Happy Birthday, Bob Clark! Born today in 1939 as Benjamin Robert "Bob" Clark, this American-Canadian actor, screenwriter, producer and director is best known for his work in the Canadian film industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
It was here where he was responsible for some of the most successful films in Canadian film history, including 'Deathdream' (1974), 'Black Christmas' (1974), 'Murder by Decree' (1979), 'Tribute' (1980'), 'Porky's' (1981), and 'A Christmas Story'.
Of these, Clark is best known for co-writing, co-producing and directing the 1983 American Christians family/comedy film 'A Christmas Story'.
For the film, Clark had collaborated with American storyteller, humorist, radio and television personality, writer, and actor Jean Shepherd.
'A Christmas Story' was based on Shepherd's semi-fictional anecdotes in his 1966 humour autobiographical fiction novel In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash. It is considered Shepherd's most important published work.
Some of the film's elements are from his 1970 coming-of-age story humorous fiction book Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories and Other Disasters.
For 'A Christmas Story', Shepherd provided the voiceover narration as the adult Ralphie Parker. Clark appeared in a brief uncredited cameo as Swede.
American film critic, film historian and author Leonard Maltin later described 'A Christmas Story' as "one of those rare movies you can say is perfect in every way".
On a budget of $3.3 million, the film grossed $20.6 million at the box office.
Although not successful in its theatrical release, 'A Christmas Story' would go on to become a perennial holiday favorite via repeated television airings and home video.
A joint effort at a sequel in Clark's 1994 American comedy/adaptation film 'My Summer Story' (originally released in theaters as 'It Runs in the Family'), did not fare as well.
Maltin said that the studio waited too long, and Clark was forced to recast almost the entire film.
Three other film versions of the Parker family had been produced for television by PBS with Shepherd's involvement during the late 1980s, also with a different cast, but without Clark's participation.
Unfortunately, Clark's life and career were cut short. He and his youngest son, Ariel Hanrath-Clark (22), were killed in a head-on car crash on the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California. This had occurred on the morning of April 4, 2007. Clark was 67.
Throughout his career, Clark had won three Genie Awards, (two Best Direction and one Best Screenplay) with two additional nominations. Clark was also nominated twice for the Razzie Awards as "Worst Director".
The front of the Parker's house where 'A Christmas Story' was filmed in the Tremont neighborhood of Cleveland's west side is now restored and reconfigured inside to match the soundstage interiors. It is currently open to the public as A Christmas Story House.
A seasonal classic in North America, 'A Christmas Story' is shown numerous times on television, usually on the networks owned by WarnerMedia.
Since 1997, a marathon of the film titled "24 Hours of A Christmas Story" has aired annually on TNT or TBS, comprising twelve consecutive airings of the film on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day each year. It is often ranked as one of the best Christmas films.
In 2012, 'A Christmas Story' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Also that same year, the 2012 American comedy film 'A Christmas Story 2' was released straight to DVD in late October. It told of Ralphie (Braeden Lemasters), now a teenager, and starred Daniel Stern as The Old Man.
Clark had been active from 1966–2007.
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