Jean Shepherd - The Great American Fourth of July - PART 1

[jaymusseato]

>i  love you shep

[aflb19]

I am so happy to find this! Just introduced my kids to Ralphie / Jean Shepherd and they loved A Christmas Story. Now I can show them this gem!! THANK YOU!

[gallaghergirl100]

I think that made this video 10 times better :)

[haydenchristensen111]

ha! its matt dillon!!!

[tundish45]

@digitaldevice: Thank you for the show. Just viewed on a hot, humid July 4, sitting outside with a Schlitz, baked beans, chips and a grilled Boback's polish. This story is the true source of many fundamental truths including recognizing when YOU are the blind date and most important, being careful of who you tie yourself up to. Everyone must watch this life lesson. Again, thank you for the work of putting this together on YOUTUBE. A genuine public service.

[musicmandon1]

anybody know how to get this bugger to stop stuttering? it sounds like Mel Tillis, not Jean Shepherd and this is almost a new computer. Thank you.

[Hildy2E]

You've got to love Ludlow Kissel!

[kqw9546]

Thank you, thank you!! We watch this each year on a video taped from American Playhouse in the 80's! I hope you'll be drinking some pickle juice or eating an onion to honor the Old Man. My husband always yells "Washcloth!" in the bathroom. Hard NOT to quote this film and the other Jean Sheperds we have.

[norb1937]

I used to listen to Shep all the time on the radio. I read on the net that he died in the 90's on some island off the Florida coast.

[woodfern909]

You can get his radio shows on Itune podcast

[FlamingoKicker]

How could this be "D-Day Minus 1" if Shepherd served in WWII? He couldn't have been a teenager AND fighting in the Pacific?

This had to have been taking place much earlier in the late 1930s if it is autobiographical.

[Vintage1976]

@FlamingoKicker D-Day Minus 1 meaning, in this case, the day before the 4th of July.

[OccidentalMaoist]

Only familiar with A Christmas Story until recently. Shep is a true American Original! Thanx so much for posting

[genesclean1]

@digitaldevice There are so many of us fatheads out here in old radio land.Our group Shep meets frequently at Katz deli in NY for Pastrami sandwiches and kazoo concerts. Max Shmid on WBAI-FM rebroadcasts Sheps shows at 5:15 AM on Tueday AM and Flicklives com has many archived.There are web casts now too. Gene Bergman the writer of"Art and Enigma of Jean Shepherd"is a member of our group of posterscarrying on the tradition,findingnews stories and lifeaswell as reminiscences.

[digitaldevice]

Thanks for the comments.

I run a outdoor movie company. Tonight were showing this outside on the 20 foot screen. Should be a great time. Following the film a fireworks show to salute the "Old Man".

[genesclean1]

This is one of the all time best Shep stories with Ludlow Kissle and the dago Bomb. Shep's stories were published in Playboy, but if you are a true Fathead you listened to him on WOR Radio from NYC., or went to his live Limelight in the Village. Many of us carry on his tradition with our Yahoo group called Shep...find it or link if they allow links here:

groups.yahoo.com/group/shep/

[digitaldevice]

@genesclean1 Thanks for posting!

I have hours and hours of WOR Radio with Shep. My fav is his story about the model airplane. 1973 05 03 Model Airplanes restored. I will have to post that sometime.

[genesclean1]

@digitaldevice Max Shmid broadcasts all the old Shep radio programs on WBAI -FM in NY at 5:15 AM on Tuesday morning/(Mondaynight?). But if you go to Flicklives com you will find many shows archived..Dizzler had 200 plus shows, but apparently they are off the web . There ae many many true fatheads out here in old radio land, and many new ones who learned of him from ACS (A Chritmas Story).

Gene Bergman who wrote the book the Art and enigma of Jean Shepherd is active on our group- Shep

[Geepsterr]

@genesclean1 I listened on one of the first transistor radios under my pillow as a kid an my dad did on his big bakelite RCA tube radio . On torrent sites there are audio books in 8 volumes including nearly every show from 1957 to 1975 . Also there are hundreds of individual shows on AirMp3 & BombMp3 .

[atfatw]

poor old Jean it must have been hell growing up in a sleazy bleak nasty violent hellhole like hammond, indiana.

[mustangpatty51]

I love Jean Shepard. If you have a chance to read his books or watch these movies please do. If you are a child of the 50's and 60's this will bring back your childhood and what it was like.

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

I wish my father was alive to see this.

He LOVED this movie but did not see it for years.

If my dad were here today, he would be watching this over and over.

I will watch it in his place.

Thank you so much for uploading The Great American 4th of July.

George Vreeland Hill

George V. Hill (1931 - 2007)

[slave2moonlight]

I absolutely love these Ralphie movies (just ordered a DVD set of them off Ebay, hope they look THIS good). Thanks for posting!

[HappyJack01]

I can't believe it! I just got done re-syncing the audio in the old upload of this. I was considering re-posting it and I find this! Well you posted it first and the quality of this post is much better than what I was able to do anyway. Thank You!

A wonderful story that deserves to be seen!