The new Santa Claus at Macy's, Kris Kringe (Gwenn), is a big hit. People flock to Macy's to tell him what they want for Christmas. And unlike other store Santa's, he tells parents where to get the best deals, even if they aren't at Macy's.
The woman who hired him, Doris Walker (O'Hara), has misgivings when she learns Kris claims to be the real Santa Claus. But psychiatrists assure her Kris is harmless. To keep up with the demands at the store, Kris moves in with Doris' neighbor and would-be suitor, lawyer Fred Gailey (Payne). Doris gives him rides to work, and he is able to spend the evening with Doris' young daughter Susan (Wood), who doesn't know how to be a child. Can Kris get Doris and Susan to believe and still make his Christmas Eve deadlines?
A Christmas favorite, that plays on TV every year... but this film is not overplayed to the point that it loses it's charms (like A Christmas Story or It's a Wonderful Life, which are excellent movies but are always on). Don't settle for any of the 4 remakes... the original (in black and white) is still the best!
Edmund Gwenn is great as Kris, truly making the audience believe he is Santa Claus. Apparently he was so convincing, Natalie Wood really thought he was Santa, until she saw him off-set. Wood gives an excellent performance, taking Susan from a no-nonsense child who doesn't know how to pretend, to a little girl desperate to believe. Maureen O'Hara is great, as usual. The film also serves as the debut of actress Thelma Ritter.
This film was so successful and beloved, it has been remade 4 times and turned into a Broadway musical. In 1955 it was turned into a 1 hour TV special, starring Thomas Mitchell (best known as Uncle Billy in another Christmas perennial: It's a Wonderful Life). In 1959, the day after Thanksgiving, it was broadcast as a live TV movie, starring Ed Wynn (best known as Uncle Albert in Mary Poppins). It debuted on Broadway, with a few minor tweaks, in 1963. In 1973 it was remade for TV, changing a few character names, and starring English actor Sebastian Cabot (best known TV's Family Affairs, and for his voice talents in countless Disney animated films). And in 1994, it returned to the big screen. The story was significantly altered and given a serious tone, starring Richard Attenborough (best known as John Hammond in the Jurassic Park films). Despite the many change-ups, the original proves superior.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947) 96 minutes
Director: George Seaton
Starring: Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker
John Payne as Fred Gailey
Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle
Gene Lockhart as Judge Henry X. Harper
Natalie Wood as Susan Walker
Porter Hall as Granville Sawyer
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