the kid from the toy okay

Who was this Scott Schwartz? Who was this Peter Billingsley? It was the messy Marvie and the kid from the toy. And then to find out you're chosen for the classroom scene and then from there being chosen for the flagpole scene. Wow, I got to be with these guys quite often. Um, fondest memories were who had a crush on who? Uh,

So.

There were so many memories, I mean, the mischief Jill and I got into.

Gotti was always a practical joker, you know, like Artie Robb, his, like, I don't know how to even put it. Like, them as kids are them as adults still. Like, it's, they're the same people, just.

more grown up. During the movie itself, it was like, how did they pick everybody? During the movie, it's like, okay, the teeth scenes, there's like so much you could talk about. Those teeth, I mean, they are the grossest, grimeyest, grungiest type teeth.

But why did I have this obsession over those teeth? I think they're the coolest thing going, right? Like getting pulled by Bob, Joe and I, to cool it. I mean, get it under control or whatever when Scott kept gagging on the gauze. I mean, you know, stuff like that. It was, you know, and...

you know, standing at the flagpole scene and finding out that just now the boys all had those hot shots. Us girls didn't have hot shots. We froze. What is a hot shot? Hot shots are those things you put in your gloves and they can keep your hands warmer. Um, I guess you shake them or something and you put them in your gloves. You can put them in your pockets and all that stuff.

Well, the boys had all those things, us girls didn't have any. So the big joke is now between one of the boys that was at the flagpole scene is it's because girls were tougher and they knew we wouldn't line. So. Yes, I love it. You know, little things you're finding out that went on, we're finding out later that went on. I mean, you know, potato flakes and soapsuds and.

go from an arena to make some snow. In pictures when we were younger with blankets behind us to scenes to finish off some scenes and stuff. They'd have blankets wrapped around us in the background so they could actually finish Spike Poul scenes. It's like, I forgot about that, you know?

Yeah. In your past experience of when this was actually happening, how did the community in Canada, like parents and your parents' friends and other kids from school, how did they react to having a Christmas story filmed in their backyard? I know because when we went to school, we weren't bussed into school. Everybody that went to our school would actually walk to school.

I deliver newspapers, which is kind of funny because where's my $2 or whatever. So as I deliver to 50 customers, they say article. They always wanted to know what you do in filming today, that kind of stuff. So I had that the people were understanding when I was late delivering the newspaper.

always cut the newspaper articles out. And so I had that communication level with people and like playing sports and that too. Like, so, but.

didn't have people like in all the St. Catharines know there was actually a movie like being filmed. I don't know if that how that reaction was as a child. I mean it was deeper and everything. I have all the articles and everything but I wish it was a 24 -hour marathon here.

So, so in Canada, it doesn't play 24 hours on TV every year. It's just the United States. Um, that's, that's interesting. Okay. How old were you when this was filmed? I think I was 11 the same age as you because I'm much younger than you. When were you born in? 70 days. Oh, awesome. What month are you born in? June. Okay. Yeah. I'm about a month, a little more seasoned than you are.

Oh, that's awesome. So, you know, something that you brought up, which, you know, most people don't know about childhood is experiences and things that we did. And, you know, you look back or you look at like kids today, 11 years old or even younger, 10, 11, 12 years old. It's very rare that you will see a kid nowadays that's working and is actually out there on their bicycle and delivering papers or doing something that's a hustle that's creating and written.

in generating money, you know what I mean? So tell me about like, you know, your experience, why was it that you decided to, you know, get a newspaper route? Like, what was the motivation to do that as a child?

Um...

My mom didn't work. My dad worked shift work. So if we wanted to play sports or do extra things, we had to help out. And it wasn't something that you frowned upon. It was something that we just, we did.

We wanted, like, it's not that our parents didn't help us, but we just, it was just natural for us. Yeah. You know, I think that that's, that literally brings so much value in the things that you work for and the things that you can now acquire because of your work ethic. You know, in my experience now it's, it's, you know, children are a little bit more spoiled because of technology and everything's come so -

and everything is so expensive nowadays that, you know, they're dependent, dependent on their parents to give them things instead of really putting forth the effort and just knowing like in your life and in your heart and in your body was like you knew that participating and doing things to help out the family was just what we do as a family, right? That's just, that's just what we do.

And so that's an amazing story. I would imagine probably a lot of people can resonate with that same essential core values of a family back, you know, in the sixties and the seventies and the eighties. And so thank you for sharing that because that's a really important, you know, piece of history that most people don't remember or love to have that reminiscent memories of.

what childhood was like and hustling to make some extra coins so that we could do the things that we like to do on our own. You know what I mean? So, all right. Next question I have is, you know, how has being part of A Christmas Story family impacted you personally and professionally? Oh, wow.

That's deep. A Christmas Story family has gave me...

something in my life that I can now get to. I can look forward to.

The family itself has given me a community that I can look up to, that I can open up to. I didn't get to talk about Christ's story when I was growing up.

Being in Canada.

A Christmas star who wasn't anything.

I wasn't able to talk about it.

Oh.

40 years later, well, it was a few years ago when I joined the site, I found his family.

this family became friends. They became family, they became loved ones. So I got to experience.

the memories that I was forgetting. I got to experience the love and.

to know I can go pretty much anywhere in the US.

and open arms.

is such an amazing feeling. To know I can just pick up my phone and say, hi, how are you? But it doesn't just go that way. It goes, when I'm talking to people, they hear their stories of my grandpa.

showed me a Christmas story. It was our special thing. I have some people that are a little simpler, say how much a Christmas story means to them. Do you hear people who have depression and they can't seem to knock it out of them? What did they do? They turn on their Christmas story. It helps them.

To say that their husband who has passed, it was their special thing together that they look forward to the 24 hour marathon.

They hear the stories that they're passing on the tradition to their own kids, even by an autograph for their children to start their own special autograph collection.

Do you hear stuff like that? You want to hear what family is? That's family.

an experience that a feeling that honestly it can get any deeper.

Sorry, I cried. No, that's emotion. That's pure love is where that's coming from. It's joy. It's love. It's the connectedness between all of us and that tether, that thing, which is this movie, but it's much more than just the movie, right? It's the community it's created. It's like what you said, you can go anywhere. And when somebody

You know, because for me, it's like I go somewhere and people don't recognize me. You know, they think they don't. I'm one of those characters in the movie that they still look at like, OK. But when I tell them and I explain to them, yeah, I'm the little toady. Oh, my God. It's like the light bulb turns on and they turn into a little child and they start to smile and all of these emotions and feelings and memories. I know it's happening in their head, just like all of us. And so it is. It's a true.

in my opinion, blessing to be a part of this thing that is much more bigger than we are. And it's going to last a lot longer than we're here too. And of course, that's all our responsibility is to be in this as long as we can for the family, which is including all the fans, like you said, which I love that. I love that a lot. So, you know, that was actually the next question that I had was, you know, what's...

What does being part of this enduring film legacy mean to you and to all of the fans or family members that you meet? So like, just go ahead and pour it out again. Like, what is being part of this enduring legacy mean to you? Honestly,

You have to take everything in while you can.

I missed out on a lot of being able to talk to Christmas. Now I can talk as much as I want. I have a museum in my house. My kids hate me.

this weekend I'm going to Rochester to a Lego convention. I have some really special things that I will share when I'm ready. I have a lot of special gifts from the family that have been made for me. I share everything on the site. I have the only set of used teeth that were used in filming.

Um, what does it all mean to me? It's all right here because.

We're not here forever, are we? No. Enjoy it while we can. So we've got some some personal deep questions. I don't know how much deeper we can go, but we're going to try to get there. All right. So so reflecting on all the connections that you have made during filming, how have those relationships evolved over the years? With people or during the filming time, yeah, so.

most likely like Jill take an example. Jill our connection couldn't get any closer than we were born. Jill and I our parents knew each other before we were born. Wow. We grew up together as babies.

So we went to school together, we grew up together. Yeah, we lost contact for a few years there. You know, we all do. But it's not the story that brought us together. It was our family. And we have things we can always talk about.

Um, that, you know, you it's.

You know, sometimes in life you may not see somebody for a while, but it's like for a couple years or something, even though you haven't seen them that long, it's like it was your first day you've just seen them. It's that kind of thing. We've always had that special.

and joke around. A lot of people see it in Cleveland.

No, like, I mean, he's a person. You know, the thing is that what we didn't know, or I didn't know is that, you know, you knew Jill from, from child from baby birth, your parents were friends. I mean, that's, that's a new revelation that I don't think anybody knows outside of, you know, your personal circles, you know what I mean? So I think that's, that's amazing that you got to share.

No, it's a Christmas story. Yeah, come on, man. And then, you know, as we go older and they get married and you have kids and and you know, to be able to pick up back like, you know, it's like I have I have a friend like your friend, Jill, to you where you can look at that person and just feel like nothing has changed. Like that bond, that love has picked up every right, right, right, left off. You know, I mean, the last time. So it's that that's amazing. Yeah, that's awesome.

Alright, so next question on is if you could go back to one moment during filming, what would it be and why?

Oh, one moment.

when they lost my nylons. Oh no, see that's something I don't know if everybody knows. So talk about that, like what do you mean they lost your nylons? Wardrobe? Okay, during filming they had to have a little break because something about the snow or the weather or something. So they have to go do some filming in Toronto or they have to go to the States or something. So when they came back,

Somehow they found my whole outfit but my nylons. Okay, being a tomboy, that was the best thing they could lose. Okay, so he has no nylons now to be outside. What do I have to do? I have to wear boys' long johns. So, you know, you got the little hole in the front. That was the best. First of all, they're warmer.

Second of all, they're more comfortable. A lot of people thought I hid the nylons. Well, I wish I would have been, because that would have been a better story that I actually hid them so I could have boys. But yeah, filming it just in general, just the whole experience like of.

See? Like.

we were told to just act naturally. Just we're doing this, do that, just go shocked in like face or look this way or look that way or okay act surprised or you know stuff like that. They just wanted you to be natural. So then to go to the movie theater like as a school.

and get to see the movie before anybody else. And then we have no idea what this movie is going to be about except for some kid sticks his tongue to a pole, okay? And we were in on like the, you know, we didn't know how it was all going to come together or anything else in that. And then all of a sudden you see your face, your whole face on the big screen and you're like.

everybody's giggling and chuckling. So you get something like that and you think, why did they film me? Like, I thought they were just filming those, you know, messy Marvin and the guy from the toy and that. We didn't, I didn't think they were filming anybody except for, you know, the big guys, the stars, right? But yeah, to see that kind of stuff, like was like, wow, you know, like, so those kinds of things, like,

and how the movie came together and what it actually was about and everything. Cause I had no clue. I just did what I was told for that dollar. So, full dollar, Canadian too. That's amazing. What behind the scenes moments did you think would surprise fans the most from back in your experience?

behind the scenes? Oh well, like probably just going like maybe that we went to like the there was a hall that we would go and have like lunch or really behind the scenes type stuff? I'm not quite sure. Okay.

So what message or sentiment do you hope viewers continue to take away from this classic movie A Christmas Story?

Just keep passing on the tradition to your younger generation and to your friends. Why is that important to you?

Honestly, it's such a classic. It's the way the world used to be. The world is so chaotic and so wrong in so many ways now. Bring the innocents back. I mean, let kids be kids. I mean, it's...

Let them do foolish things and learn from their mistakes while they're young. Because this bubble wrap society is just too much. Let them enjoy themselves. Agreed. This game is called Guess the Scene North or South of the Border. Right? So, North or South of the Border basically means that...

what we want you to do is get a piece of paper and a pen and you will perpendicularly like just bend it in half or create a line down the half. And on one side you're gonna put Canada and the other side you're gonna put US. Okay, so now with that, what we're gonna do is I'm gonna read each scene description and don't tell me your answer, just go ahead and write it down, okay? Instead write the number,

of the question on the side of the paper where you think the scene actually was. It was filmed. So for example, if you think the first scene was filmed in Canada, just jot down a number one on the Canada side. Okay, does that make sense? Okay. All right, cool. All right. All right, so first scene, Ralphie's heroic daydream. First up, Ralphie turns into a backyard hero.

bravely defending his family with his Red Ryder BB gun from the villainous Black Bart. Did this action -packed fantasy unfold in the frost -kissed fields of Canada, or was it set against the backdrop of the American heartland?

Got your answer? Alright. Second scene, Bumpus Hounds, mayhem. Moving on to a wildly funny yet disastrous moment, the Bumpus Hounds raid the Parker's kitchen, making off with the holiday turkey, a scene full of chaos and feathers. Did this uproarious canine caper take place in the cozy confines of Canada or did it unravel in the bustling heart of the US?

Next scene, interior of the Parker family home. So think about the warm, inviting interior of the Parker family home from the thriller, or I'm sorry, from the thrilling excitement of Ralphie's decoder pin to the glow of the infamous leg lamp. Were these heartwarming scenes brought to life in a Canadian studio filled with the spirits of the season or in an American studio where holiday magic fills every corner? All right, last scene.

So Santa's Workshop at Higbee's. Now for a change of scene, Santa's Workshop at Higbee's, where kids line up for the magical moment with Santa. Was this set with children's Christmas dreams either come true or tumbled down a slide built in the chilly atmosphere of Canada? Or was it crafted in the spirited ambiance of the US? All right, now that you've placed all your guesses, Monica, show the viewers your map. Let's see what you've mapped out. So we bring that paper right up to your camera and see what we got.

Okay, cool. All right, so let's see how well you did. So here are the correct answers. Number one, Ralphie's heroic daydream is in the US. Bumpus Hound's mayhem is in? Canada. Canada. Yes. Interior of the Parker family home was? Canada. Canada, yes. Santa's workshop at Higsby's? Is Canada. So in essence,

A majority of the film was filmed in Canada. Canada. Yes, exactly. So. But the brain came from the US. Yes, I was just going to say that. So where where did the brains come from? Do you do you know? Do you remember? Like, let's let's take two of them. Right. So Bob Clark and Gene Shepard came in. Indiana was. In Shepherd. But where does Bob Clark come?

Bob Clark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1939. Imagine that. So yeah, Bob Clark, Bob Clark. And just imagine like, how did Bob Clark and Gene Shepard actually come into play? Those are stories that we will definitely be unraveling with the others that are coming onto the podcast as well. So we've got a lot of really cool things. And if you've got, you know, anybody that feels like they have a...

of just memories and experiences and things that people haven't heard yet. We would love to share that with the entire community of A Christmas Story family and fans, right? So that's amazing. Is there anything else I would say, Monica, that you truly want to share with the entire fan -based community about A Christmas Story or about yourself? I just want to thank everybody for being there and

carrying on the tradition and without you it's not us.

Thank you. You know, this means a lot. It truly does. Like, you know, you never know what you don't know until you know. And what we had, we had no idea what we could create. And almost five years ago, you know, the idea of doing this was just an idea. And...

Of course, you know, me being a little humble and me not being noticed in the general public about this. I knew that from going from conventions to conventions with Scotty and Zach and Ian for years, it was such a. It had such a place, such a tradition, such a just a impact in people's lives emotionally with their family that it really did have an eye opening.

you know, experiences. And then, you know, over the years, kind of going to these events and meeting hundreds of people, not having the ability to put them all in one place so that we can all say, hey, every single day or every single week and start to do fun things with the community that didn't exist. You know what I mean? And to be able to have one super fan, just one super fan, because I don't know if you know the story about.

you know, Emmanuel and I, but he was a super fan and he had no idea who I was when we met. And it took several months before he did a little bit deeper research on who one of his clients is. And he found out that I was Grover Dill from the movie and he flipped his lid. He was like, I don't, I can't, why didn't you not tell me? You know, it's not like you and I, we go around and say, hey, I was in the movie, A Christmas Story. You know what I mean? That's what I did. And we don't just say that out loud to people that we don't know.

not unless the conversation comes up or it's appropriate. Like literally I was coming back from Austin, which is a trip that we have been, or me and Emmanuel did for this next thing that we're doing for the community. And I was in the security line and I'm wearing the Christmas Story family hoodie. And you probably get this all the time too, right? And he's like, oh, don't you try out kid. And I was like, yes, that little, that little nuance.

security guy, you know what I mean? Probably in his 30s, you know what I mean? Young, young guy. And he was he knew just by seeing a Christmas story that meant something to him. And so of course, that warmed my heart big time. But, you know, I've got people in front of me and I got people behind behind me. They're in a hurry trying to get through security to the airport. I didn't want to stop and say, hey, man, guess what? You know what I mean? And so I just kind of went on my way and kept it to myself. But in my mind, I'm thinking.

I really should have said something to him. Like he probably has a deep experience about that and doesn't know about the Christmas story family yet, right? Even though we have a large fan base, there's still so many fans that don't even know that we exist just yet, right? And that's you, myself, and everybody else's mission and responsibilities to get everybody to know that we're here. And so...

Thank you for expressing your memories and your experiences and how much this means to you because we are on the same page about what we are creating and what has been created and what we can do to help. And you know that the true nature is that everybody that we have not met yet, like Bob Clark's family or Gene Shepard's family or people in those circles that have a huge tie to this movie that we have never met just yet.

Feel the same kind of love that we do we just haven't been connected yet, right? And that's the other part of what we were trying to do with not only this podcast but with the family is kind of get everybody an awareness that we are here to support and love and continue to share not only the the essence of this movie but Bob Clark's life and Gene Shepard's life and and Darren McAvans life and Dylan McDermott's I'm not

Dylan, sorry, that's a different movie I was in. And also, you know, Melinda Dillon and, you know, everybody that was involved in this, we have the ability to keep this thing alive as long as we can. Like you said, we're not going to be here forever. So thank you, Monica. We love you very much.

As we wrap up today's episode, filled with heartwarming tales and chilly set adventures, a huge thanks goes out to Monica Harvey. Thank you girl for sharing your unique insights from the making of A Christmas Story. We also want to extend our gratitude to you, our listeners, whose passion and enthusiasm make every episode a deep dive into the film's enduring spirit. If you enjoyed today's journey, please hit that subscribe button and the ring bell notifications.

It helps appease the algorithmic gods and ensures you never miss our behind the scenes tales and heartfelt stories from the cast. Don't just listen, join the family. Subscribe to our newsletter at www .acristmasstoryfamily .com to get the latest updates, special content and more. Curious about what it's like to hang out with the cast on a Zoom call? Want more interaction and experiences? Visit acristmasstoryvip .com and sign up for our 30 day free trial of A Christmas Story Inner Circle Community.

It's your chance to connect more closely with the saga and its stars, shares, its exclusive events, and continuing making magical Christmas story memories all year round. Keep the magic of this story alive in your hearts, you guys, and join us next time. We wanna make another episode of a Talking A Christmas Story with the cast. From Roswell, Georgia to the snowy scenes of Canada, we're all part of this incredible family. Good night, everyone, and remember, every day can have a little Christmas magic if you keep the spirit alive. Stay connected with us.

Stay curious and until next time, may your days be merry and bright. Oh yeah, before I forget, just when you thought the excitement was winding down, let me remind you that the celebration of the 40th anniversary of A Christmas Story is still in full effect. Yes, we are making this milestone until November 18th, 2024, which by the way, the state of Ohio has declared A Christmas Story Family Day. But hold on to your Red Riding Hood BB guns because...

What we're planning is not another event. It's not a game. It's not merch or an autograph, nor is it new episodes or a movie. It's something so monumental, so out of this world, the guessing is like trying to decode a secret message without your little orphan Annie decoder pen. Our team, along with the cast, has been working tirelessly for months to bring you an experience that's never been done before.

It's something so staggering that you won't wanna miss a single moment of it. So make sure you're subscribed to our podcast, YouTube channel, our newsletter, that you get notifications and then make sure they're all turned on. Trust me, you'll wanna be the first to know because the surprise is going to be, well, let's just say it will light up your holiday season brighter than the glow from a certain leg lamp. Keep guessing, keep watching and stay tuned. Stay tuned. We can't wait to unravel and unveil this.

spectacular surprise soon. Love you guys. Have a great day. Bye.