Miracle on 34th Street (initially released as The Big Heart in the United Kingdom)[3][4] is a 1947 American Christmas comedy-drama film released by 20th Century-Fox, written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. The story takes place between Thanksgiving and Christmas in New York City, and focuses on the effect of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa. The film has become a perennial Christmas favorite.
Miracle on 34th Street won three Academy Awards: Gwenn for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Valentine Davies for Best Writing, Original Story, and George Seaton for Best Writing, Screenplay. The film was nominated for Best Picture, losing to Gentleman's Agreement. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive preserved Miracle on 34th Street in 2009.[5]
Davies also wrote a short novelization of the tale, which was published by Harcourt Brace simultaneously with the film's release.
Plot
On the morning of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the man playing Santa Claus is drunk. An old man named Kris Kringle indignantly complains to event director Doris Walker. Doris persuades Kris to play Santa in the parade. A success, Kris is subsequently hired to play Santa at Macy's New York City store on 34th Street.
The toy department head, Mr. Shellhammer, instructs Kris to recommend overstocked items to shoppers. Instead, Kris directs a woman to another store for the hard-to-find fire engine her son wants. Impressed, the woman informs Shellhammer that she will become a loyal Macy's customer.
Attorney Fred Gailey, Doris's neighbor, takes Doris's daughter, Susan, to see Santa. After hearing Kris speak Dutch to an orphan girl from the Netherlands, Susan is amazed. Doris, who has raised Susan not to believe in fairy tales, asks Kris to tell Susan "the truth", but Kris insists that he really is Santa Claus.
Worried, Doris decides to fire Kris, but R. H. Macy, the store's owner, promises bonuses to Doris and Shellhammer because of the positive publicity Kris has generated. To alleviate Doris's misgivings, Shellhammer suggests Granville Sawyer, the store psychologist, administer an evaluation for Kris. After doing so, Sawyer insists Kris is dangerous and should be put in a mental institution. It is Sawyer's opinion that Kris will eventually display "latent maniacal tendencies". Meanwhile, Susan shows Kris a magazine photo of her dream house and tells him she wants it for Christmas.
Cast
Uncredited roles
Production
Throughout the process of getting this script accepted by the PCA, the movie underwent multiple title changes, starting as My Heart Tells Me and then progressing into The Big Heart, It's Only Human, and Meet Me at Dawn, and finally ending with the name Miracle on 34th Street. These title changes all happened within a four-month period. These title changes occurred while the filmmakers were fixing any other discrepancies that the PCA required them to fix before the production of the film could begin.[6]
O'Hara was initially reluctant to take the role, having recently moved back to post-war Ireland. She immediately changed her mind after reading the script[7] and came back to the United States for the film.
Payne was on suspension at the studio and took the role to get back into work. However, it was his last film for Fox.[1]
Cecil Kellaway turned down the role of Kris Kringle, which eventually went to his cousin Edmund Gwenn.[8]
Reception
Critical reception
Miracle on 34th Street mostly received positive reviews from critics. Bosley Crowther of The New York Times said: "For all those blasé skeptics who do not believe in Santa Claus—and likewise for all those natives who have grown cynical about New York—but most especially for all those patrons who have grown weary of the monotonies of the screen, let us heartily recommend the Roxy's new picture, Miracle on 34th Street. As a matter of fact, let's go further: let's catch its spirit and heartily proclaim that it is the freshest little picture in a long time, and maybe even the best comedy of this year."[13] A critic for the BBC called it "a clever and deeply original story, that remains true and confident in direction, while delivering considerable charm all the while."[14] In The Nation in 1947, critic James Agee wrote, "Santa Claus (well played by Edmund Gwenn) comes to Herald Square and wraps up the millennium in one neat package. Clever, and pleased with itself, and liked by practically everybody; but since I have always despised the maxim 'Honesty is the best policy,' I enjoy even less a statement of the profits accruing through faith, loving kindness, etc."[15]
Home media and colorization
Miracle on 34th Street was first released on VHS and LaserDisc in 1987.
In 1985, it became one of the first full-length black and white films to be colorized.[28] The 4½-month process was carried out by Color Systems Technology, Inc.[29] In 1993, this version was released on VHS and LaserDisc, and was followed four years later by a "50th Anniversary Edition" on both formats, remastered by THX.
The first DVD release was in October 1999, featuring the original version alongside the original theatrical trailer and a TV spot. In November 2006, it was re-released as a two-disc "Special Edition" DVD, with disc one containing an "all new colorized version" carried out by Legend Films. The second disc had the original version and numerous extras, including The 20th Century Fox Hour's 1955 TV remake. Both discs also included a full-length audio commentary
Remake
A 1994 feature film starred Richard Attenborough, Elizabeth Perkins, Dylan McDermott, J. T. Walsh, Timothy Shea, James Remar, Jane Leeves, Simon Jones, William Windom and Mara Wilson. It was adapted by John Hughes from the Seaton script, and directed by Les Mayfield.
For the 1994 film, Macy's had declined to grant permission to use its name, so it was replaced by the fictitious "Cole's". "We feel the original stands on its own and could not be improved upon," said Laura Melillo, a spokeswoman for Macy's.[32][33] Gimbels had ceased business operations in 1987, so its name was replaced by the name of the fictional "Shopper's Express".[34] Alvin Greenman, who played Alfred in the original version, returned to play a doorman. The 1994 remake of the film had a more serious tone than the original 1947 film had and a large portion of the plot was rewritten, although the majority of both the plot and the characters remained intact. The 1994 film also added a subtext which described concerns about religious faith.
In other media
There are numerous remakes of the movie, as well as a Broadway musical.
Radio
Lux Radio Theatre aired a one-hour adaptation of the movie on three occasions: on December 22, 1947, which starred the original cast including Natalie Wood;[35] on December 20, 1948, without Natalie Wood's participation;[36] and on December 21, 1954.[37] There were also two broadcasts on Screen Directors Playhouse: as a half-hour play on December 23, 1949;[38] and then as a one-hour play on December 21, 1950.[39] All of these adaptations had Edmund Gwenn reprising his screen role.
See also
- Trial film
- List of Christmas films
- Santa Claus in film
External links
Streaming audio
- Miracle on 34th Street on Lux Radio Theater: December 22, 1947
- Miracle on 34th Street on Lux Radio Theater: December 28, 1948
- Miracle on 34th Street on Screen Directors Playhouse: December 23, 1949
- Miracle on 34th Street on Screen Directors Playhouse: December 21, 1950
References
- Jim Harwood. Colorful Christmas 'Miracle' Variety, November 27, 1985^
- Top Grossers of 1947 Variety, January 7, 1948^
- Miracle on 34th Street (1947) British Film Institute, retrieved December 22, 2012^