What year does the movie "A Christmas Story" take place?

Question

I know the movie was made in 1983 but I was wondering if anyone knows what year the movie is supposed to be taking place during.

Answer 1

"Dating the story
An actual advertisement which includes Red Ryder's BB Gun.Based on references to popular culture in the film, the story takes place no earlier than 1939, when the MGM film The Wizard of Oz came out, and no later than 1942, the last year of the Little Orphan Annie radio broadcasts.[8] The World War II time frame is consistent with the presence of shoppers in military uniforms peering into the display window, which contained a toy tank. The most likely year is 1940, because Ralphie's new Radio Orphan Annie decoder pin is the 1940 model. [9] This dating is slightly later than author Jean Shepherd's own childhood (he was 19 years old in 1940) but earlier than that of director Bob Clark (who was born in 1941). The Red Ryder BB gun was available during this period and for many years afterward, but never in the exact configuration mentioned in the film.[10]

Despite the many props and other references to this era, however, one can find the occasional anachronism, such as Scut Farkus (and the Old Man in a fantasy sequence) wearing a coonskin cap, a piece of apparel more evocative of the 1950s. Also, the police car that responds to the stuck tongue is a 1947 Chevrolet (which can be seen through the classroom window). Such fuzziness of dating may be seen as a way to generalize the nostalgia for Ralphie's childhood as applying to other time periods as well. As Clark states in the commentary: "I set it in my mind as basically close to World War II. 1940 is my idea of when it is. That's when the cars are set for.... It's amorphously later Thirties, early Forties."

Answer 2

A Christmas Story Setting

Answer 3

The most reasonable answer is 1940, because in 1941 the decoder pins became paper. also the tank in the window at the beginning was from world war 1 if the movie was post world war 2 the tank would have been a Sherman or a different world war 2 tank. Not only that but the the red rider Bebe gun came out around the late 1930.

Answer 4

Based on references to popular culture in the film, the story takes place no earlier than 1939, when the MGM film The Wizard of Oz came out, and no later than 1942, the last year of the Little Orphan Annie radio broadcasts. The World War II time frame is consistent with the presence of shoppers in military uniforms peering into the display window, which contained a toy tank. The most likely year is 1940, because Ralphie's new Radio Orphan Annie decoder pin is the 1940 model.

Answer 5

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I can tell this is gonna be bad. First of all, it's from Disney. I just hope they won't let some stupid so-called talented Jonas bros or Zac Efron or Miley Cyrus ruin it. Second, why don't they just re-release it instead of making some 3-D remake. Originality is always the best. Most remakes are pretty bad. This film was really awesome and way ahead of it's time, a pure classic. By making a remake, it has less chance of todays younger generation of seeing the original. C'mon Disney, what have you let yourselves into?

Answer 6

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RE:
What year does the movie "A Christmas Story" take place?
I know the movie was made in 1983 but I was wondering if anyone knows what year the movie is supposed to be taking place during.

Answer 7

1937 is the earliest date. I doubt Ralphies mom would hold onto a two year old Look magazine. Shirley Temple with Santa was the December 21st 1937 (the first year Look magazine was publshed) issue of the magazine. There are too many inconsistencies in the movie to give a specific date. The Wizad of Oz was written in 1900. Granted the characters are those from the movie rather than Denslows illustrations.

Answer 8

1970

Answer 9

1939

Answer 10

If you watch the end of the flat tire scene very closely, the license plate on the trunk of the Oldsmobile reads "Indiana 40"

Answer 11

According to IMDB, Jean Shepard has said it is meant to be 1940. It also cites that the Little Orphan Annie decoder used was specific to 1940.