YORK, Pa. — It's one of the most quoted and watched movies each holiday season.
But 'A Christmas Story' is one of the few that has gone from a seasonal film to part of some family's annual traditions.
"It came out in 1983 and it was not a big success," recalled Peter Billingsly, who played Ralph Parker in the film. "At that time there wasn't much life for movies. VHS was kind of new and cable wasn't really what it was. Then slowly but surely I heard that families were passing VHS tapes to each other and it sort of got this kind of cult status with families saying, 'Oh, you got to watch this movie!'"
Over the years, Billingsley has heard so much feedback about 'A Christmas Story,' including what keeps people coming back for more, each November and December.
"People will say, 'That's my family,' which is also kind of wild because this movie takes place in the 40s," said Billingsley. "So, there's something timeless about the characters. Our families aren't perfect. We got through a lot, especially during the holiday season. There can be arguments and disagreements and frustrations and hopes lost, but there's something about Christmas Day that kind of makes it alright."
The New York native was 12-years-old when the original movie was released, but he returned to the character, as well as behind the camera, for 2022's 'A Christmas Story Christmas.' That's when he had the idea to host screenings of 'A Christmas Story' in a few select spots, share some stories, and even answer questions from those who have loved and grown up with the movie.
"It led me back to really studying the first film a lot and doing so, it brought up a lot of great memories and a lot of anecdotes and things behind the scenes," Billingsley said. "A lot of the stuff I had never really spoken about publicly, just because they were kind of in some ways left there."
For as many times as people have seen the film, these stops, which include the one at Penn State's York campus next month, will allow most fans to see it for the first time on the big screen.
"Those that haven't seen it in a theater, which is not a ton, it's a really fun experience because it's a comedy, and comedies are great in groups because you feel the laughs and especially people that know it," claimed Billingsley.
"I love watching it with the crowd because they kind of know what's coming and so you'll hear chuckles and laughs when they come to the flagpole, you know, people know that scenes coming and you hear them and there's some cheers when he beats up the bully. I'll spend quite a bit of time, sharing some insights and stories and a lot of never-before-revealed stories, some very funny of how we actually pulled this low-budget movie off, that took the filmmakers 12 years to get made and nobody in Hollywood wanted to make it. It's kind of the Little Engine That Could."
An Evening with Peter Billingsley & A Christmas Story takes place at the Pullo Center on Thurs., Dec 5, at 7:30 P.M.
You can find ticket information here.