New Jersey native Scott Schwartz will always be known for putting his tongue where it didn’t belong.

In the 1983 holiday classic “A Christmas Story,” his character, Flick, acted on a triple-dog dare, sticking his tongue to the school flagpole.

Fortunately, the 14-year-old actor’s tongue wasn’t really “thtuck,” and no children were harmed filming the scene.

The prop people painted the pole to appear old and rusty, and masked a piece of plastic wrapped around it, according to Schwartz. A hole in the plastic connected to a suction tube, which ran to a motorized vacuum hidden below in the snow.

“Think of a vacuum cleaner, but the hole [in the plastic] was the size of a pinky nail,” Schwartz said.

The vacuum gave a little tug to his tongue, but he could easily remove the tongue, painlessly.

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It’s a different story if you really stick your tongue to a flagpole. Cold metal will rob the heat from your tongue, freezing your spit to the surface like superglue.

Schwartz performed a well-prepared stunt. The grueling part, for all the kids gathered around the pole in Canada, was the two-day, 12-hour shoots in subfreezing temperatures.

“Being from New Jersey, I understand getting cold, but it doesn’t get 20 below,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz grew up in Somerville and Bridgewater, and got an early acting start in proximity to commercial and stage roles in Manhattan.

The California resident returns to his home state on Thursday for the grand opening of Wize Guys Collectables in Verona, where he’ll sign photos, DVDs, and even a few leg lamps and Red Ryder BB guns, made famous from the movie.

Schwartz, 50, remains in show business as a motivational speaker and a booking agent for celebrities. He’s also shopping around a “Flashback Fridays” TV show, featuring interviews with Anthony Michael Hall of “Sixteen Candles,” Jeremy Miller of “Growing Pains” and Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.

“A Christmas Story,” celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. Author Jean Shepherd narrated his tale, in which 9-year-old Ralphie pines for a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun for Christmas. Bob Clark directed the film, set in the 1940s.

Schwartz never imagined that the “charming little movie” would be the pop cultural phenomenon it is today. Turns out, everyone can relate to a child yearning for that special gift like Ralphie’s Red Ryder, he said.

“Whether you’re 7, 57 or 77, it’s just a heart-warming story,” he said.

Email: proctor@northjersey.com

Wize Guys Collectibles will host signings by animator Bob Camp of “The Ren & Stimpy Show” and actor Scott Schwartz of “A Christmas Story" from 2 to 6 p.m. and 1 to 7 p.m., respectively, on Thursday, Dec. 20, at 713 Bloomfield Ave. in Verona.