The classic American holiday film A Christmas Story was written by humorist and radio storyteller Jean Shepherd , with co-writers Leigh Brown and Bob Clark contributing to the screenplay.

Quick Scoop

  • The 1983 movie A Christmas Story is based largely on Jean Shepherd’s semi-autobiographical stories about growing up in Indiana, many of which first appeared in print and on his radio show.
  • Shepherd not only co-wrote the script, he also serves as the film’s adult narrator, voicing the grown-up Ralphie.
  • Director Bob Clark helped adapt Shepherd’s material for the screen, and Leigh Brown (Shepherd’s longtime collaborator) is credited as a co-writer, shaping the film’s structure and dialogue.

If you were instead asking about A Christmas Carol (the famous “Christmas story” with Scrooge), that was written by Charles Dickens and first published in 1843.

TL;DR: A Christmas Story (the movie about Ralphie and the BB gun) was written by Jean Shepherd, with Leigh Brown and Bob Clark helping craft the final screenplay.

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