If you have ever taken a triple-dog-dare, you have Scott Schwartz to thank. Episode 15 is a long, generous phone call with the actor who played Flick, the kid whose tongue gets stuck to the frozen flagpole in A Christmas Story. It aired October 13, 2016, and it turned into one of the richest conversations of the whole first season, because Scott does not just tell the famous stories, he tells you what it was actually like to grow up on movie sets next to legends.
He walked us through the audition, the making of a holiday classic nobody wanted to release, and his real friendship with Richard Pryor. He is warm, funny, and completely without ego about the tongue, and by the end you understand why the two of us keep saying we have to get out to LA and see him in person.
What you’ll hear in this episode
- The easiest audition of his life: how a hot dog with director Bob Clark got him cast as Flick in about ten minutes. [09:04]
- Why he still cannot sit and watch his own tongue-on-the-flagpole scene, and the full-size bronze statue of it that fans in Indiana built. [11:32]
- The against-all-odds story of how A Christmas Story went from a movie MGM did not want to release to a 24-hour holiday institution, and one of the great 80s cult classics. [14:02]
- Working with Jackie Gleason, who taught him to shoot pool, and Richard Pryor on The Toy. [19:32]
- The day Richard Pryor drove him in a white Rolls-Royce onto the Coming to America set to meet Eddie Murphy. [23:30]
- Playing Donkey Kong and Atari until sunrise with Richard Pryor on location, and why the crew put a pinball machine in his hotel room. [29:00]
- His life’s work: the child-actor advocacy group A Minor Consideration, and the talks he has given kids from Frankie Muniz to Justin Bieber. [31:30]
The whole Flick legend, it turns out, came together in the least glamorous way imaginable:
“Flick was made over a red hot dog.”
Scott Schwartz, [10:03]
But the heart of the episode is his friendship with Richard Pryor, who took a teenage Scott under his wing on the set of The Toy and never let go. Scott does not hedge about what it meant to him:
“By far, though, the most incredible human being I will ever meet.”
Scott Schwartz, on Richard Pryor, [25:30]
That relationship is also why so much of the episode is really about giving back. Scott turned everything Pryor taught him into A Minor Consideration, sitting kids down and telling them the truth about the business before it chews them up.
About Scott Schwartz
Scott Schwartz was born May 12, 1968, and broke through as a child actor opposite Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in the 1982 comedy The Toy, directed by Richard Donner. The very next year he played Flick, the kid who takes the triple-dog-dare in A Christmas Story, now one of the most-watched holiday movies ever made. He also starred in Kidco (1984) and returned as Flick in the 2022 sequel A Christmas Story Christmas. Off screen he is president of A Minor Consideration, the child-actor advocacy group founded in 1990 by former Donna Reed Show actor Paul Petersen, and he is a fixture on the convention circuit, the same world he helped pull our Episode 13 guest Diane Franklin into.
Original 2016 show notes
Get ready for this jam packed episode about some classic 80’s movies with the one and only Scotty Schwartz!
Bobby and Jason get Scotty to spill the beans on his memories and inside scoop of “A Christmas Story” (Flick) and “The Toy” (Eric Bates). Was it your real tongue? How about that pole? Did anyone actually “Shoot their eye out?”
Scotty shares memories and experienences with Jackie Gleason and Richard Prior (Donkey Kong??) while filming “The Toy”. As well letting the guys know how Hollywood can affect younger actors and what he’s doing to make a difference with “A Minor Consideration”.
The 1980s are alive and kicking with Scotty new TV show, “Flashback Fridays” at Vimeo on Demand. Check it out at vimeo.com/ondemand/flashbackfridays as he brings it with other 80’s icons you know and love.
So we Triple Dog Dare you not to enjoy yourselves with Bobby, Jason and Scotty Schwartz for episode 15 of the podcast!
This is the best excuse EVER for celebrating an early Christmas in October.
Enjoy!
FAQ
Who is Scott Schwartz?
Scott Schwartz is the actor who played Flick in A Christmas Story and co-starred with Richard Pryor and Jackie Gleason in The Toy. Today he runs the child-actor advocacy group A Minor Consideration.
What is Episode 15 about?
It is a full interview with Scott Schwartz about the making of A Christmas Story, his friendship with Richard Pryor, life as a child star, and his advocacy work.
When did this episode air?
It was released October 13, 2016, as part of Season 1.
How did A Christmas Story become so popular?
It was barely released in theaters in 1983 and built a cult following on VHS before a 24-hour holiday marathon turned it into an institution watched by tens of millions every year.
Where can I listen?
Play it right here on the episode page, or find Bobby and Jason’s Awesome 80s Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and Amazon Music.
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