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From: trb@masscomp.UUCP (Andy Tannenbaum)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Christmas Story
Message-ID: <142@masscomp.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 29-Nov-83 18:02:38 EST
Article-I.D.: masscomp.142
Posted: Tue Nov 29 18:02:38 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 1-Dec-83 02:25:23 EST
References: <175@iwu1c.UUCP>
Organization: MASSCOMP, Littleton, MA
Lines: 53

I haven't had the chance to see "A Christmas Story" yet, but I've been
a long time Jean Shephard fan (I think that's how he spells his last
name) so I'll fill you in on a few interesting details.

Shep has been a personality and story teller for quite a while.  He had
stories in New Yorker for a long time.  He had a radio show on WOR 710AM
radio in NYC, 50KW clear channel, so you might have picked it up even
if you lived real far away from NYC.  His show was on until, oh, at
least 1973, for 45 minutes nightly, from 9:15-10 or 10:15-11 over the
years.  I could sing you his opening theme music, but I don't know
where it's from.  He'd talk about the state of the world and he'd tell
stories about his (alleged) childhood in Indiana.  What great stories.

Anyway, his most popular book was called "In God We Trust, All Others
Pay Cash," and, like the rest of his books (as I remember) was a
collection of short stories, not a novel.  It sounds like "A
Christmas Story" is based on his story "FOO, or, Red Ryder Nails
the Cleveland Street Kid"  where I don't remember what FOO was.
Anyway, the name didn't matter, Shep used to tell the story every
Christmas eve on the radio.  He had other annual stories, his other
biggie was one about a drunkard named Ludlow Kissel who, one July 4th,
came up with the largest firework that had ever been seen.  He'd tell
that ever July 4th, and it was always great.  I think it's in "In God
We Trust" also.  (I'm not sure whether we just heard a recording of
the story from year to year, I think he actually re-recorded it each
time.)

Shep also did some TV, his "Shephard's Pie" and "Jean Shephard's America"
shows out of New Jersey Public TV were excellent, and he sometimes does
color commentary for Tour de France bike racing or auto road racing.

He goes on tour a lot, speaking at colleges and such.  He usually does
a gig each summer at the Clinton Historical Museum in Clinton, NJ, as
part of their entertainment series.  I saw him there this past summer;
he was fantastic, and he mentioned his upcoming movie.  He wasn't
sure what it was going to be called, but his original choice was "Boys
Life," because that magazine is instrumental in the story (he tears out
the ad for the Red Ryder BB gun as a hint to his parents).  But lo and
behold, the movie title "Boys Life" is already owned by someone!  Who?
Your friend and mine Steven Spielberg.  I guess he already owned
everything else on earth and was looking for new things to buy when he
came upon "Boys Life."  Anyway, Shep couldn't secure the title, so he
had to go with something else.

In conclusion, do look into Shep's short stories, IGWT is probably his
best, though he has some other goodies, the only one whose title I
remember is "Ferrari in the Bedroom" which was written later.  Try the
library for a more complete list.

I hope this leads to some activity for Shep, he's quite a storyteller,
and it'll be nice to see him around again.

	Andy Tannenbaum   Masscomp Inc  Westford MA   (617) 692-6200 x274