The Bo Ling Chinese Restaurant in ‘A Christmas Story’ | Movie Detail Monday

You’ve probably watched the ultimate Christmas movie, “A Christmas Story,” a million times over the years and never caught this fun little detail.

Check out the neon sign for the Chinese restaurant that the Parkers go to after the Bumpus’ dogs ruin their holiday feast. It used to read “Bowling,” as though it had previously been a bowling alley, except now the “W” has either burned out or been turned off, transforming the name to read “Bo Ling.”

The lettering on the front door reinforces the new name as “Bo Ling & Sons Chop Suey Palace Co.”

For years now there have been rumors swirling around the internet that the establishment used to be a bowling alley before the restaurant moved in, but that’s inaccurate.

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The inspiration for this fun little Easter egg came from the real life experience of assistant director Ken Goch. According to the official site AChristmasStoryHouse.com, when Goch was a child, his “mother had actually mistaken a bowling alley with a burnt out “W” for a Chinese restaurant when trying to find a place for the family to eat. Luckily for them, there happened to be a restaurant attached to the bowling alley, so the Goch’s were still able to eat” … while also enjoying a good laugh.

What’s more, did you know that fans can tour the actual “A Christmas Story” house located in Cleveland, Ohio, and even sleep there too? Indeed! Click on the article HERE for the full post.