FILM · 1974 · CANADA
Black Christmas
100 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (100)
- #001
Black Christmas is considered one of the first slasher films and helped set the template for films such as Halloween (1978). Bob Clark, however, saw it more as a psychological horror film.
- #002
According to Bob Clark, the original script contained more sensational murder scenes. Clark felt that toning down the killings and keeping them subtle on screen would be more effective, and Roy Moore liked the idea.
- #003
On its initial release, Black Christmas had moderate box-office success and received negative reviews, but it went on to gain a large cult following. It is now regarded as a classic.
- #004
The script's original title was "Stop Me." Bob Clark came up with the title "Black Christmas" and said he liked the irony of something dark happening during such a festive holiday. The title is also a playful nod to the Christmas song (and film) "White Christmas."
- #005
Camera operator Albert J. Dunk shot the point-of-view footage from the killer's perspective and stood in for him during several of the murders. Nick Mancuso, the main voice actor for "Billy," was not on set.
- #006
Lynne Griffin explained that in the scenes where she was wrapped in a plastic bag, she cut a hole in the bag, stuffed her open mouth against it, and poked holes in the bag's nose area with a pen so she could breathe during filming. Being a swimmer helped her hold her breath inside the bag.
- #007
Olivia Hussey said that despite its sinister themes and plot, the film set was a very light and happy place between takes and that everyone got along very well. She admitted that Margot Kidder kept fairly distant from the cast and crew during the shoot.
- #008
In an interview, Bob Clark said he could not remember whose eye was used in the scene where Jess sees Billy watching her from behind the door. It may have been camera operator Albert J. Dunk, who played Billy in some of the murder scenes, but this was never confirmed.
- #009
Because very little snow fell during filming, the snow outside the sorority house was fake. The local fire department supplied the foam used for the snow on the lawn. According to cinematographer Albert J. Dunk, the substance made the grass greener than usual the following spring.
- #010
Several attempts were made to produce a sequel over the years. After the remake failed, Bob Clark began working on a sequel before his death in a car accident in 2007.
- #011
Keir Dullea worked on the film for one week. He never met Margot Kidder, Lynne Griffin, Art Hindle or Marian Waldman and met John Saxon and Andrea Martin only briefly, yet the film was skillfully edited to make Dullea appear to be present throughout.
- #012
To heighten the suspicion that Peter is the killer, Nick Mancuso, who voiced Billy, provided more than six lines of dialogue for Keir Dullea's part.
- #013
Albert J. Dunk created Billy's point-of-view shots by rigging a camera mount on his shoulder so he could carry the camera while Billy moved through the house, climbed the cages and went up the attic ladder.
- #014
Although the audience learns nothing about the mysterious killer, or whether his name is really Billy, Bob Clark devised a backstory for him: he was abused as a child and eventually killed his mother and father. Agnes was his younger sister; he tried to kill her but she escaped, which led to Billy's hatred of girls. These elements were included in the 2006 remake with Clark's approval.
- #015
According to Bob Clark, Margot Kidder insisted on drinking real alcohol for the various scenes in which Barb was meant to be drunk.
- #016
The sorority house seen in the film was a real house that had to be rented for the production. Some scenes in the script had to be rewritten slightly to fit the house's foundation and structure. It still stands and remains a popular tourist attraction.
- #017
In several scenes inside the sorority house where the girls are present, a shadow can occasionally be seen in the background, revealing that Billy is watching the girls throughout the film.
- #018
Bob Clark claims he rewrote much of Roy Moore's script and added some humor to the film. Moore was also opposed to the idea of never showing the killer, but he was very pleased when he saw the finished film.
- #019
When the house was first rented for the film production, it had old wallpaper and worn paint, which required the production designers to repaint every wall and replace the wallpaper. The house was chosen mainly for its sinister staircase, and Bob Clark liked being able to get a good shot of feet at the top without showing a body.
- #020
The role of Peter was originally offered to Malcolm McDowell, but he turned it down. After the film's great success, he began to regret his decision.
- #021
In an interview, Margot Kidder admitted she never thought the film would be a hit and was surprised to learn how large a cult following it gained over the years.
- #022
During Nick Mancuso's audition for the role of Billy's disembodied voice, Bob Clark seated Mancuso in a chair facing away from him. He wanted the audition to rest solely on voice acting rather than facial expressions. Clark then had Mancuso try different voices to find the one that suited the character. One of the methods used was to stand over Mancuso and have him squeeze his own ribcage.
- #023
On the 40th Anniversary Blu-ray release, Nick Mancuso reprised the role of Billy's voice in the audio commentary.
- #024
Lee Hays wrote a novelization of the film. Published in 1976, the book offered more information about the characters and more plot development. The book has since gone out of print.
- #025
After its initial release in the US, the title was changed to "Silent Night, Evil Night" because the American distributor feared "Black Christmas" might be confused with an exploitation film. The film did not do well under the new name. It was released under its original title and succeeded.
- #026
Bob Clark said the phone call scenes were shot before the profane dialogue was recorded. He said he wanted the girls' reactions to be plain and did not want them to be overwhelmed by the shocking dialogue used for the scene. He later edited the phone stalker recordings.
- #027
For the scene in which the cat Claude jumps onto Clare's corpse and begins licking the bag over her head, catnip had to be sprayed on Lynne Griffin's face so the cat would jump on her.
- #028
Because the film's budget was low, some actors were encouraged to wear their own clothes.
- #029
During an interview, Bob Clark said Olivia Hussey's decision to take the role of Jess was based on advice given to her by a medium. According to Clark, Hussey said her medium believed the film would be successful and would be a smart career choice for her, and that is why she took the role.
- #030
According to director Bob Clark, three voices were used for Billy's frightening phone calls, including those of the uncredited actor Nick Mancuso and himself. At a 2014 FanExpo panel, Nick Mancuso said that, although he was not entirely sure, the actor was probably Ann Sweeny.
- #031
In an interview, composer Carl Zittrer said he created the film's strange music by attaching forks, combs and knives to the piano strings so that the sound was distorted as he pressed the keys. Zittrer said he would further distort the sound by recording it to audio tape while applying pressure to the machine's reels to make them turn more slowly.
- #032
The oldest actor playing a university student was Keir Dullea at 38. The youngest actors on the film's set were Lynne Griffin at 22 and Olivia Hussey at 23.
- #033
Keir Dullea agreed to do the film primarily so he could visit his family, who lived nearby.
- #034
During the conversation between Phyllis, Mr. Harrison, Barb and Mrs. Mac at the dinner table, a drunk Barb mentions a turtle that can have sex for three days straight. The turtles in question are sea turtles.
- #035
Bob Clark approached Keir Dullea for the role of Peter. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) was one of Clark's favorite films.
- #036
In an interview, Margot Kidder recalled finding Olivia Hussey strange. Hussey kept talking to her about her obsessive love for Paul McCartney.
- #037
Edmond O'Brien was originally cast as Lieutenant Fuller, but had to be replaced due to his deteriorating health. John Saxon was brought in at the last minute when a slot opened up in his schedule.
- #038
The wall poster of a small elderly woman giving the middle finger in the sorority house was a 1970s pop art piece by Synergisms released in both color and black and white. The poster showed different side-by-side photos of a calm elderly woman sitting in a rocking chair and slowly rising with an angry expression to raise her middle finger. A printed caption at the bottom read: "express thyself."
- #039
This seasonal first slasher film is a horror movie set during a holiday.
- #040
Black Christmas grossed $4,053,000 at the box office against a budget of $620,000. In 2024 dollars, that amounts to over $25 million in revenue on a budget of nearly $4 million.
- #041
Billy's erratic phone calls after each murder bear a chilling resemblance to those of serial killer Paul Michael Stephani. Known as the "Weepy-Voiced Killer," Stephani called police to confess after committing his crimes. His speech was confused and confusing; the shifts in his voice meant he could not be properly identified. Unlike Billy, Stephani's calls were not obscene.
- #042
Barb and Mrs. Mac are constantly drunk. Bob Clark added this element to the script because he felt the film needed some humorous scenes.
- #043
The killer, commonly known as Billy, is never named. According to Bob Clark, knowing nothing about the killer made him less relatable and had a much greater impact on the audience.
- #044
The film's Bedford scene is a deliberate homage to It's a Wonderful Life (1946).
- #045
In an interview included on the DVD and Blu-ray, Art Hindle reveals that the fur coat he wears in the film is his own.
- #046
Olivia Hussey and Margot Kidder became known as Scream Queens. Ironically, Hussey does not like horror films.
- #047
When the killer looks at Jess through the doorway, his eye is clearly brown. Peter's eyes are blue. This may be a sign to both Jess and the audience that Peter is not the killer, if either of them is in an emotional state to process that information.
- #048
The film was shot in 40 days.
- #049
Andrea Martin was the only actor to return for the 2006 remake. She was hired by Glen Morgan as a tribute to the original film. The decision was initially left to her and Margot Kidder.
- #050
Clare's reaction when Billy begins to strangle her with a laundry bag is genuine; Lynne Griffin did not know what to expect.
- #051
Filming the search party's scenes in the park was quite difficult; the temperature on the night of the shoot was 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius).
- #052
This was the fifth film directed by American director Bob Clark, who worked primarily in the Canadian film industry throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He directed at least five of the most successful films in Canadian cinema history.
- #053
Lynne Griffin's mother was her manager at the time. She introduced Lynne to Bob Clark for a chance at a role in the film. Griffin was initially upset when she learned that her character, Clare, would be the first to die.
- #054
Gilda Radner was offered the role of Phyllis Carlson. She was committed, but dropped out a month before filming began due to her Saturday Night Live (1975) commitments.
- #055
The film's ending is ambiguous; as Jess lies in bed, the bodies of Clare and Mrs. Mac are not found in the attic. Mrs. Mac had said she was going home to visit her sister, who was waiting for her at the sorority house over winter break. Her sister would likely have called the sorority to say she never arrived, which would have required a more thorough search of the house. In the background of the original mono track, there is a sequence of dialogue in which police officers and detectives say they are going to examine the entire house for evidence.
- #056
Lynne Griffin stayed in close contact with Olivia Hussey and Art Hindle after filming ended. She became a Hussey fan after watching Romeo and Juliet (1968).
- #057
Some critical assessments of the film interpreted the abortion subplot as a feminist statement, noting that the film came out a year after Roe vs. Wade. Bob Clark and Olivia Hussey rejected such claims, saying the subplot was intended to give the characters something to talk about between the murders and the investigation.
- #058
Body count – 8: Clare Harrison, Mrs. Mac, Janice (off-screen), Barb Coard, Phyllis Carlson, Officer Jennings, Peter Smythe and Jess. Peter is the only victim not killed by Billy. At the end of the film, the bodies of Clare and Mrs. Mac have not been found, and the ringing telephone (heard after every murder) implies that the killer is calling and that no one is there to answer. Only Jess and the killer are in the house. This means that Billy killed Jess just before the credits begin to roll.
- #059
Lynne Griffin and Art Hindle, who played the lovers on screen, dated in real life during production.
- #060
While helping Roy Moore rewrite the script, Bob Clark based Mrs. Mac's personality and mannerisms on his aunt.
- #061
While shooting the attic scenes, Bob Clark was off-screen and rocking the chair in which Clare's body sat with his foot.
- #062
Apart from the Americans Keir Dullea and John Saxon and the English-Argentine Olivia Hussey, the entire cast was Canadian.
- #063
To give Billy a chilling, rasping voice, Nick Mancuso stood over his head and pressed his rib cage against his neck.
- #064
Bob Clark used "meticulously drawn out storyboards" for each of the film's major shots. He wanted every detail planned in advance.
- #065
While shooting a scene in which her character's body hangs from a hook in the attic, Marian Waldman had to wear a safety harness every time.
- #066
Barbara Coard was intended to be bisexual.
- #067
While writing the script, Roy Moore and Bob Clark could not decide whether to have Jess killed or let her live, so they decided to write an ending in which Jess both dies and survives. Neither ending was filmed, so they decided to leave the ending and Jess's fate ambiguous.
- #068
The original script was over 166 pages long, long before Bob Clark came on to make some rewrites.
- #069
Carl Zittrer drew inspiration for the film's music from Kwaidan (1964). Tôru Takemitsu's unusual scoring methods included integrating sound effects into the music and turning music into sound effects.
- #070
With a gross of 4 million dollars, the film became the third highest-grossing Canadian film of all time, after The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1974) and Two Women in Gold (1970).
- #071
The role of Mrs. Mac was offered to Bette Davis, but she turned it down. She later worked with Olivia Hussey on Death on the Nile (1978), though they were reportedly unable to get along during the shoot.
- #072
Carl Zittrer contacted John Saxon, whom he had met on a previous film, at the last minute about taking the role of Lieutenant Fuller.
- #073
Margot Kidder and Andrea Martin became close friends on set.
- #074
Mrs. Mac's death on a meat hook required the use of a harness. According to costume designer Debi Weldon, a man came from New York with the harness, dropped it off and left immediately. She then had to test it on the first crew member she saw.
- #075
Art Hindle met Bob Clark at a hotel to audition for a role in the film. Hindle initially wanted to play Peter, but Keir Dullea had already been cast, so he took the role of Chris instead. After the shoot, Clark told him that he had really wanted Dullea in the film but that if he had met Hindle earlier, he would have given him the role of Peter.
- #076
Although Margot Kidder had less screen time than Olivia Hussey, she won the Canadian Film Award for Best Actress for her role.
- #077
The film drew praise from feminists for Jess's characterization: when she becomes pregnant, she refuses her boyfriend's marriage proposal and plans to have an abortion rather than give up her educational and career dreams.
- #078
John Saxon was hired at the last minute as a replacement for another actor. He was in New York when he was told he had two days to get to Toronto and shoot his scenes.
- #079
Timothy Bond is credited with moving the film's setting to a university.
- #080
While shooting the scenes of Clare's corpse in the rocking chair in the attic, the cat ran across the floor and inspired Bob Clark to add the scene in which Claude crawls over the corpse and licks its face. Getting the cat to actually crawl over her was difficult; in the end the director had to stand right behind the camera and physically throw the cat onto Lynne Griffin.
- #081
Roy Moore claimed he was partly inspired by a series of murders that took place during the holiday season. According to an article in the British newspaper "The Telegraph," Moore based it on a 14-year-old boy who brutally killed many members of his family.
- #082
The film ranks 87th on the Bravo Channel's list of the 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
- #083
Two unofficial fan-made sequel films, titled It's Me, Billy (2021) and It's Me, Billy Chapter 2 (2024), were released on YouTube and Vimeo in 2021 and 2024. Played as a single story, the films take place 50 years after the events of the original film and center on Jess Bradford's granddaughter. Olivia Hussey was ready to reprise her role in Chapter 2 but had to withdraw in November 2023 for health reasons. Lynne Griffin returned for Chapter 2 to play Nancy, the sister of her character in the 1974 film. The first sequel was nominated for Best Cinematography in the Dramatic Short category at the 65th Annual CSC (Canadian Society of Cinematographers) Awards in 2022.
- #084
In the end, the phone rings 13 times.
- #085
Mrs. Mac was generally based on Bob Clark's aunt, who had a habit of hiding liquor bottles all over the house.
- #086
Marian Waldman made one more film before her untimely death in 1985 at the age of 60.
- #087
In a 2016 list published by the entertainment magazine "Paste," Jess was named "The best Final Girl" in horror history.
- #088
Olivia Hussey's character is pregnant and wants an abortion. In real life, Hussey had given birth to a son before taking the role.
- #089
In one scene, Margot Kidder tells a police officer that her number is "Fellatio 20880." The officer repeats it at the station while writing his report, and the other officers laugh at him. At the time, American phone numbers began with two-letter codes. The number was most likely BJ2-0880.
- #090
This is Rob Zombie's favorite film.
- #091
This is one of Bob Clark's best-known films to include "piggy" references.
- #092
One of the script's original titles was "Stop Me." In early drafts, Billy was described as a mentally ill victim of unspecified, untreated trauma in his past who now directs his aggression at innocent people. Part of this characterization remains in the film: he never takes joy or pleasure in the murders he commits, and he trembles and hesitates before stabbing Barb to death.
- #093
Although Billy is often labeled a slasher, he kills Barbara Coard only by stabbing her. Mrs. Mac dies from a meat hook that falls onto her neck. Officer Jennings and Phyllis die off-screen by unknown methods (though the officer's throat is implied to be cut). Clare is suffocated with plastic.
- #094
Gene Siskel gave the film 1.5 stars out of 4. He also criticized the actresses in the film, whom he regarded as taking on "junk roles."
- #095
On December 6, 2022, Shout Factory released a brand-new 2022 4K scan of the original camera negative. It included a new mix that restored missing dialogue, sound effects and vocal music. It was presented in Dolby Vision and made the film look cleaner than ever before.
- #096
To celebrate the film's 50th anniversary, a theatrical re-release restored from a new 4K scan of the original camera negative was held from December 7 to 22, 2024.
- #097
The white and purple interlocking-pattern bed sheets often seen in a murder scene were from Eaton's Canadian-made Texmade Truprest line of bed sheets. The pattern, called "Labyrinth," was also available in red, blue, yellow and green.
- #098
Ambassador Film Distributors handled the film's Canadian distribution, while the American distribution rights were bought by Warner Bros. Warner executives wanted to shoot additional scenes and an entirely new ending, but director Bob Clark turned down their offers.
- #099
The film's cast includes three Golden Globe Award winners — Olivia Hussey, Keir Dullea and John Saxon — and two Emmy Award winners, Margot Kidder and Andrea Martin.
- #100
This was Martha Gibson's debut.
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