Miracle on 34th Street (1947) User Reviews

The Classic Is a Classic For a Reason

[Christmas-Reviewer · 9/10 · 20 February 2018]

REVIEW DATE 2/19/2018

PLEASE BEWARE OF SOME REVIEWERS THAT ONLY HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW. I HAVE OVER 400 REVIEWS OF "CHRISTMAS RELATED FILMS & SPECIALS" WHEN ITS A POSITIVE THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE PRODUCTION. NOW I HAVE NO AGENDA! I REVIEW MOVIES & SPECIALS AS A WAY TO KEEP TRACK OF WHAT I HAVE SEEN! I HAVE DISCOVERED MANY GEMS IN MY QUEST TO SEE AS MANY " C H R I S T M A S " MOVIES AS I CAN.

Now Someone keeps reporting my reviews. I guess they are jealous because I do tell the truth. I want to point out that I never make snide remarks about actors weight or real life sexual orientation. If there acting is terrible or limited "I talk about that". If a story is bad "I will mention that" So why am I being "picked on"? IMDB? When one of my reviews gets deleted IMDB will not even tell me what someone found offensive. Well on to this review.

Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is indignant to find that the man (Percy Helton) assigned to play Santa in the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is intoxicated. When he complains to event director Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), she persuades Kris to take his place. He does so well, he is hired to play Santa at Macy's flagship New York City store on 34th Street.

Ignoring instructions to steer parents to buy from Macy's, Kris directs one shopper (Thelma Ritter) to a competitor. Impressed, she tells Julian Shellhammer (Philip Tonge), head of the toy department, that she will become a loyal customer.

Attorney Fred Gailey (John Payne), Doris's neighbor, takes the young divorcée's daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) to see Santa. Doris has raised her to not believe in fairy tales, but Susan is shaken after seeing Kris speak Dutch with a girl who does not know English. Doris asks Kringle to tell Susan that he is not Santa, but he insists that he is.

Worried, Doris decides to fire him. However, Kris has generated so much positive publicity and goodwill for Macy's that Macy (Harry Antrim) promises Doris and Julian bonuses. To alleviate Doris's misgivings, Julian has Granville Sawyer (Porter Hall) administer a "psychological evaluation". Kris passes, and questions Sawyer's own mental health.

This is a great film that everyone should see.

"You'd Better Watch Out, You'd Better Not Cry.................."

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 22 October 2007]

...............Santa Claus has come to town. Or at least that's what a gentlemen appropriately named Kristopher Kringle played by Edmund Gwenn complete with full white beard is claiming. He makes his appearance at the Thanksgiving Day Parade as sponsored by R.H. Macy's Department Store and finds the Santa hired for the occasion, Percy Helton, full of a little too much Christmas cheer already. In charge of the parade is one of Macy's middle level executives, Maureen O'Hara, who fires Helton and hires Gwenn right then and there.

Gwenn's obvious sincerity makes him an ideal Santa Claus for Macy's and for us. He spreads the real meaning of Christmas around even has Macy's declaring a holiday truce with its rival Gimbel's. That's a part of Miracle on 34th Street that might be lost to viewers today. Gimbel's was Macy's big department store rival and it's flagship store in New York stood across 34th Street at the time. Gives a meaning to the title that is lost on today's audience.

But wiser and more sophisticated folks like the majority of us know there ain't no such thing as Santa Claus. Even Maureen O'Hara knows that and imparts it to her daughter Natalie Wood. Gwenn's just a kind old man in a white beard. But when his sanity is questioned, Gwenn's belief becomes a matter for the courts where Gwenn is ably defended by O'Hara's boyfriend, lawyer John Payne.

Like that other holiday classic It's A Wonderful Life, Christmas is never complete without seeing Miracle on 34th Street. Though New York has changed considerably since 1947 the year I made my earthly debut, the film has lost absolutely none of its charm.

Edmund Gwenn won the Best Supporting Actor of 1947 and in doing so, beat out his best friend, Finlay Currie, who was up that year for playing Magwitch in Great Expectations. The two had met in stock companies in their native Scotland and were friends right up to when Gwenn passed away in 1959. The Oscar was the high point of his career.

Maureen O'Hara in her memoirs says that Miracle on 34th Street holds a special place in her affections. In fact until Gwenn died, she had hopes of doing some kind of sequel. She bonded on stage with young Natalie Wood who later played her daughter in Father Was A Fullback also and kept in contact with her right up to her death in 1981.

Maureen also had a deep affection for John Payne who she made four films with and says was one of the nicest men in the world. One story she related was on the set of another film they made, Payne was served with divorce papers right on the set from his then wife, Anne Shirley. She said he broke down and cried like a baby. If it weren't for the fact she was married, she said she definitely could have gotten something going with Payne.

In the supporting cast note the presence of one grinch in the person of Porter Hall who played one of his patented nasty little meanies. His meddling and general misanthropy cause Gwenn to have that trial in the first place. Look for a bit role from Jack Albertson as the postal employee who inadvertently saves the day. Also making her film debut is Thelma Ritter as the mother of a child looking to meet Santa Claus, the one official Santa Claus, courtesy of Macy's Department Store.

Although Miracle on 34th Street has been remade several times over the years, this one is the genuine article. As genuine as the fact that Macy's has the official Santa Claus as certified by a higher authority.

One thing has always puzzled me though. How long did it take Edmund Gwenn to grow that beard for the part?

Edmund Gwenn as Santa: a deserving Oscar winner

[moonspinner55 · 9/10 · 22 November 2001]

Christmas confection from Twentieth Century Fox, released in the summer of 1947 (!), might have been a treacly mess were it not for director George Seaton's nimble handling and his wise, caring screenplay-adaptation from Valentine Davies' story. Edmund Gwenn is perfectly cast as the department store Santa who really is; Natalie Wood is adorable as a non-believing tyke who learns about faith and miracles. A most deserving recipient of the Supporting Actor Oscar, Gwenn seems like an incredibly nice man--maybe because he never has to force kindliness; more than that, he has an innate happiness and twinkle that comes from within (he truly glows in this part). Dated? Perhaps. But the message of belief, ultimately, is timeless and the silvery black-and-white cinematography from Lloyd Ahern and Charles Clarke is wonderful. The adults--Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, William Frawley and Thelma Ritter (in a wonderful bit) all shine in this classic fairy tale. It is a film without artifice. Four Oscar nominations with three wins including Seaton for his screenplay and Davies for Best Original Story. Remade for television three times; a theatrical remake followed in 1994. ***1/2 from ****

Sweet movie not without social comment

[whitey54 · 15 September 2004]

This is certainly a lovely warmhearted movie, but since other reviewers have described the plot in detail, I'll move on to other topics.

I love movies like this for the insight they provide into the customs of a lost era. Watch the clothing - everybody is so dressed up! - women in dresses, gloves, and hats, men in hats and suits. Notice that when O'Hara enters a room filled with Macy's executives, even though they are the bosses and she is lower management, they all stand up instantly.

The social satire, most on display in the courtroom scenes, also is very 1940s. Apparently audiences of that era took a kind of genial corruption in the judicial system in stride. Business leaders, like "Mr. Macy" were expected to be sharp and profit-oriented, but also decent people like the rest of us. It's a much more nuanced view than the "businessman as criminal villain" so common in today's movies.

The character played by Maureen O'Hara probably needs explanation for modern viewers. Late 1940s audiences knew that the social and economic situation of a divorced working woman with a child was much more precarious than it is now. Divorce was still somewhat shocking - this is brought out neatly in the movie when her would-be lover does a double take when he learns from her daughter about the divorce - he probably had assumed she was a war widow. Divorced moms were still rare in the middle classes. Society universally agreed that women should stay home to raise their children. Economically, women in management positions were still very rare, couldn't expect promotion, and were last hired, first fired. I think O'Hara's performance brings out these qualities in a way that the audience of the 1940s would have understood easily. The character's stiffness, fear of losing control, and anxiety about her job make a great deal of sense. It would have been nice to see a few scenes showing her loosening up, perhaps at dinner with her boyfriend; no doubt those got left on the cutting room floor.

I really like the scene where Santa talks to the little Dutch orphan. First, this scene also must have resonated with the audience; in 1947 the western European countries had only started to recover from World War II, and probably many Americans were familiar with the idea of adopting a war orphan, just as many sent CARE packages. Second, by making Santa fluent in Dutch, the writer cleverly left the viewer thinking that hey, he might really be Santa Claus (isn't Santa Claus fluent in all languages)?

Some reviewers don't like the acting and think that modern actors are "better". I think the older actors aren't better or worse, just different. The audiences of the 1940s expected a certain style of acting, and the directors and actors gave that to them. Then as now, Hollywood paid top dollar and got very talented people, but like all of us they were shaped by their own time and place, more particularly the requirement to make movies that audiences would like. Move Maureen O'Hara to 2004, or Tom Cruise to 1947, and you'd see them acting in the style of that decade.

Santa is in New York!

[ericglunneborg · 10/10 · 9 December 2003]

The movie starts out in a festive atmosphere. It is Thanksgiving and the employees of Macy's department store are busy with preparations for the annual Thanksgiving day parade. Doris. Walker (Maureen O'Hare) is in charge of the parade. She anxiously hires Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) to replace the man she hired to play Santa Claus when she discovers the original Santa is too intoxicated to even get on the float. Kris does such a good job that Mrs. Walker asks him to stay on in the role and be the department store's Santa. She soon has serious doubts about her decision when she discovers that her new Santa really believes he is Santa Claus.

Mrs. Walker is working, single mother, who works for Macy's Department Store in New York City. Natalie Wood plays her daughter, Susan. As the result of a failed Marriage, Doris raises her daughter to accept reality. There is no room for fantasy or make believe in her life. Susan is a quiet, child who acts more like a grown up than a 6 year old. She has difficulty using her imagination, and has become just as skeptical as her mother.

Since Kris, believes that "the important thing is to make children happy," winning the affection of Susan and her mother is his main objective.

Whether or not Kris is the real Santa Claus, there is no doubt that he seem to have an influence on almost everyone he meets--except for Macy's staff psychologist .Mr. Sawyer believes that Kris is delusional, and has him committed to thrown into a mental institution. In order to get out, Kris must face a court hearing, where not only is his sanity questioned, but the state of New York will decide if there really is a Santa Claus. Fred Gailey (played by John Payne) a neighbor of Doris Susan Walker agrees to represent Kris. The predictable end to the story is that Fred and Doris become attracted to each other, and as Fred works hard to secure Kris' freedom, Doris finds herself not only believing in Kris, but also in believing in fantasy.

Maureen O'Hara portrays Doris Walker with poise and sophistication. Although the movie is over 55 years old, the idea of a single working mom trying to raise her daughter after a bitter divorce, tells a story that is relevant by today's standards. Natalie Wood does such a good job at playing as the bright six year old, Susan, that you can almost imagine her going straight from being a baby to being an adult. John Payne, as Fred Gailey, predictably plays the handsome attorney who falls in love with Mrs. Walker. Even though it seems a bit unbelievable, this movie is all about fantasy, so we'll allow a bit of romance. Finally, Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Santa Claus is so believable, that you almost believe that truly is the jolly old elf himself!

This reviewer would give the movie a 5 out of 5 rating. It is a Christmas classic that will be remembered for years to come as one of the best Christmas movies ever filmed. The message of the movie is not about the real meaning of Christmas, nor is it about the commercialism that has overshadowed the holiday for years. The message of the movie is that make believe and fantasy play an important role in our live. Without them we would have no basis for our hopes and dreams

Classic holiday fare

[Boyo-2 · 10/10 · 21 November 2001]

Its very easy to see why this movie won the Oscar for Screenplay that year. Its very intelligent and has a lot to say about several topics - how to raise a child, how a person of questionable sanity gets treated, how greedy businessmen are, how politics play out in a courtroom..and what to do with all that damn mail addressed to Santa Claus!

Its also very mature in some ways - Doris (Maureen O'Hara) is divorced and the mother of Susie (Natalie Wood). Doris has raised Susie to be very practical and to think for herself, but she neglected to teach Susie one thing - how to be a child, when you ARE a child. Enter Mr. Gayley (John Payne), a struggling lawyer who befriends Susie as a way to get to know her Mom better.

Doris works at Macy's and is organizing their Thanksgiving Day Parade, when the Santa they've hired is intoxicated. In a pinch they hire the REAL Kris Kringle to appear in the parade. He ends up being such a big hit that he gets hired to work at Macy's also. He is not the traditional employee, however, and this comes to light when he sends a customer (the venerable Thelma Ritter) to ANOTHER STORE! Schoenfeld's, he says, has what she's looking for. Then he is overheard, by the store manager no less, sending another customer to GIMBELS!

Don't want to give away any more, but the movie is touching, dramatic and hysterical - Doris on the phone with her co-workers' wife, who has been given too much liquor, is worth a million bucks alone. Whenever I want to make my sister laugh, I do a pretty decent imitation of her saying "HELLO?" Also, I can sing the song Kris sings to the girl from Rotterdam..the girl who is so thrilled that Kris can communicate with her in her language. Susie overhearing this is beginning to think that Kris might be the real thing, and she's a pretty hard nut to crack, for a little kid.

See it, own it, memorize it..and pity the 31 souls in 'User Ratings' who gave this a '1', which is ridiculous but it takes all kinds I guess.

'Miracle' Is An Annual Gift

[myronlearn · 10/10 · 1 November 2019]

This 1947 original is far superior to the travesty-remake of 47 years later. It's the gift that keeps on giving, thanks in large part to Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, who won an Oscar for his Santa Claus performance, Macy's, New York City the writers, Director and a superb supporting cast. MO34th Street is one of the things my family and friends most look forward to every holiday season.

A Visit From St. Nicholas

[telegonus · 10/10 · 14 November 2001]

The great Edmund Gwenn shines as Kris Kringle, an elderly, eccentric man who may or may not be the real Santa Claus. Little Natalie Wood thinks he is, though, and that's all that matters. This movie, written by Valentine Davies, has become, along with It's a Wonderful Life, a Christmas classic, and deservedly so. It is not, I imagine, in the same league as the Capra film (what is?), but it's an awfully good little movie in its own right; and while it presents its characters and issues pleasingly it does not push the envelope too much in any one direction, as one can respond to its whimsical little story any way one pleases.

Like so many films of the immediate postwar period it stresses the faith and wisdom of small children (as,--literally--opposed to adults); and its message is that children are perhaps wiser than we think. Considering the mess that grownups had made of the world in the previous two decades it must have been difficult for movie audiences of the time to disagree. Indeed, much of the mood of the postwar era was based at least partly on this premise, as children became central to our culture as never before. Their whims and wishes became paramount. Perhaps, in the end, too much so. One can see the start of all this in Miracle On 34th Street, whose gentle message still rings true today, every year, in the waning days of December.

The miracle within.

[Pjtaylor-96-138044 · 7/10 · 18 December 2022]

What's wonderful about 'Miracle On 34th Street (1947)' - and this isn't something I realised until after it had finished - is that it never actually provides a definitive answer as to whether Kris Kringle really is the Santa Claus. Personally, I took it as fact from the moment he walked into frame, but I'm pretty sure that was due to my preconceptions surrounding the plot of the picture (Santa goes to court to prove his existence). Thinking back, I had no definitive reason to think that. The absolute ambiguity of the film's central dilemma is brilliant because it forces the viewer to engage with the question that's on almost every characters' lips: is this the real Santa or is it just a kind old man who thinks he's the real Santa? In turn, this allows the movie's theme of belief to transcend its boundaries and truly take root in the audience. Whether you choose to believe in Santa, whether you choose to have faith in him, whether you choose to accept the unacceptable is entirely up to you. As such, it's that much more magical if you do. It's really impressive that the picture can actually use its ambiguity to this effect, especially that it can do so while remaining wholesome and sincere throughout. This charming Christmas tale is enjoyable from beginning to end and it holds up remarkably well seventy-five years after its initial release. It's a delightful experience overall.

It just ain't Christmas without seeing this movie!

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 28 November 2009]

In my opinion, this is the best holiday film of all-time. This is saying a lot, as other films such as A Christmas STORY and HOLIDAY AFFAIR are amazing films in their own right. I think the reason I feel this is the best of the lot is that it has a certain magical quality the others just can't reach. The story is tops--clever, cute and memorable. The acting is terrific--who could be better than Edmund Gwenn? Natalie Wood had perhaps one of the best performances by a child actor ever in this film--she is a child yet seemed so real. Maureen O'Hara, John Payne and the rest are simply terrific! Overall, a brilliant film. However, please don't assume that the sequels are worth seeing. Sebastian Cabot and Richard Attenborough are simply NOT Santa--and can't hold a candle to the original

Christmas classic

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 25 December 2012]

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET works so well because it's refreshingly free of the kind of cloying sentimentality we've come to associate with holiday movies (case in point: I watched SANTA CLAUS: THE MOVIE yesterday). And who thought that a film about Father Christmas would end up as a tense courtroom drama? One word to describe this film would be 'timeless'.

Despite being made back in 1947, in black and white too, this is very much a modern-feeling production. A man claiming to be the genuine Santa Claus finds himself assailed on all sides by disbelieving authorities, who court him off to an institution and then the courthouse to prove that he's an impostor.

Edmund Gwenn seals the deal on this movie. The other actors are good, yes, but it's Gwenn who proves to be the icing on the cake. His jolly, exuberant character exudes the kind of warmth and giving that's all too often forgotten in place of Christmastime commercialism, and he possesses a knowing look in his eye which makes him perfectly suited for the role.

Kudos, then, for a film which actually has something to say about the true meaning of Christmas in an original way, without shoving it down the viewer's throat.

Magical and imaginative- a true delight for the Christmas season

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 17 December 2009]

I will admit it, I may be biased. I love Christmas movies, such as Scrooge, It's A Wonderful Life, Muppet Christmas Carol and the first two Home Alone movies. But really your Christmas is incomplete without the original Miracle on 34th Street, which is quite simply a timeless Christmas treasure. It is magical, imaginative and in some ways witty as well. The simple but effective and sparkling plot tells of a man believing himself as Santa is institutionalised for being insane, but sets out to prove he is the genuine article. The screenplay is lovely, spirited and pleasant, maybe it needed to be a little more snappy in places but compared to how wonderful the film was I am past caring. The cinematography and scenery are fabulous, the whole film is stunning to watch, and the music is gorgeous. And the acting, one word superb! As Kris Kringle, Edmund Gwenn is just marvellous. He positively twinkles in the role, and did he deserve the Oscar win for best supporting actor. Why am I asking that, of course he did. Maureen O'Hara, who was a stunning actress is so lovely as Doris, and as Fred John Payne also shines. And Natalie Wood is believable and absolutely adorable as Susan. What makes this movie though is that it teaches great morals, without preaching. All in all, a truly great film, that made me believe in Santa. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Do you believe?

[hall895 · 7/10 · 18 December 2009]

Miracle on 34th Street is one of those movies which definitely tries to tug on the viewer's heartstrings. Now perhaps this movie is not quite as effective in its tugging of heartstrings as that other famous 1940s Christmas movie. Yes, Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed...that other movie was indeed "Wonderful". But Miracle on 34th Street is a very good film in its own right. This movie will definitely entertain and, yes, warm the heart as well. It's a movie which is fondly, and rightly, remembered as a holiday classic.

The film centers around kindly old man Kris Kringle who believes himself to be Santa Claus. Is it really possible that he could be? Well how much faith do you have? That's what this movie is ultimately about, faith, believing in something which common sense dictates you shouldn't. And if you have faith some rather good things can happen. Maybe even a miracle or two. When we meet her Doris Walker certainly doesn't believe. This young divorcée, responsible for overseeing the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, ends up hiring Kris Kringle to portray Santa when her original actor proves to be quite a hopeless drunk. Kris is so perfect in the role that he is hired to be the Santa for the Macy's store during the Christmas season. And it is in this role that Kris will meet Doris Walker's nine-year-old daughter Susan. Doris has raised Susan not to believe in Santa Claus, not to believe in fairy tales of any kind. Susan it seems has rather sadly been deprived of having any imagination at all. Kris Kringle will set out to fix that.

As Kris Kringle sets out to open Susan's mind to all the possibilities of the imagination it is left to attorney Fred Gailey, Doris and Susan's neighbor, to work on restoring Doris' faith. And Fred will also need to put all his lawyer's skills to good use when Kris Kringle gets himself into a bit of a predicament. All the key performers do excellent work. Maureen O'Hara is wonderful in portraying Doris, tracing the arc of her character as this very serious-minded career woman opens her heart and allows herself to really believe in something. John Payne plays Fred and, dare I say it, there's a hint of Jimmy Stewart to him. Yeah, there's that other movie again. Natalie Wood is perfectly precocious in her portrayal of Susan, a child who seems impossibly mature for her age, credit for which must go to the actress playing the role. And then of course there is Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. Kris certainly is steadfast in his belief that he is in fact Santa Claus and thanks to Gwenn's winning performance you may well believe it too. Gwenn could not be any better.

All in all it's a charming, heartwarming, and undeniably uplifting movie. The story takes a little while to kick into high gear and even when it does it still is a very simple, basic story. There may even be a moment or two where the film feels a little bit mundane and there is that nagging sense it never quite hits the emotional heights another film might. But this Christmas, when you're tired of watching It's a Wonderful Life...OK, so maybe nobody ever gets tired of watching It's a Wonderful Life. But when you're done watching Jimmy Stewart and friends make time to watch Miracle on 34th Street too. There's room for more than one holiday classic.

Am I the only one who didn't like this movie?

[shakawtwf · 3/10 · 24 December 2006]

I finally saw this movie after all of these years and I was VERY disappointed in its total lack of logic. (I realize it's just a movie but if you want me to believe that that guy is Santa Claus, you have to make me believe in the movie first.) He says he's Santa Claus but he lives in an old folks' home. If he's Santa Claus, wouldn't he live at the North Pole? Does this not bother anyone else? I thought the ham-handed seriousness of the mother was a bit over-the-top (she's less of a believer than I am, I guess). We get it, you're an atheist and that's how you raised your daughter. The movie really could have done without that. I think you don't need Super Skeptic as the foil for a guy saying he's Santa Claus. Any six people on the street would be fine.

The Genuine Article, Still A Miracle

[bigpurplebear · 25 December 2001]

There's a "legend" connected with this film, one which has recently gained new life via AMC: Supposedly, upon completion of principle filmmaking, 1947's "Miracle On 34th Street" then had to be submitted to the heads of Macy's and Gimble's department stores who -- had either man withheld approval -- could have cost 20th Century Fox a small fortune in rewrites and reshootings.

Frankly, in view of the fact that much of "Miracle" had already been shot on location in Macy's New York City store (to say nothing of the fact that studio heads of that era -- or any era, for that matter -- were notoriously prone not to take such financial risks), this "legend" is likely just so much "hype," otherwise known as "nonsense."

Thankfully, this is the only trace of phoniness attached to this jewel of a movie. "Miracle On 34th Street" is just that, in every sense of the word: a miracle.

Take a perfectly-crafted, thoughtful screenplay. Add an impeccable cast (from top-to-bottom, by the way; catch, just as one example, Thelma Ritter's uncredited turn as "Peter's Mother"). Throw into this mix an on-location "shoot" (along with Macy's, there's the store's actual 1946 Thanksgiving Parade, footage in a post office facility and a courthouse) which gives this film a nice sense of verisimilitude . . . just in case you're not already prepared (courtesy of Edmund Gwenn, in a totally-deserved Oscar-winning performance) to recapture your belief in Santa Claus.

"Miracle On 34th Street" is many things: a celebration of the Christmas spirit, a heartfelt plea against the "over-commercialism" (even in 1947)of Christmas, an examination of faith itself . . . just to name a few.

It works on every level. Every bit as well today, 54 years after its initial release, as then. Don't waste your time with the remakes -- both on TV as well as theatrical productions (and the less said about an abortive 1963 Broadway musical adaptation, "Here's Love," the better.)

Go for the original film. Go for the genuine article. Again and again and again.

best of them all

[paul_simkins · 10/10 · 25 December 2013]

There are really just a handful of Christmas movies threat are worthwhile. This is the true classic, better than any of the remakes. To me, its not Christmas until I see Its a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and this movie.

Do yourself a favor, ignore all the remakes and watch this. Edmund Gwynne makes you want to really believe he is Santa. Great roles by Maureen O'Hara ( whom I could watch all day anyway), and Natalie Wood. Combines love elements, a pointed commentary on faith, humor, and a little bit of suspense ( not much, but enough to make it fun). Detractors would say it is predictable and I cannot argue with that, but I also believe that it is part of the magic of the film.

Pure Magical Genius

[Ed-Shullivan · 10/10 · 25 December 2019]

Mrs. Shullivan and I have watched this classic Christmas film year after year and each year it becomes more special for rendering that true meaning of Christmas. The performances by the four main stars, namely Edmund Gwenn (Santa Claus), Maureen O'Hara, John Payne and who could forget then nine (9) year old child actress Natalie Wood. This was so well written and the four main characters performances are so memorable that they are burnt into our memories with all their famous lines.

It's a story about a single working mother and her only daughter who both have no time for believing in fairy tales like Santa Claus and Christmas until the two new men come into their lives with their very strong belief in the magical powers of the Christmas spirit.

Edmund Gwenn is "THE" real Santa Claus and even the most doubtful nine (9) year old Susan Walker and her even more serious mom Doris Walker an executive at the Macy's department store need a lot of convincing before they will transform into Christmas believers like all the rest of us movie viewers who believe in this Christmas classic film, A Miracle on 34th Street. I am eternally grateful for the film's writers George Seaton (written for the screen by), Valentine Davies who brought us such an annual memorable Christmas film classic.

A Perfect 10 out of 10 rating

This may be the greatest one of all

[pmtelefon · 10/10 · 25 December 2018]

"Miracle on 34th Street" may be the greatest Christmas movie ever made. It's also may be the most grown up one of all. There aren't any silly cute scenes aimed at a younger audience. No wise cracking kids. It doesn't cheat by playing hit pop Christmas songs. It just tells it's story in a beautifully straightforward way. The way it wraps up it's story is brilliantly clever. Not a dry eye in the house. "Miracle on 34th Street " is so good I can even watch the colorized version without complaining (Although, I much prefer the original B&W version).

Doris: It's not about faith. It's just common sense. Fred: Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.

[bombersflyup · 10/10 · 11 March 2018]

Miracle on 34th Street is a splendid film, full of wonder and lovable characters.

The best Christmas film I've seen to date. Maureen O'Hara particularly wonderful. I thought maybe Christmas movies were past me, but this a film for adults, a real keeper. Pleasant without being fluffy at all and it doesn't try and over do it. Writer and director George Seaton did "The Country Girl" with Grace Kelly, great also.

overall good

[DocD456 · 7/10 · 11 December 2003]

Miracle on 34th street is a classic Christmas story revealing that sometimes you don't have to see something or someone for that matter to necessarily believe in it or them. This touching story will make you laugh and cry along with the characters in the story. Edmund Gwenn playing Kris Kringle, Fred Gailey acted by John Payne, and Maureen O'Hara plays Doris Walker who is Suzie Walker's mother who is played by Natalie Wood all do wonderful jobs in the film.

The story starts when Kris Kringle (who is really Santa Claus) meets an actor playing Santa for the Macy's Day Parade past out and drunk on his sleigh right before the parade. Kris is insulted and notifies the person in charge, which is Doris Walker, she decides in a last minute thought and makes Kris the new Macy's mall Santa. The people and even Mr. Macy himself fall in love with the new Santa. Although after everyone is told by Santa himself to go elsewhere to shop, Kris is fired but brought back again because consequently his news was bringing in more business. Only under supervision is Kris brought back into the store and Fred Gailey, Doris' neighbor, decides to take him in. Kris is sent to the company psychiatrist to have his head examined for his abnormal thoughts that he himself is Santa Claus. The real drama in the film starts here as it turns out the company psychiatrist is a little looney himself. Kris struggles to make believers out of Doris, Fred, and Suzie, but when he is put on trial even the judge must question his own beliefs.



Overall it was a good Christmas time movie, it was entertaining, funny, frustrating, and you're left with a good feeling. The locations were good; setting the movie in New York during Christmas was excellent. Also, using an actually department store made the movie seem more realistic. There is also a good lesson to be learned from the film, and that is seeing is not believing which I thought to be very true. The casting was great, although there were some points where the characters got a little phony.



I give this film a 7 out of 10 for good casting, good story and plot, good location and for leaving it in its original black and white. I recommend this film more than the newer version.

Three Oscars that were most definitely deserved

[I_Ailurophile · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

The ruin that capitalism (here termed commercialism) brings to all that is good; cynicism engendered by the bitter harshness of reality, versus hopefulness and fancy - these are the predominant themes that 'Miracle on 34th Street' immediately establishes as its core. Gratifyingly, when substantial doubt is placed on the verisimilitude of Kris Kringle's personage, we even get imperfect dialogue supporting the notion that individuals who struggle with mental illness do not inherently need to be institutionalized, and can themselves be very productive citizens. To my pleasure, the movie represents an unusual amalgamation of the unembellished film-making and storytelling style of the 1940s with a modestly fantastical story of the sort that in subsequent years has often become self-important, overblown pablum. I do think at some points it's burdened with a touch of childish excess that's not to my liking - but I recognize that even these instances are fully in keeping with the thrust of the story. And considering how very smart, clever, and well-made this is otherwise, I'm rather willing to overlook such minor indelicacies.

More concretely, the writing is wonderfully strong - a compelling narrative, robust dialogue, fantastic scene writing, and characters more complex and lively than the majority of holiday-themed pictures can claim. It's a joy to know Valentine Davies and George Seaton won acclaim and accolades for their work in bringing this story to life. Sure, there's a small measure of cheese to flavor, for good or ill - but also heart, humor, and honesty. For every film that has every toyed with the question of whether or not Santa is real, few if any have approached it with nearly the vivid themes, stark commentary, cheeky candor, or outright brilliance that 'Miracle on 34th Street' does.

The cast is magnificent, each actor doing so much to tell this tale with all the good spirit to match the writing. Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, a very young Natalie Wood are all great. And, above all, and most critically, Edmund Gwenn is utterly stupendous as Kris Kringle: a perfect embodiment of charm, carrying the role with nuance and strength of personality. How marvelous that no higher authority than the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences itself acknowledged that Gwenn was an exceptional Santa Claus.

One could expound at still greater length about the qualities that this picture brings to bear, but it becomes redundant after a point. Tiny subjective excesses aside, this is a grandly intelligent, thoughtful, yet lighthearted treatment of swell themes and subject matter. Save perhaps for viewers who can't abide any level of the kitsch that necessarily follows Christmas movies, I find it hard to imagine there's many folks who could meaningfully argue against the terrific worth of this feature. Wherever one may be able to watch it, 1947's 'Miracle on 34th Street' is an outstanding piece of holiday cinema - an essential classic that most everyone should see at least once.

Kringle Has Been Declared A Menace To Society

[ShootingShark · 6/10 · 25 December 2008]

Doris Walker works for Macy's department store in New York and hires an unusual man, Kris Kringle, to play Santa Claus. The problem is Kringle claims he really is Santa Claus and wants to convince Doris and her daughter Susan of the need to believe in magic …

Everybody likes a good Christmas movie (my favourite is Gremlins) and this is one of the best, with a funny script by writer-director Seaton, excellent performances throughout and a cheerfully whimsical atmosphere. What I particularly like about it is that it lets you make up your own mind about Kris Kringle - is he really Santa Claus, or just a somewhat deluded but nice old man ? What's important is not so much whether you believe in Santa but whether you believe he believes he's Santa, and the story wisely never resorts to having him perform some miracle, thereby ruining the wonder and mystery. Gwenn is fabulous in the pivotal role, but then he's always good (check him out also in Foreign Correspondent, Them! and particularly The Trouble With Harry). He plays scenes like the one where he talks to the Dutch girl without ever overdoing it or sentimentalising; he's more irascible and down-to-Earth than your average movie Santa. For me, this is also a quintessential Noo Yawk picture, with Bugs Bunny accents, bubblegum kids (eight-year-old Wood is remarkably sassy and straight-laced) and a slightly cracked wiseguy sensibility. It somehow manages to be both tender and streetwise, but most of all is just good fun. There are a lot of Christmas movies - everybody from Monty Python to Arnold Schwarzenegger has tried one - but this is one of the best. Remade several times for TV and again as a feature in 1994, but none of them are as good as this original. An Oscar-winner for both Seaton and Gwenn, and a warm-hearted classic.

Missing Scene

[nwflyer04 · 9/10 · 13 December 2006]

Am I too old or what. Very few places on the Internet do people talk about the missing scene in this 1947 version of the movie. When I was a kid I saw the movie and there was a scene about the football helmet at the end. The attorney needs to get the helmet but it's too late but it mysteriously shows up. He says to the wife I am glad you were able to get it and she says I didn't get it I thought you did. I thought that scene was the best and sealed the case that it was Santa in that court. No one even talks about it and it is not in any of the remakes or made for TV versions. Too Bad! I would be interested to hear from anyone that has seen the version I was talking about.

I went on the Internet to see if I can find an original copy but no luck. Looking to hear from anyone that has one.

Santa Clause spins a web of corruption and legal trickery.

[JPTaylor · 7/10 · 11 December 2003]

"Miracle on 34th street" is a rather typical Christmas film, with all of the themes (some might say clichés) that encompasses. However, I am willing to bet that it was not as formulaic at the time of its release (1947) - it a testament to this film's credit that it has been so often imitated. It is, naturally, one of the definitive Christmas films, along with such classics as "It's A Wonderful Life" and "A Christmas Story". But like most Christmas pageants, it is ultimately little more than a cute and entertaining diversion with a moral.

In this tale, Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) is a newly discovered talent for portraying Santa Claus in an annual Christmas parade, when he replaces their original Santa, who was, oddly enough, completely drunk on the morning of the parade. Kris also manages to become the Santa at the apparently famous toy chain-store, Macy's, and starts a revolution by continuously referring loving parents to other toy stores for certain items, generating customer loyalty and increasing profits (which, of course, is the true meaning of Christmas spirit). Meanwhile, Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) and her daughter, Susan (Natalie Wood) learn a valuable lesson about imagination and faith.

Edmund Gwenn does an excellent job portraying Chris, in all his jolly, plump goodness. Although his character veers little from the traditional Santa Claus personality, it is effective here - the viewer really gets the impression that one could ask Kris for advice in almost any situation and get a decent answer. One scene in particular stands out where a caring mother brings her adopted Dutch refugee to see Santa, despite her assumption that Santa wouldn't be able to communicate. Naturally, Kris begins conversing fluently in Dutch and the unnamed girl's face is subtitle enough. Although the personality is traditional, the details certainly aren't - for example, Kris doesn't live in the North Pole - he lives in a retirement home. He goes to work, he pays the bills, and he lives a rather normal life (he also sleeps with his beard outside of his covers - it makes it grow), except, of course, on Christmas Eve. I won't reveal whether or not Kris actually is Santa Claus, but that's not important anyway - the movie is more about retaining childhood and faith than encyclopedic fact.

Unfortunately, the other characters in the movie are all decidedly bland and predictable. Naturally, the single mother has to fall in love, and the little girl learn all about imagination and trust. They are all rather one-dimensional and uninteresting; Chris's attorney, Fred Gailey (John Payne) is more or less the same character as all men in their thirties as portrayed in the 1940's and 50's - as decent and handsome as, for example, Mr. Cleaver of "Leave it to Beaver" fame. The same applies to most other characters with their own set of clichés, give or take the necessary conflict for a story arc.

The film culminates in a surprisingly corrupt court room scene judging the sanity of Kris Kringle, where cheap lawyer trickery, corporate threats and theatrical antics win the day for the spirit of Christmas. However, the final master stroke for the defense is actually a rather clever (if implausible) solution.

"Miracle on 34th Street" is a simplistic, entertaining way to spend one and a half hours. Despite its limited depth and wooden characters, the film is still very enjoyable and energetic. Thus, I rate it as a C.

Holiday Combination That Works Well

[Snow Leopard · 8 December 2004]

Still among the most worthwhile of the familiar holiday movies, this classic version of "Miracle on 34th Street" has a combination of cast, story, and production that works well. Maureen O'Hara, young Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn would probably have carried it pretty well by themselves, and they are joined by a very good supporting cast. The screenplay is nicely done, bringing out the fantasy elements of the story without letting it become trite.

Gwenn, who played many solid character roles, gets the chance here to play a role for which he was ideally suited, and it works very well. O'Hara and Wood make a good pair to balance him out. The supporting cast gets some very good moments of their own, especially Gene Lockhart and William Frawley, whose scenes are entertaining while also offering some occasionally pointed commentary.

The style of the production is well-suited to the material, offering an innocently upbeat story without overdoing it on sentimentality. For all that this style of the production and acting are out of fashion, they are able to capture a theme like this in a worthwhile way that is simply not possible with the kind of false "sophistication" that permeates so many present-day movies.

That's not to say that this is some kind of masterpiece, which it is not and did not try to be. Instead, it's a light, enjoyable, positive movie that does make a worthwhile point or two. That kind of feature will always find an appreciative audience somewhere.