The leg lamp in "A Christmas Story" might be one of cinema's most iconic props, and one small town in Oklahoma has a special way to celebrate it. Omar Villafranca reports.

Oklahoma

Chickasha, Oklahoma, has become a notable holiday destination by installing a 50-foot-tall leg lamp inspired by the 1983 film 'A Christmas Story.' The statue, erected in 2021 after local fundraising efforts, serves as a tribute to the movie's iconic 'major award' scene and attracts visitors throughout the year.

Despite initial legal challenges from Warner Brothers, the town continues to benefit from increased tourism and business investment linked to the lamp. Local developers have invested millions in revitalizing downtown Chickasha, and officials attribute much of the town's recent growth and high tourism rates to the popularity of the leg lamp attraction.

How a small Oklahoma town pays homage to "A Christmas Story"

A classic movie, A Christmas Story, takes place in Indiana. Shout out to my in-laws there. Why are we gonna take you now to Oklahoma? Because of this epic light fixture. Omar Villafranca has the story behind a triple dog dare that might transform an entire city. Every holiday season, the small town of Chickasha, Oklahoma, transforms into a Christmas wonderland, where families flock to the Main Street Parade to get a glimpse of the most indescribably beautiful light. A giant, 50-foot-tall leg lamp that pays homage to the 1983 classic holiday movie, A Christmas Story. The statue is inspired by one of the film's most iconic scenes, a major award in a newspaper contest. Turns out to be a lamp in the shape of a woman's leg. Wow. And that was the funniest thing I've ever seen. A few years ago, the scene made a light bulb go off in Tim Elliott's head. We have the third best Christmas light show in the nation right here in Chickasha, but it's only for 45 days. And what we needed was something that would bring people here 365 days a year. So, at a meeting for economic development, Elliott suggested something quirky and memorable. How about a 100-foot leg lamp at the end of Main Street? What was their reaction when you said that? Well, they laughed and kind of said, oh, crap, we are not, that'll never fly. But Elliott made it happen. He raised more than a million dollars, and in 2021, the statue went up. But, like the movie, the lamp kicked off controversy. Attorneys representing Warner Brothers sent a letter to the Chickasha Community Foundation that said, cease and desist, destroy it, tear it down. Was it, oh, fudge, but worse? It was, it was. We were very determined that we weren't gonna let that happen. The group explained to Warner Brothers they don't charge admission, and a neighboring gift shop sells only licensed products from the movie. Haven't heard a word from them in a year and a half, probably. Now, the spotlight on Chickasha has drawn a steady stream of visitors. My parents mentioned it, so I came down to visit them, and they said, well, while you're here, let's go see the leg lamp. The lamp has become a beacon for tourists and business. How much money do you have invested in this small town? Several million. Several million dollars. Yeah. Chet Hitt is a successful business developer and grew up 20 miles away. Ah, bought the old mill building here, bought the grain elevator across the street. Now, he's back home, developing a business park and renovating downtown. Like the old hotel, he turned into a barbecue joint. Hitt says the future is bright. I saw that as an opportunity, but now I see the growth of this town with some other projects I'm working on here to expand hopefully 5,000 to 7,000 people in the next 10 years here. Tourism's at an all-time high, and a lot of that can be traced one way or another to a leg lamp. To a single leg lamp from a movie decades old. Sometimes you need to not take yourself too seriously. You need to just have a little fun. For now, the lamp's soft glow continues to shine on this small town. For CBS Mornings, I'm Omar Villafranca in Chickasha, Oklahoma. I love this story so much, right? It's like they have one of the best light shows in the country. It's only for a couple of days a year. They wanted to keep people coming back 365 days. And don't get in the way of someone's passion project. The man raised over a million dollars. Unbelievable. Also, the scene in the movie is iconic. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Everybody remembers that. Adriana. I totally remember that scene, Vlad. It happened after the other scene about the fudge and the frigile. And the frigile. For the same movie.

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