By Joe Puccio

Show business is a peculiar animal, especially for children. While some performers who got their start in the industry at an early age became known for much more than their innocuous initial introductions (Ron Howard as freckle-faced Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, Neil Patrick Harris as the titular boy genius on Doogie Howser, M.D., and Leonardo DiCaprio as homeless teen Luke on Growing Pains), others have had a tougher time shaking off the defining roles they originated (Gary Coleman as wise cracking Arnold in Diff’rent Strokes, Soleil Moon Frye as the eponymous orphan in Punky Brewster, and Jaleel White as nerdy neighbor Urkel in Family Matters).

For Scott Schwartz, whose image will seemingly forever be synonymous with google searches for “tongue frozen to pole” gifs, his association with the 1983 popular holiday classic A Christmas Story is one he wouldn’t trade for anything. “There are worse things to be remembered for,” joked the multitalented actor during a recent conversation with Generation X Wire.

Schwartz notably portrayed the role of Flick, one of Ralphie’s (Peter Billingsley) ill-fated friends, in the revered yuletide romp set in the 1940s. In a seminal scene, arguably one of the picture’s most fondly remembered, Flick and another pal, played by R.D. Robb, argue over the verifiability of whether or not one’s tongue would stick to a cold flagpole. Unfortunately for Flick, the debate quickly escalates into a “triple dog dare,” a predicament nearly impossible to escape for kids in a schoolyard. After reluctantly acquiescing and discovering that the answer to the question is yes, the situation quickly spirals out of control, evolving into a call to the fire department for assistance. “I’ve never had a problem with being known mostly for that. I was part of one big scene, and it was a great one,” he asserted. “Initially, though, I was admittedly scratching my head because I had the lead in The Toy and here I was with this little part. But Bob (Clark, director, co-writer, co-producer) basically told me it wasn’t the size of the role that mattered, it was what I made out of it. And he was right. When people ask me about it, it’s from a place of love. This movie touched people in a very heartfelt manner.”

Schwartz, whose father was Elvis Presley’s US Army company clerk in Germany in the late 1950s, landed his first major acting job courtesy of the Richard Pryor/Jackie Gleason-starring The Toy at the age of 14. While the sentimental Richard Donner-directed comedy was mostly panned by critics, it was, more importantly, a hit with theatergoers and thus, a box office success. The project proved to be a fruitful one for the then-teenager but his journey to procuring it was anything but simple.

“I had about nine auditions for it,” he recalled. “But fate lends a hand in life about how things happen. I’ve always believed in fate, destiny, and everything happening for a reason. Something I did before getting the part that had nothing to do with the movie was key.”

The habit of the future thespian, raised in suburban Bridgewater Township, New Jersey, of listening to homemade audio recordings of his favorite films while riding his bicycle to school, indirectly played a pivotal role in securing The Toy. A self-described “movie junkie,” Schwartz opted for the comical dialogue from Blazing Saddles, History of the World, Part I, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in his Walkman over the considerably more popular sounds of Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, and Bon Jovi that the majority of children his age chose to tune out the outside world with. “The gentleman who I read with at the screen test, Norman Alexander Gibbs, looked so familiar,” he recounted. “I asked him where I’d know him from and he suggested Fantasy Island, The Love Boat, and things like that, and I knew that wasn’t it. He finally said he did this comedy movie, but he doubted I was old enough to have seen it – Airplane. He was one of the two jive guys. I knew his parts as well as the back of my hand! I did the jive talk, he was shocked, and we became instant friends.”

Schwartz’s love of the hysterical Airport 1975 spoof resulted in a private audition for Donner in jive speak as well as a successful back and forth joke off with the iconic filmmaker. An imitation of Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice in Smokey and the Bandit ostensibly sealed the deal for the performer and three weeks later, he was officially The Toy’s ‘Master’ Eric Bates.

In addition to having a wonderful experience filming the picture, Schwartz gained a cherished friendship with Pryor. “He became my muse and my teacher,” he stated. “We stayed in touch for years and there was a lot of care and love. I had an open-door policy at his house. He taught me so much.”

Even Gleason, who had a reputation for being a bit difficult to work with, warmed up to Schwartz. “I called him either Mr. Gleason or ‘The Great One,’ which was his moniker, on the set. It was known that he hated working with kids and animals,” he conceded. “But he absolutely loved my impersonation of him in Smokey and the Bandit and we actually became friends. I saw him at his house about a year before he passed away. He was wonderful.”

As Schwartz transitioned into adulthood, the Hollywood opportunities began to gradually dwindle, a common occurrence for many young artists. However, the accomplished entertainer made sure to not rest on his laurels, becoming involved in a variety of businesses, such as trading cards, professional wrestling, and publishing. And when the occasional acting gig presents itself, Schwartz is more than willing to consider it, starring in 2022’s A Christmas Story Christmas sequel, nearly 40 years after the original.

“Warner Bros. intended to recast everyone except for Ralphie and Scut Farkus (Zack Ward) because they hadn’t seen us on camera in years, but it wasn’t working,” he revealed. “It was great to see everyone again as adults, having conversations about marriages, kids, and things we weren’t talking about back then. We still have a great bond between us that has stood the test of time. I even got to meet Julie Hagerty from Airplane after all these years since she played Ralphie’s mom in the new one. I’m also in a movie in post-production called Waxman that I get killed in,” he laughed. “That’s a first for me.”

A memoir could also be on the horizon for Schwartz, who had a publishing deal that became a casualty of the pandemic. The already-written book is over 300 pages and delves into the star’s life, as well as the pitfalls of being a child actor. “There’s some pretty heavy stuff in it,” he acknowledged. “I don’t mince words or sugarcoat anything; I’m from Jersey. It’s the good, the bad, the great, and the ugly. I was going to call it What Ever Happened to Me? but then I got A Christmas Story Christmas so I can’t really call it that anymore,” he chuckled. “Christina Applegate told me I should name it I’m So Much More Than Just a Tongue.”