Jean Shepherd's "A Christmas Story": The Truth Behind the Classic Movie

Jean Shepherd’s A Christmas Story was released in 1983 and ranks as one of the most popular holiday movies of all time, thanks, in part, to marathon showings on cable TV each December. It even has its own Broadway musical (currently playing locally at the Paper Mill Playhouse). Although the film secured Shepherd’s fame beyond his lifetime, long before its release by MGM, Shepherd was a well-known author, radio and TV personality, and humorist, often performing on stage, including appearances in Cranford. Jean Shepherd historian Steven Glazer has spent years separating truth from fiction in A Christmas Story. Join him for an illustrated talk revealing all about Ralphie, Randy, Schwartz, Flick, Miss Shields, and the Bumpus hounds. A screening of A Christmas Story will follow. The presentation is sponsored by the Cranford Historical Society and the Cranford Public Library. Admission is free and all are welcome. Excelsior!