Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

John Payne: Fred Gailey

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Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Fred Gailey : I must be a pretty good lawyer. I take a little old man and legally prove to the world that he's Santa Claus! Now, you and I know that...

  [stops suddenly, looks off screen; Doris turns to look] 

  Doris : [sees a cane resting against the wall]  Oh no, it can't be! It must have been left by the people who moved out.

  Fred Gailey : [doubtfully]  Maybe... And... maybe I didn't do such a wonderful thing after all.

• Fred Gailey : Faith is believing things when common sense tells you not to. Don't you see? It's not just Kris that's on trial, it's everything he stands for. It's kindness and joy and love and all the other intangibles.

• Fred Gailey : Your Honor, every one of these letters is addressed to Santa Claus. The Post Office has delivered them. Therefore the Post Office Department, a branch of the Federal Governent, recognizes this man Kris Kringle to be the one and only Santa Claus.

  Judge Henry X. Harper : Uh, since the United States Government declares this man to be Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it. Case dismissed.

• Fred Gailey : All my life I've wondered something, and now's my chance to find out. I'm going to find the answer to a question that's puzzled the world for centuries. Does Santa Claus sleep with his whiskers outside or in?

  Kris Kringle : Always sleep with them out. Cold air makes them grow.

• Fred Gailey : Look Doris, someday you're going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn't work. And when you do, don't overlook those lovely intangibles. You'll discover they're the only things that are worthwhile.

• Fred : That baseball player sure looks like a giant to me.

  Susan : Sometimes people grow very large, but that's abnormal.

  Fred : I'll bet your mother told you that, too.

• Fred Gailey : Is it true that you're the owner of one of the biggest department stores in New York City?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : THE biggest!

• Fred Gailey : Your name?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : R.H. Macy.

  Fred Gailey : You are the owner of one of the biggest department stores in New York?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : THE biggest.

  Fred Gailey : Would you identify the defendant?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : Kris Kringle.

  Fred Gailey : Your employee, is he not?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : Yes.

  Fred Gailey : Do you believe him to be truthful?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : Yes.

  Fred Gailey : Do you believe him to be of sound mind?

  Mr. R. H. Macy : I certainly do.

• Susan Walker : There's no such thing as giants.

  Fred Gailey : What about the one Jack killed?

  Susan Walker : Jack? Jack who?

  Fred Gailey : Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk".

  Susan Walker : I never heard of that.

  Fred Gailey : Sure you have. You must have forgotten. It's a fairy tale.

  Susan Walker : Oh... one of those. I don't know any of those. My mother thinks they're silly.

• Fred Gailey : We intend to prove that Mr. Kringle *is* Santa Claus.