Friday, August 31, 2018

A Christmas Story House



“A Christmas Story” was a sleeper hit that has become an annual holiday classic. Naturally if you go to Cleveland, Ohio, you MUST stop by the Tremont neighborhood to visit this 19th Century Victorian home that was used in the film for exterior shots in the movie.



There’s even a leg lamp sitting in the window as you enter...



just like the movie!



I couldn't resist.



Although the interior shots were filmed on a soundstage, the owners of the house have done a masterful job of reworking the layout and acquiring vintage furnishings to make it look as much like the film version as possible.





Hiding behind the tree is the Red Ryder BB gun that was coveted by Ralphie:



The museum has the screen-used prop:



The upstairs bathroom, where a number of key scenes in the film occurred:



Few details have been overlooked, including this gnawed on bar of red Lifebuoy soap:





If you pick up the upstairs phone, you can hear a conversation from the movie!



The staircase was reconfigured to match the one in the movie:



Who could forget poor Ralphie descending in his Pink Bunny suit from Aunt Clara on Christmas morning?



The pattern used to make the suit is also in the museum:



Another key location for the movie was Higbee’s department store in downtown Cleveland:



Although Higbee's is now Jack's Casino, the sign still remains:



Kitschy and fun, this home is a must on your list of things to do in Cleveland!

See more photos at my main website.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Gene Shepherd mixed up his memories of BB guns. The Red Ryder never had a compass nor sun dial. The Buck Jones model did. Daisy had to specially make six rifles for the film that combined the two.

Fifthrider said...

That's awesome that the current residents would embrace that movie and change the house to fit the movie, right down to the bar of soap. Interesting to see how different the interior really is as opposed to the sound stage version. ( stairs, etc. )

Matthew said...

Wow Dave! There you are... touching, "the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window." You lucky dog, you! How fun that must have been to visit the house. Beautiful pictures my friend!

Always your pal,
Amazon Belle

Daveland said...

Matthew - It was imported!!! You shoulda' been there.

Chuck said...

You shouldn't have touched it, Dave. You might have knocked it down. That thing looks really ragile, and odds are they were all out of glue.

Daveland said...

Chuck - You probably already know this, but apparently they had to make the crate smaller to get through the door, which is why the “f” was missing!

Chuck said...

Actually, I didn't know that. I thought it was a planned gag, rather than the actors taking advantage of the prop for comic effect. That makes me enjoy the scene that much more. Thanks, Dave!

Dreemfinder said...

A GREAT post... Thanks, Dave!