- Visual Arts Prof Noland James from Oklahoma University created a leg lamp
- It remained in his room throughout much of his career until he retired in 2001
- It captivated those who visited his office including a man who worked on the 1983 film A Christmas Story and who worked on the production crew
- A leg lamp features prominently throughout the film but James always believed that it was his prototype upon which the movie’s was based
- Chickasha, Oklahoma city where James worked created a 40ft inflatable version as part of the city’s Festival of Lights in an attempt to draw visitors
- The film A Christmas Story opened 37 years ago to mixed reviews but has shown its staying power as a holiday family favorite
By JAMES GORDON FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
The man who created the first version of the iconic leg lamp from film A Christmas Story is being honored in his Oklahoma home town – with a giant 40-foot tall inflatable version of the prop.
The film, set in the 1940s, sees adult character Ralphie Parker reminiscing on a Christmas where he was nine years old.
It features a lamp in the shape of a leg delivered to a family in a large box reading ‘fragile’, to which the father famously says ‘fra-gee-leh, must be Italian!’