Motion Pictures chrstmas story movie...tons of cars

Doesn't change what it is though. Not a roadster due to the fixed windshield posts

 

I'm thinking 1947 or 1948 --- Reason - Look at the police car that shows up when Flick has his kiss with the flagpole - it is a 1946 Chevrolet. The firetruck is a '48 Ford F-5. The pickup that drives by prior is a 1947 Chevy second series or a '48. There is also a brief glimpse of a 1947 Ford Deluxe, you can tell by the front marker lights that it's NOT a '42 or a '46. In yet another scene, a '46 Hudson Super Six can be seen. However, since MOST post-war styling simply carried on the 1942 bodies and trim, it would've been easy to use 1946 and 1947 cars without many people noticing it.

Dad's 1937 Oldsmobile would've been a nearly-new car then, and it was definitely a well-worn used car in the time frame of the movie, with its bald tires, overheating problems, and overall wear. Yet another reason that the movie was not set pre-war.

One anomaly is the "Little Orphan Annie" radio show. If this were indeed historically correct, the radio show ran from 1930 - 1942. http://www.otrcat.com/little-orphan-annie-p-1517.html With the nation on brink of war, there would've been more concern towards that displayed, I would think. With the movie being set immediately post-war, the necessity of running on nearly bald tires would've gone away, but that mindset of saving the rubber for the now-gone war effort was still entrenched in many.

I can see where people think 1939, since that was the year that "Wizard of Oz" was released. But, most of the famous Disney movies with the Mickey Mouse characters were released immediately prior to, or during, WWII. "Fantasia" was released in 1941, for example. "Oz" was a very popular movie all through the 1940s, keep that in mind.

There are good arguments for both 1940-41 and 1946-47.

 

ya i saw a few of those as well...no biggy though. Its been stated by the writer and others it was supposed to be more of ralphies recolection than anything else, although the license plate is 1940 on the olds.

 

I also think 1940. Didn't the decoder he received in the mail have 1940 on the back as he was decoding in the bathroom?

 

They did a real good job in getting the show to look period correct but look at the scenes in the store and look at the radio flyer wagons and the tricycles,they have the red caps on the ends of the axles that scream 60 or 70s. I would imagine it would be very hard to find all the props for a late 40s era show and I also thought the tractors pulling the floats in the parade looked a little too new but I love watching the show and watch it every time its on. I just cant help myself as I always look and see if they get all the props right for the time the movie is supposed to be.

 

Jean Shepperd Brought theater of the mind to thousands of young minds @ 10:15 every week night on 710 WOR radio in New York City!
If you were fortunate enough to pickup the signal of that 50,000 watt blow torch, you were in for a treat! Shep could spin yarns like no one else that I have heard since.
Go on line and Google his name, you can listen to many of his air checks.
One of my favorites involves a house kit, a railroad car, some of the "oldman's"
friends, and some "tall cool ones"LOL.
PBS also did at least 4 other of his short stories on film as 90 minute movies.
I do not believe they have been seen in many years but they are GREAT!
Hope you all had a Wonderful Christmas!

 

Slick Willy,

Take a second and go back to my Original Post: The year IS 1940 as that's the year of that particular Orphan Annie Decoder (when it was brand new)...the same one that I have. (They made different ones/styles through the years.)

SO, everything in the film centers around that date: 1940.

Hope you and yours had a good Holiday today ! It was too cold/snowy here in St. Louis to do much but, rest & relax a little.

All the best to you,

JK www.legends.thewwbc.net

 

Is the sport coupe a chevy or a ford ,,,,,The one referred to as the roadster body ........

 

You're right ! See my last Post & Info.

JK www.legends.thewwbc.net

 

Looks like a Ford dash to me

 

Movies are rarely, if ever, totally period correct, but this captures the spirit of the post war years that I remember having been born in 1946.

 

Is it possible that the movie's era was purposely made ambiguous? Jean Shepherd was born in 1921, so his actual childhood would have been in the 1920's and early 1930's. His books are not too specific on the years when things happen so, perhaps, he and the people who made the movie, deliberately used various year cars, toys, etc. to confuse the era.
I can almost picture Jean Shepherd having a laugh as people try to "pin down" the exact year that the movie portrays!

 

Ok i am going to get shot for this but here goes...I have never seen this movie.I fell weird saying that as everyone i have spoke to loves it.Am i normal?

 

No..

 

That it does and does it good,it was still the same up in the 60s but something got lost in the 70s and later.

 

the fire truck in that scene looked like a 46-47 ford to me.

 

Picture posted by Mazooma1 on another post...The "Christmas Story" family, Mellinda Dillon, Darin McGavin, Peter Billingsly, Ian Petrella

 

I think that Terraplane was a 4 dr.. Wow, I wounder if it was mine?
Great movie.

 

Thankyou IrishHills i will remedy that ASAP.

 

true, the real schwartz, paul schwartz went mia when his b17 was shot down over italy during wwii. so gene's(ralph's) childhood occurred much earlier than depicted in the movie.
gene grew up in the hessville section of hammond, indiana but never liked to acknowledge it much, probably the reason he referred to it as hohman. hohman is actually the main drag the runs through downtown hammond which is where the goldblatt's was, not higbees. i remember seeing santa there myself back in the sixties. i even remember triple dog dares.
flick's tap is still on kennedy ave in hessville though it hasn't been owned by the family for quite some time.

 

So... my Hong Kong born girlfriend woke up yesterday in a rare good mood and was singing Christmas carols as she got her day going. I woke up and turned the T.V. on, hit 247 (TBS in Phoenix) and started watching... She came into the room singing FA RARA RARA RARA RA RA RA RA! seconds before the restaurant scene... She frequently wonders what I find so funny!!!

 

I'm not sure when Ohio started using road salt, but that's not entirely unrealistic for 10 years of winter driving. A bit much, but not impossible. My first car was a 12 years old with the rear quarters flapping in the breeze. Rust-proofing and galvanized steel were an 80's thing.

 

Jim v your so crazy

 

"it's a wonderful life" has some great old cars in it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fswUz3FDEao

 

Super Movie!

 

In the scene where Ralphy is beating up the bully there is a '37 Terraplane in the background just like mine.

 

One of my favorites!

 

I haven't seen it in awhile. I can't get TBS and they have the TV rights or something. It brings back all the good things from my childhood, although a different era.

I didn't realize they made other movies with the same family.

PBS The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters, and The Phantom of the Open Hearth.

PBS/Disney Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss (1988) Jerry O'Connell as Ralphie, James Sikking as The Old Man.

Movie 1994 My Summer Story(It Runs in the Family) Charles Grodin stars in My Summer Story as the Old Man (Ralphie's father), Mary Steenburgen plays Ralphie's mother, and Kieran Culkin plays Ralphie. Flopped; $71,000 total box office!

I think I'll just keep the memory pure.

Furnace Battle #1: "AH, BLASTED! YOU TWO BLURT RATTLE FLAT CAMEL FLIRT. YOU BLOTTA BRATTLE BEAST JERKOFF BRAT. STANA ONCE SAT BRADA, FRADA RADA RADA... (Older Ralphie chimes in here)... SMELLY WOMP WUSSLER. DRAB DUMB FRATIN' HOUSE STICAL FIFER!

End scene.

Changing the tire scene: "HAHAHA! AHHH, ONE, TWO, THERE WE GO! YOU OLD SON OF A GUN, GETCHA MOT DIRTY MONG BLING BLING BLANG BLANG..THERE WE GO AND...! (Ralphie's hand smashes into the hubcap holding the bolts).

End scene.

Final Furnace Battle (#2): "YOU FILTHY PISTON HELCKIN! YOU WHIP MAUKER, SMELLY WOMP BUSTER. GRAB DUMB FRATIN' HOUSTICAL FIFER! (coughs) YOU BLADDER PUSSKNOT GRAPAH. YOU DORTIN DONOBADO. YOU WART MUNDANE NOODLE! YOU SCHOTTIN SHISKIFASKAFA. YOU SNORT TUNGER, LAY MONGER SNACKA SHA COCKER! (Leg lamp smashes, Mr. Parker walks upstairs.)

And finally, where are they now.

 

I ended up getting this for christmas this year

 

Great movie and I have it on CD. Watch both once a year and get a great old car fix.