The producers of
Christmas Story (1983) wanted a teenager to play the grouchy elf in
the department-store Santa scene. Johnson, then in her 30s, didn't know
about the age criterion until she arrived at the crowded casting call.
She got huffy, told them she had professional elf experience, and
showed them photos from a past job as a singing elf at Higbee's (a
now-defunct department store in Cleveland). She got a call-back, gave
the producers more attitude, and got the part.
