Horror History: The Original BLACK CHRISTMAS Was Released on This Day in 1974
Josh Millican
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While most credit John Carpenter’s Halloween for igniting the slasher craze in horror, the film is actually soaked in the DNA of Bob Clark’s Black Christmas, released on this day in 1974. Black Christmas has been remade twice, but the original remains unsurpassed (not to mention a heavyweight in horror history).
If it’s been a while, or if you’ve never experienced the unnerving insanity of this classic holiday horror movie, give the trailer for Black Christmas a spin below.
Synopsis:
As winter break begins, a group of sorority sisters, including Jess (Olivia Hussey) and the often inebriated Barb (Margot Kidder), begin to receive anonymous, lascivious phone calls. Initially, Barb eggs the caller on, but stops when he responds threateningly. Soon, Barb’s friend Claire (Lynne Griffin) goes missing from the sorority house, and a local adolescent girl is murdered, leading the girls to suspect a serial killer is on the loose. But no one realizes just how near the culprit is.
Trivia:
The original title of the film’s script was Stop Me. It was director Bob Clark who came up with the title Black Christmas, saying that he liked the irony of something dark occurring during such a festive holiday. The title is also a tongue-in-cheek reference to the Christmas song (and 1954 film) “White Christmas”. (Source)
NBC scheduled this film for its prime-time network debut on January 28, 1978 under the title Stranger in the House. On January 15th, 1978, two female students at Florida State University were murdered by an assailant who broke into the sorority house where they lived. Three other young women in the immediate vicinity were attacked and assaulted. NBC received numerous pleas from locals to pull the movie from broadcast in light of the crimes, and after first stating that they would offer the local affiliates an alternative movie to broadcast, they decided to just pull the plug on the movie altogether. Instead, the film Doc Savage: Man of Bronze was shown. NBC instead ran Stranger in the House as a late movie on May 14th the same year. The perpetrator of the crimes at Florida State University was later identified as serial killer Ted Bundy. (Source)
Are you a fan of 1974’s Black Christmas? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
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