how did they do the tongue scene in a christmas story

They faked the tongue getting stuck using a clever suction rig on a specially prepared “flagpole,” so the actor’s tongue was never actually frozen to metal. The effect was mechanical, not dangerous, but shot in real subzero weather so the reactions feel very real.

How the Effect Worked

• The pole Flick licks wasn’t bare metal on set; the crew slid a plastic sleeve over it, painted to look like an old, frosty flagpole.

• That plastic piece had a tiny hole connected to a hidden vacuum device under the “snow,” like a small vacuum cleaner motor.

• When Scott Schwartz (Flick) put his tongue on the spot, gentle suction held it in place, making it look firmly “frozen” while still letting him pull away safely between takes.

Was It Painful Or Dangerous?

• Scott Schwartz has said the stunt wasn’t painful because his tongue was never truly frozen; it was just being lightly sucked to the plastic surface.

• The crew designed it specifically so no real injury could happen, even though the scene looks like a worst‑case playground dare gone wrong.

Filming Conditions And Realism

• The scene was filmed outdoors in very cold weather (reports mention temperatures close to 20 degrees below zero), so the kids really were shivering, which helps sell the illusion.

• Director Bob Clark pushed for authentic reactions, so the other kids’ shock and panic around the pole were captured live, enhancing the sense that Flick is truly stuck.

Could This Really Happen?

• In real life, if you press your tongue to very cold metal, the metal rapidly pulls heat from the moisture on your tongue, causing the saliva to freeze and bond like glue.

• That’s why safety experts warn kids not to copy the scene: the movie used a controlled suction rig, but a real frozen pole could tear skin and require medical help (or warm water) to get free.

TL;DR: For the famous “tongue on the pole” moment in A Christmas Story , the crew used a painted plastic sleeve with a hidden vacuum line so the actor’s tongue only looked frozen, while the truly brutal part was just standing around in real, below‑zero cold.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.