him by his real name (just "watermelon", "radish-top", "cookie cutter", etc.). A lightning strike knocks out power to the rain-drenched lakeside camp's welcome sign, and the credits roll. Cast Adult Ralph: Jean Shepherd Old Man: James Sikking Mom: Dorothy Lyman Young Ralph: Jerry O'Connell Randy: Jason Clarke Adams Scott: Jean Shepherd Flick: Cameron Johann Schwartz: Ross Eldridge Cop: Bill McDonald Clerk: Marjorie O'Neill-Butler Johnson: Edward Logan Archie: W. Clapham Murray Zudoc: Frank T. Wells Gertz: Peter Gerety John: Robert T. Colonna Ace: Arnie Cox Mrs. Kissel: Leslie Harrell Animal Shelter Assistant: Dorothy Chiesa Chauffeur: Martin Rayner Colette: Annabelle Weenick Grannie: John William Galt Gas Station Attendant: Peyton Park Leopold Doppler: Desmond Dhooge Fuzzhead: Daphne Story and early screenplay Shepherd originally wrote the story, upon which the film is based, in 1968 as one of a series for Playboy Magazine between 1966 and 1970. The stories were later published in Shepherd's collection Wanda Hickey's Night of Golden Memories in 1971. Shepherd later described his stories as not based literally on childhood memories: "People are always trying to make me sound like I'm just writing what happened to me. You know, I'm a humorist and a filmmaker. I don't think my stuff is any more autobiographical than, say, Woody Allen's is - or anybody who is involved in making serious films". Television comedy director John Rich wrote in his memoir that in the 1970s he commissioned Shepherd to write a screenplay from Hopnoodle's, as a possible series pilot episode for the ABC television network. He described the script as quite faithful to the story, but problems with management during production prevented that script from being released on American television. Production The film was a co-production of "Disney, public TV's American Playhouse and Boston public TV station WGBH", funded by Disney, under the terms, according to Shepherd, that "they would have nothing to do with production". Fred Barzyk was producer for this film, as he was for Shepherd's other work for WGBH. It was produced from Shepherd's studio in Florida, and exterior scenes were shot in several locations around Dallas, Texas, to stand in for the film's "Hohman, Indiana". Releases The film originally aired numerous times on the Disney Channel beginning August 6, 1988, then shortly thereafter on PBS nationwide, and was released by Walt Disney Home Video on VHS in 1993. Recognition The film was nominated for a Cable ACE Award for