
Jean Shepherd
Writing
Biography
Raised in Hammond, Indiana, Jean Shepherd went on to work in the steel mills and was a veteran of the Army Signal Corps before entering the arts. In the 1950s, he began a long career as a radio personality telling stories of his youth, commenting on current topics and performing silly songs.
Known For

The comic mishaps and adventures of a young boy named Ralph, trying to convince his parents, teachers, and Santa that a Red Ryder B.B. gun really is the perfect Christmas gift for the 1940s.
A Christmas Story

Follows Ralphie, now adult, who returns to the house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old Man.
A Christmas Story Christmas

In these humorous and affectionate television poems, humorist Jean Shepherd celebrates America in all its richness and diversity -- from cars to candy, baseball to beer, motels to money. Each week a different aspect of our national psyche is explored as Shepherd travels to the Okefenokee Swamp, Death Valley, Milwaukee, the Old South, and other far-flung locations -- using the PCP-90 portable camera.
Jean Shepherd's America

The relationship between Lelia, a light-skinned black woman, and Tony, a white man is put in jeopardy when Tony meets Lelia’s darker-skinned jazz singer brother, Hugh, and discovers that her racial heritage is not what he thought it was.
Shadows

It is now summer in the Parker family; and the usual amount of numerous events are happening in their separate lives. Ralphie is searching for the perfect top to use to beat the school bully with, the Old Man is in battle with their hillbilly neighbors, the Bumpus, while eagerly awaiting the discovery of the perfect fishing spot, and the Mother is attempting to collect all of the pieces of a glass china set at a local movie theater.
It Runs in the Family

The original traditional one-hundred-percent red-blooded two-fisted all-American Christmas continues five years later with Ralphie, Randy, mom and the old man. This time Ralphie has his eyes fixed on a car. But trouble is sure to follow.
A Christmas Story 2

A live broadcast of the Broadway hit "A Christmas Story: The Musical" in which Ralphie wishes for nothing more than a Red Rider BB Gun for Christmas.
A Christmas Story Live!

A comedy written and Narrated by Jean Shepherd. The story involves several different events such as Ralph's first serious romance with his new neighbor, Randy playing a turkey in the school Thanksgiving Day play, The Old Man setting his sights on a yellow buick and the High School basketball rival game of the season.
The Star-Crossed Romance of Josephine Cosnowski (a Tale of Gothic Love)

An adult Ralphie Parker narrates several humorous stories about his teen years in an Indiana steel town.
The Great American Fourth of July and Other Disasters

From Jean Shepherd (A Christmas Story) comes the story of 14 year old Ralphie's first job, and the family vacation the family is planning to a rustic fishing cabin on Lake Michigan. Originally made for the Disney Channel, this film is a delightful family comedy.
Ollie Hopnoodle's Haven of Bliss

The outrageous, groundbreaking comic Lenny Bruce, whose iconoclastic material in a conservative era got him into tragic trouble, is profiled by a close friend, Fred Baker, who prefers to remember the laughs Lenny Bruce's memory evokes instead of the tears. By presenting Bruce's landmark skits on the Steve Allen Show, his failed TV pilot episode and a candid interview with Nat Hentoff, Bruce's genius and anguish show through the dramatic and tragic trajectory of his career from aspiring artist to hunted "lawbreaker".
Lenny Bruce: Without Tears

A woman is suspected of killing her husband after a revolver is found in her attic. A coroner is determined to prove that she did it, but thanks to the assistance of a quick-witted lawyer she is eventually found innocent.
Inquest

A producer monkey pitches a fairytale extravaganza to a sceptical financier. A psychedelic meta-comedy that mixes animation with excerpts from a Soviet science-fiction fantasy spectacle.
Tiki Tiki

This comedy/drama was written by Jean Shepherd, who appears at the beginning and the end and narrates it through voiceover. It tells the story of several events as they occur through the eyes of Ralph, a high-school-aged boy. Ralph is anticipating the upcoming prom and is working up the courage to invite Daphne Bigelow, a beautiful and popular student who does not seem aware of his existence.
The Phantom of the Open Hearth

As its title implies, this video attempts to go beyond the public persona of one of major league baseball's greatest stars. Accepting Ruth as a larger-than-life figure, this 59-minute video doesn't attempt to rationalize, apologize, or analyze his behavior. Rather, it endeavors to present an unbiased account of the life of George Herman Ruth, contradictions and all.
Babe Ruth

In this romantic drama, a plain, lonely secretary wins three dance lessons. Her handsome instructor tells her that she is quite talented and cons her into signing a long-term contract. She soon finds herself in love with him, and an affair begins. The normally cold-hearted instructor is surprised when he finds himself genuinely returning her affections. Trouble ensues when she dances with another instructor who gives her exactly the same sales pitch.
Light Fantastic

Personal impressions in Greenwich Village, New York.
Village Sunday
A look at the career of comedian Ernie Kovacs, considered a pioneer in the early days of television, and whose innovative TV show spawned the careers of many of today's comics and comedy writers.