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what is the story behind the leg lamp

by Marielle Padberg Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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A Christmas Story

A Christmas Story

It's 1940, in the northern Indiana town of Hohman. 9-year-old Ralph "Ralphie" Parker wants only one thing for Christmas -- an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model BB rifle with a compass in the stock. Between his younger brother Randy and having to handle school bully …

author, Jean Shepherd

Jean Shepherd

Jean Parker Shepherd Jr. was an American storyteller, radio and TV personality, writer and actor. He was often referred to by the nickname Shep. With a career that spanned decades, Shepherd is known for the film A Christmas Story, which he narrated and co-scripted, based on his …

was inspired to create the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement. The leg lamp was first described in 1966 in Shepherd’s novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash!” under the short story title “My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award That Heralded the Birth of Pop Art.”

The very first iteration of the leg lamp came from the imagination of author Jean Shepherd, who first described the appliance in a 1966 short story titled “My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award That Heralded the Birth of Pop Art.” Shepherd's description was inspired by ads run by Nehi (pronounced “knee-high”) ...Jul 18, 2016

Full Answer

What is the Leg Lamp from a Christmas Story?

The Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story is one of the most iconic and recognizable movie props of all time. Replicas of the leg lamp have become prized “Major Awards” for fans everywhere and are available in our gift shop. A Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd was inspired to create the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement.

Who invented the Leg Lamp and why?

A Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd was inspired to create the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement. The leg lamp was first described in 1966 in Shepherd’s novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash!” under the short story title “My Old Man and...

What inspired Jean Shepherd to create the Leg Lamp?

A Christmas Story author, Jean Shepherd was inspired to create the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement. The leg lamp was first described in 1966 in Shepherd’s novel “In God We Trust: All Other Pay Cash!” under the short story title “My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award That Heralded the Birth of Pop Art.”

How does Shepherd describe the Leg Lamp and his father’s obsession?

Shepherd describes the leg lamp and his father’s obsession with it in a 1966 story titled “My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award that Heralded the Birth of Pop Art.”

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What is the meaning of the leg lamp?

The Leg Lamp, or as the old man calls it the “Major Award”, was a large tacky lamp that the father in the film won. Since its initial release, A Christmas Story has grown a cult following and is frequently found in heavy TV rotation during the holidays.

Why is there a leg lamp in A Christmas Story?

1:347:00A Christmas Story: Why is the Lamp a Leg? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSpecial award that heralded the birth of pop art shepard explains that newspapers in that time usedMoreSpecial award that heralded the birth of pop art shepard explains that newspapers in that time used giveaways like this to coax people into buying papers. It was the great depression.

Why did the dad in Christmas story get the lamp?

Yes, Ralphie's dad wins the lamp as a consolation prize in a newspaper sweepstakes.

What does the dad say about the leg lamp?

Earlier in the movie, the father won a 'leg lamp' as an award. The following is after the mother accidentally breaks it. Father: Don't you touch that! You were always jealous of this lamp.

Is A Christmas Story based on a true story?

Jean Shepherd's book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash”, which “A Christmas Story” is based on, is a collection of semi-autobiographical short stories that Shepherd wrote for “Playboy” magazine during the 1960s.

Is the leg lamp real?

Three leg lamps were made for the movie, but none of them exist today.

Why does the dad win the leg lamp?

Mr. Parker enters a newspaper trivia contest and wins after his wife supplies him with the answer. His prize, much to his wife's dismay, is a woman's leg lamp – complete with fishnet stocking and high heel.

Was the Christmas story lamp real?

Jean Shepherd's concept for the “major award” leg lamp was based on a real lamp: an illuminated Nehi logo. The style of the leg lamp for A Christmas Story was created by production designer Reuben Freed who had never before seen or heard of a leg lamp. 14.

What year A Christmas Story set it?

1940While set in a small town in Indiana, "A Christmas Story" split its filming between Cleveland and Toronto. 8. There is some confusion as to what year it is set, as a calendar seen in the film says it's 1939, but the decoder pen Ralphie receives from the Little Orphan Annie radio show is the 1940 model. 9.

What's the famous line from A Christmas Story?

Ralphie: "I want an Official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle." Mother: "You'll shoot your eye out!" Randy: "I can't put my arms down!" Mother: "You can put your arms down when you get to school."

What was the line from A Christmas Story with the lamp?

The narrator's voice (Ralphie as an adult) says: “After the snap of a few sparks, a quick whiff of ozone, the lamp blazed forth in unparalleled glory.” Seeing the leg lamp aglow, Mr. Parker remarked, “It's indescribably beautiful! It reminds me of the Fourth of July!”

Who broke the leg lamp in A Christmas Story?

All three props were broken on set during the filming. If you look closely during the scene in which Ralphie's Mom breaks the leg lamp you will notice that the leg lamp is broken in two different manners. One vertically on the length of the leg and the other into “chunks.”

How big was the leg lamp in A Christmas Story?

The 50-inch Deluxe Leg Lamp comes with a 20 inch wide, poly/cotton blend lampshade. The leg and socket under the lampshade light up independently or together and are controlled by one 3-way switch. Leg is made of plastic.

What movie is the leg lamp from?

A Christmas StoryThe Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story is one of the most iconic and recognizable movie props of all time. Replicas of the leg lamp have become prized “Major Awards” for fans everywhere and are available in our gift shop.

What did the dad win in A Christmas Story?

The Old Man wins a "major award" in a contest – a table lamp in the shape of a woman's leg wearing a fishnet stocking.

HOW DO YOU MAKE A Christmas Story Leg lamp?

2:013:36Let's Make the Leg Lamp From A Christmas Story - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipI drilled a hole in the center of the acrylic. Piece. Then it was time to assemble everything I pre-MoreI drilled a hole in the center of the acrylic. Piece. Then it was time to assemble everything I pre-drilled some screws on the shoe. And then attached it to the base.

Who created the leg lamp?

According to A Christmas Story House and Museum (yep, there’s an entire museum dedicated to the subject), Shepherd imagined the leg lamp after seeing an illuminated Nehi Soda advertisement, which featured two shapely disembodied legs up to the knee.

Who designed the leg lamp in Christmas Story?

Uncertain of just what a leg lamp should look like, A Christmas Story ’s production designer Reuben Freed created a quick sketch and showed it to Shepherd, who surprisingly approved it right away. “I immediately thought of something I had seen in my mother’s front room, which was sort of a gold-colored silk lampshade, pleated with fringe around it,” Freed told Cleveland magazine in 2009. “I thought of it immediately and never thought of anything else—just that classic, big ugly shape.”

How many leg lamps did Freed make?

But “the likelihood of finding one is about as great as locating Pee Wee Herman ’s bicycle in the basement of the Alamo.”. Freed produced three leg lamps ...

What song did the leg lamp sing?

What song did the leg lamp get to sing? None other than “I Feel Pretty .”

What would happen if you stacked every Christmas story leg lamp?

According to a post-Christmas press release that highlighted Amazon’s seasonal sales in 2012, the online retail giant boasted: “If you stacked every Christmas Story Leg Lamp purchased by Amazon customers this holiday season, the height would reach the top of Mt. Everest.”

What color is the lamp in Shepherd's essay?

When the lamp finally arrives in Shepherd’s essay, he writes, “From ankle to thigh the translucent flesh radiated a vibrant, sensual, luminous orange-yellow-pinkish nim bus of Pagan fire. All it needed was tom-toms and maybe a gong or two. And a tenor singing in a high, quavery, earnest voice: ‘A pretty girl/Is like a melody…’”

What was the inspiration for the Christmas lamp?

1. The A Christmas Story leg lamp was inspired by an old-school soft drink. Before A Christmas Story was a movie, it was a series of short stories that appeared in two different volumes by the late writer and radio personality Jean Shepherd.

What is the lamp in the eleventh scene of A Leg of Lamp?

He doesn't know what it is. He opens the box and finds a lamp in the shape of a female human leg. Mrs. Parker finds it inappropriate and is embarrassed about it. Many people from the neighborhood come to see it out the window, including the Parkers' dim-witted neighbor, Swede .

Why does Parker love the lamp?

Parker loves the lamp because it is his award for completing a crossword puzzle about great characters in American literature in the newspaper. It is an iconic part of pop culture and popularizes A Christmas Story further.

What happened in the 19th scene of A Fake Break?

In the nineteenth scene of the film, "A Fake Break", Mr. Parker is fixing the furnace, when he hears a crash. Mrs Parker broke the lamp and used all the glue on purpose. Mr. Parker tries to fix it with tape but fails. Mr. Parker soon buries the remains of the lamp.

How tall is the leg lamp in A Christmas Story?

The man who created the first version of the iconic leg lamp from film A Christmas Story is being honored in his Oklahoma home town - with a giant 40-foot tall inflatable version of the prop.

Who was the actress in the 1983 Christmas story?

Movie classic: 1983 film A Christmas Story celebrates its 37th anniversary this year. It starred Melinda Dillon , far left, Darren McGavin, Ian Petrella and Peter Billingsley, far right

Can you put an inflatable leg on during strong winds?

The inflatable leg is not able to be erected during periods of strong winds

How was the lamp in the movie "His End Up" made?

The lamp was created by casting a mold of a woman’s leg. The label “His End Up” on the crate that contained the leg lamp in the movie wasn’t meant to be a joke. Jim Moralevitz, who played one of the leg-lamp delivery men, told the Cleveland News-Herald that “the crate was so wide that it wouldn’t fit through the door.

Is the leg lamp a trademark?

From an intellectual property standpoint, the leg lamp is as strong as it is shapely: protected by a federal trademark registration (U.S. Registration No. 3,364,542). Ditto for an accompanying leg lamp ornament (U.S. Registration No. 3,367,925). So although Shepherd was not an inventor per se, his uniquely creative intellect registered with many and had the ideal vehicle via the media explosion of the mid-20th century.

What is the story about the leg lamp?

The short story about the Leg Lamp is titled “My Old Man and the Lascivious Special Award that Heralded the Birth of Pop Art” and was originally published in 1966. The story that inspired A Christmas Story, “Red Ryder Nails the Hammond Kid”, was published in ...

What was the lamp in A Christmas Story?

One of the most memorable parts of the 1983 film A Christmas Story is the Leg Lamp . The Leg Lamp, or as the old man calls it the “Major Award”, was a large tacky lamp that the father in the film won. Since its initial release, A Christmas Story has grown a cult following and is frequently found in heavy TV rotation during the holidays. And with the film’s popularity, the legend of the Christmas Story Leg Lamp has been passed on through the generations.

How many leg lamps were broken in the movie?

Two Leg Lamps were broken during filming. One survived and sat in the window of Martin Malivoire’s special effects shop in Toronto for several years. Unfortunately, this is one of the saddest Leg Lamp trivia items on this list. While cleaning up his shop, Malivoire threw the lamp into the garbage.

What soda inspired the leg lamp from Christmas Story?

Fun Leg Lamp Trivia: A NEHI soda ad inspired the Leg Lamp from A Christmas Story … #AChristmasStory #LegLamp #ChristmasStory

How much does a leg lamp cost?

For people who don’t need a new lamp but still love the Leg Lamp, smaller versions exist. In recent years Leg Lamp nightlights ($15+ via Amazon) and Leg Lamp Christmas Tree lights ($30 via Amazon) have all hit the market.

What was the terminal tower transformed into?

To help celebrate the 30th anniversary of A Christmas Story in 2013, Terminal Tower in Cleveland’s Public Square was transformed into a giant leg lamp. People traveled from around the world to come to the United States for the event.

Who created the Christmas story lamp?

After Martin Malivoire created the glass leg, production designer Reuben Freed created the style and design of the Christmas Story movie leg lamp. The lampshade is a classic bell shape based on a lamp from Freed’s mother’s living room.

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1.The Leg Lamp – A Christmas Story House

Url:https://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/a-christmas-story-movie-facts/the-leg-lamp/

30 hours ago The Leg Lamp is Mr. Parker 's award in Bob Clark 's 1983 film, A Christmas Story. Mr. Parker loves the lamp because it is his award for completing a crossword puzzle about great …

2.Videos of What Is The Story Behind The Leg Lamp

Url:/videos/search?q=what+is+the+story+behind+the+leg+lamp&qpvt=what+is+the+story+behind+the+leg+lamp&FORM=VDRE

20 hours ago  · (WYTV)- With the popularity of the movie A Christmas Story from 1983, comes one of its most recognizable props: the leg lamp, otherwise known as “A Major Award.” The …

3.The Leg Lamp | A Christmas Story Wiki | Fandom

Url:https://achristmasstory.fandom.com/wiki/The_Leg_Lamp

32 hours ago The very first iteration of the leg lamp came from the imagination of author Jean Shepherd, who first described the appliance in a 1966 short story titled “My Old Man and the Lascivious …

4.The REAL story of A Christmas Story's leg lamp which …

Url:https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9086931/The-REAL-story-Christmas-Storys-leg-lamp-famous-crew-member-it.html

34 hours ago  · The lamp was created by casting a mold of a woman’s leg. The label “His End Up” on the crate that contained the leg lamp in the movie wasn’t meant to be a joke. Jim …

5.History of the leg lamp from “A Christmas Story” - WYTV

Url:https://www.wytv.com/home/history-of-the-leg-lamp-from-a-christmas-story/

16 hours ago  · The iconic leg lamp from A Christmas Story has to be one of the most bizarre and recognizable props in movie history. The Christmas Story leg lamp first appeared in radio …

6.The Man Behind the Leg Lamp - Inventors Digest

Url:https://www.inventorsdigest.com/articles/the-man-behind-the-leg-lamp/

16 hours ago  · The Leg Lamp, or as the old man calls it the “Major Award”, was a large tacky lamp that the father in the film won. Since its initial release, A Christmas Story has grown a cult …

7.Leg Lamp Trivia: 10 Fun Trivia Facts About The …

Url:https://methodshop.com/leg-lamp-trivia/

36 hours ago  · My favorite Christmas film, by far, has always been ‘A Christmas Story’. Growing up, I always wondered… why a leg? Why was Ralphie’s dad winning a leg lamp? ...

8.A Christmas Story: Why is the Lamp a Leg? - YouTube

Url:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpqZWIodf2c

3 hours ago

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