December 23 - Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

This movie has a scene that happens today – December 23. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

MIRACLE ON 34^TH STREET (1947)       

At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade when Santa Claus turns out to be a drunk, Doris Walker, who’s in charge of the parade hires a man who looks just like Santa Claus to play the part. Her daughter Susan watches the parade with Fred Gailey, an attorney who has just moved into their apartment building. Doris has raised her daughter on strictly scientific lines, with no fantasy or myths. She hires the parade Santa as the Macy’s department store Santa.  When he starts sending customers to other stores when Macy’s doesn’t have what they want, customers love the idea. When Susan starts to think the man really may be Santa, Doris asks him to tell Susan he’s not, but instead he says his name is Kris Kringle. Since customers love Kris Mr. Macy insists he be retained. Mr. Sawyer, who gives personality tests at the store takes a dislike to Kris. Kris helps Susan begin to develop her imagination and she finally tells him she wants a little house in the suburbs for Christmas.  The Kris learns that Sawyer has been telling Alfred, a young employee at the store that Alfred’s desire to dress up as Santa for the kids at the YMCA is a sign of a guilt complex.  Kris confronts Sawyer and pops him on the head with an umbrella. With Doris’s reluctant approval, her assistant and Sawyer  take Kris to Belleview mental hospital where, saddened by Doris’s continued doubts about him, he deliberately flunks the psychiatric tests given to him. Mr. Gailey files a protest to Kris’s commitment. He announces he intends to prove Kris is Santa Claus. This causes a fight between Fred and Doris, who have started to become interested in each other romantically. On December 23, 1947  [1:14:05 to 1:25:17] the second day of Kris Kringle’s sanity hearing, the state concedes the existence of Santa Claus, but wants definitive proof that Kris is Santa Claus. Susan and Doris write a letter to Santa addressed to Kris at the courthouse, saying they believe in him. The next day all of the Post Office’s letters to Santa are delivered to Kris. Since the US government, through the Post Office recognizes Kris as Santa Claus, the judge says the state of New York will agree. The next day Kris sends Susan, Fred and Susan to a house that is exactly like the one she wanted and they find Kris’s cane by the fireplace.   

A wonderful classic film for the ages. You should never be too old to watch and enjoy this film. If you think you are, I feel sorry for you. 

Date given in the film when at 1:22:04 the judge adjourns until “tomorrow” and that day is described as “Christmas Eve” at 1:26:25

Producer - William Perlberg

Director - George Seaton

Awards – This movie won the Best Supporting Actor (Gwenn), Best Original Story and Best Original Screenplay Oscars. It was also nominated for the Best Picture Oscar at the 20^th Academy Awards.  

Screenplay - George Seaton

Runtime – 1 hour 36 minutes

Released – May 2, 1947

Starring –

Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker

John Payne as Frederick M. "Fred" Gailey

Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle

Natalie Wood as Susan Walker

Porter Hall as Granville Sawyer

William Frawley as Charlie Halloran

Jerome Cowan as District Attorney Thomas Mara

Philip Tonge as Julian Shellhammer

Alvin Greenman as Alfred

Gene Lockhart as The Hon. Henry X. Harper

Harry Antrim as R. H. Macy

Herbert Heyes as Mr. Gimbel

James Seay as Dr. Pierce, a geriatrics physician

Thelma Ritter as a harried shopper

Percy Helton as the drunken Santa Claus stand-in at the parade

Ann Staunton as Mrs. Mara

Bobby Hyatt as Thomas Mara, Jr.