The director of the cult movie “A Christmas Story” went to Hillsdale College, and students will tell the tale of Bob Clark in a documentary that screens for the first time next week.
“We have gotten to learn so many things about him that honestly weren’t very well known,” said sophomore Lonán Mooney, a writer for the documentary. “Especially in the case of ‘A Christmas Story,’ he was so well-liked and trusted by the cast, including the kids who were in the film, which speaks so much to who he was as a person.”
Students in the Documentary Filmmaking class will premiere their documentary “A Bob Clark Story” April 14 at 7 p.m. in Plaster Auditorium.
The film pays special attention to what Clark learned during his time at Hillsdale, said Lecturer in Journalism Buddy Moorehouse. Clark was the quarterback of Hillsdale’s football team, starred in several Tower Players productions, and taught a one-credit scuba diving class.
“Bob Clark came to Hillsdale to play football, but he really found his voice as a writer and storyteller here,” Moorehouse said.
“A Christmas Story” is a 1983 comedy film, now acclaimed by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant. The movie tells the story of a young boy named Ralphie, who dreams of getting a BB gun for Christmas. It is most known for the famous “leg lamp” prop that appears in the film.
Eight students collaborated on the documentary: seniors Adriana Azarian, Quinn Delamater, Christina Lewis, Sami Mandel, and Jamie Parsons, and sophomores Savana Greb, Grace Novak, and Mooney.
Delamater, the director of the film, flew solo to Idaho to interview Peter Billingsley, the actor who played Ralphie in “A Christmas Story.”
“My 24 hours in Boise were a true whirlwind, but extremely rewarding nonetheless,” Delamater said. “The opportunity to interview a Hollywood actor was once in a lifetime. It was a very professional experience that I will always think fondly of and never forget.”
The documentary aims to show an interesting and unique story of someone who went to Hillsdale College, according to Mooney.
“It not only gives insight into the types of people who come out of Hillsdale, but it’s very interesting how few people know he went here,” Mooney said.
Anyone who is a fan of “A Christmas Story” will enjoy the documentary, said Mooney, who watched it as a child growing up in Ireland.
“Everyone I know says it’s a family favorite and a classic, and that they watch it every year,” Mooney said. “I certainly did, and I’m not even American.”
Students in the class also interviewed other actors who worked with Bob Clark on “A Christmas Story” and his ex-wife, which Moorehouse said helped them understand Clark’s story better.
“Let’s just say there are some major plot twists in Bob Clark’s life story that nobody has heard about until now,” Moorehouse said. “Bob Clark is one of the most acclaimed alumni in Hillsdale history, and now we are finally getting to hear his story.”
