Where did the rope go?

On the front porch there was a rope around the crate as it was being wheeled into the house, but alas, No Rope! when it came trough the door.

Randy Faking It?

Was Randy just trying to get out of going to school by pretending he couldn't put his arms down? They were okay a few seconds before making the famous claim and okay again in the alley when confronted by Skut Farkas.

An Apple For the Teacher

So who took a bite out of the apple?

Foot in Background

After adjusting the furnace control, Mom steps back, there is a quick shot of Ralphie and then the image you see to the right. It is hard to see in the still image, but if you play the movie you can make out the back of someones foot as he/she steps out of the frame.

Magic Tank?

Simple question - which store employee is in charge of winding up the tank every minute or so and putting it back to the start point? 

Nuts and Bolts

When the movie shows the right front tire going flat after they buy the Christmas tree, we see Ralphie exit the car to help his dad change the tire.  Ralphie is seen holding the hubcap and his dad admonishes him to hold the hubcap still so he can put the nuts inside it.  In actuality, the car used lug bolts that went through the wheel and brake drum.  This practice continued into the '50s when they switched to lug nuts as we have now.  Oddly enough, Jean gets it right and narrates about the BOLTS.

Mailbox

The rural mailbox that Ralphie checks and ultimately retrieves his Little Orphan Annie envelope from. It was purposely placed out at the street for the movie. Most city mailboxes were either hung near the house number, as would have been the case where Ralphie lived, or there was a mail slot in the front door. Check the other houses, and you will not see a rural mailbox out in front.
 

Spilled Milk

When Randy is eating breakfast - first his milk glass is standing, then it is spilled, then it is standing again.
 

Trampoline

In the upper photo the year is clear along the fence which has some holes in it allowing you to see through. In the lower shot there is a trampoline in front of the fence to allow the crook to jump over the fence onto his horse. Note that the holes in the fence have been blocked. This was probably done so you didn't see the horses trainer leading it into position.

Sink Rennovation?

In the "Black Bart" scene there is no cabinate under the sink, but there is when Randy is hiding.

Furnace Control

Top photo - Ralphies mother has just finished moving the two levers on the furnace control

Bottom Photo - The next shot of the control shows the levers in the opposite positions.

2 Flagpoles

The school has a white flagpole in the front (located just behind the front of the car in the upper picture) while Flick's tongue gets stuck to one in the back of the school. This was because they used a special pole with a hole. A vacuum was used to make Flick's tongue stick to the hole giving it the appearance of being frozen.

Police Arrive Twice

In a poor job of editing the police car arrives on the scene twice.

Who Needs Glue?

Top photo - After the lamp breaks mom is left holding a pile of rubble.

Bottom photo - As  the 'old man' goes to take it away from hear it is in much better shape.

Leave it to mom to heal the wounds!

Leg Lamp Mystery

When the leg lamp first comes out of the crate there is no power cord, light bulb, or shade harp.

When the old man reaches back in the box and pulls out the shade, there is a bulb and harp - still no power cord.

When he places the lamp on the table in front of the window, there is a power cord in his hand.

A Crummy Commercial

When Ralph runs to the bathroom to decode the Little Orphan Annie secret message there are two different angles from which we see the message. In the distant shot (Upper photo) the first word is spelled "BE" (All uppercase) and in the closer shot it is spelled "Be". The 'e' is now lowercase.

2 Themes

The themes were 2 different copies. The one on the right is the one from when he was writing it and the one on the left is the graded copy.
I wonder if the Bumpus dogs ate the first copy!

Gymset Moved and Camera in shot

On Christmas Morning Ralphie wakes up and looks out the window at an icy winter wonderland. But did he see the stranger with a camera at the bottom on the picture. (This was removed in the widescreen DVD.) Also note that the gymset was moved from the right side of the shed to the left.

Who lit the Fireplace?
Ralphie and Randy come down Christmas morning and are followed by their parents. The fireplace is already lit.

Magic Pickles

During these sequences a jar of pickles keeps appearing and disappearing:

1 - There are no pickles on the table when the turkey is placed there.
2 - A jar of pickles appears in the next shot
3 - Now mom is seen bringing the pickles in the shot after.

4 - When the Bumpus hounds enter the kitchen the pickles are gone.
5 - Now they are on the floor between the 2 plates
6 - Gone again
7 - Back again for a final bow!

Moving Target

Look at the target and the sign it is pinned to.
The upper photo is right when Ralphie fires his shot. (Note the bullet hole) The lower photo is from when he realizes his glasses are missing and the camera angle is low focusing on the target first and then onto his glasses in the foreground.

 The relation between the target an the 5 cents is different in both shots. Also the sign is not the same in both. Note the relation of the lettering to the 5 cents (White arrow). Also the "Q" is different in the word "Quality". Generally the sign in the upper photo is more rusty and beaten than the lower one. And where did the bullet hole go in the target?

Melinda Dillion?

In the closing credits Melinda Dillon's last name is mis-spelled.

Flash Gordon

Flash Gordon and Ming the Merciless are in the closing credits. Why?