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Author Topic: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"  (Read 6195 times)

gunhawk7

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"A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« on: December 11, 2009, 10:20:58 AM »

I just noticed that there are figures and lighted buildings from "A Christmas Story" in stores, and I was just thinking how cool it would be if they did the "battle tops" scene from "My Summer Story" as well.  I wouldn't care if the kids were dressed in winter clothing.  I think it would make a great vignette no matter how they were dressed.

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jim in paris

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2009, 12:46:11 PM »

hi all
i have just read a book about the "sufragettes" movement in england in the early 1920's and the police truck which was used to arrest them was nicknamed :  "the black mariah"
it was the name of the prison also
just a coïncidence i guess

jim
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #2 on: December 13, 2009, 08:20:51 PM »

Jim, I have never heard these references to "the black mariah".  Where in the heck did you hear this?
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silvertop

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #3 on: December 14, 2009, 08:22:18 AM »

What little I know of Jean Shepherd's writing, I'm pretty sure the Black Mariah reference was on purpose, but may have referred to a term for a horse drawn hearse.  Black Mariah was certainly a harbinger of "death".
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jim in paris

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #4 on: December 14, 2009, 01:09:51 PM »


Hi all
I read this in a book by Tracy Chevalier , called Falling Angels (2001)
the narrator , Kitty , has been arrested in Parliament Square and taken to Cannon Row Police station ....in the Black Maria
but it's spelled :black maria

she also wrote a book on Vermeer 's paintings, and another one which revisits and interprets medieval tapestries  : the lady and the unicorn


worth reading

jim



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gunhawk7

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #5 on: December 19, 2009, 11:47:33 AM »

What little I know of Jean Shepherd's writing, I'm pretty sure the Black Mariah reference was on purpose, but may have referred to a term for a horse drawn hearse.  Black Mariah was certainly a harbinger of "death".

Right.  It's hard to say what was *exactly* on Shepherd's mind when he named Scut's top Black Mariah, but it seems likely to me that he meant it exactly as you say.  As a "harbinger of death" or doom.  While it's true that a "Black Maria" is slang for a "paddy wagon", it's also true that there was a horse drawn hearse in the town of Tombstone in Arizona that was famously named "Black Moriah".  So I believe that a hearse is what Shep is referring to.
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johnm

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2009, 09:23:56 PM »

In Cincinnati, our Fox network TV channel 19 has a sister digital channel called THIS movie channel which shows mostly older somewhat less than block buster movies.  Just flipping though channels at 9:15pm eastern time I found that they are broadcasting "It Runs in the Family" aka "My Summer Story".  Ralphy just got Wolf from the Gypsy so I get to see the big battle tonight.  I know Mike gave us a copy of the movie but there's something more satisfying to see it unexpectedly.

THIS movie channel tends to repeat movies regularly so it may broadcast in your area. 
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2009, 10:21:13 AM »

Ahhhhh......My Summer Story while the snow is falling outside!  I love it. 

It will be time for 24 hours of My Christmas Story soon so I will be decorating the men's bathroom at the church with some of the movie items.
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gunhawk7

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #8 on: December 23, 2009, 10:28:47 AM »

Ahhhhh......My Summer Story while the snow is falling outside!  I love it. 

It will be time for 24 hours of My Christmas Story soon so I will be decorating the men's bathroom at the church with some of the movie items.

Woah!  Back up a bit.  "Decorating the men's bathroom?  Please elucidate. LOL
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #9 on: December 23, 2009, 11:57:24 AM »

It all started as a joke with decorations for Super Bowl Sunday.  Then we started decorating the men's bathroom for other things.  We found that women in the church griped about anything men did with things on the wall around the church.  So.....we decorated the men's restroom and no women complained.  Now we decorate for different things during the year and, guess what, it's time to bring out the My Christmas Story items again!
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gunhawk7

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2009, 12:00:33 PM »

It all started as a joke with decorations for Super Bowl Sunday.  Then we started decorating the men's bathroom for other things.  We found that women in the church griped about anything men did with things on the wall around the church.  So.....we decorated the men's restroom and no women complained.  Now we decorate for different things during the year and, guess what, it's time to bring out the My Christmas Story items again!

That's great!...and using the old noodle to resolve an age old problem. (-:
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silvertop

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #11 on: December 24, 2009, 08:29:45 AM »

Mike - we need to see a picture or two of your decorated men's room!
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #12 on: January 01, 2010, 11:18:41 AM »

As I mentioned on another thread, my wife and I went to the movies on New Year's Eve.  We saw "Sherlock Holmes".  At one point in the movie he talks about putting somebody in the "mariah".  Thanks to this forum, I knew what the mariah was!!!
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the Earl of Whirl

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Re: "A Christmas Story" Decorations and "My Summer Story"
« Reply #13 on: February 28, 2019, 05:20:51 AM »

I am sulking.  I finally got up to the Top Museum in Burlington but did not get to see the original Black Mariah top, due to a water pipe that broke.  I guess I will have to go back.  I think we need a deadly black Mariah top to go around beating up the other kids in Miamisburg.  I will work on that!!!
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