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| Charming Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) meets robust however cute buyer Susan (Natalie Wooden) in 1947’s basic comedy/drama “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
I solely have dim reminiscences of 1947’s
Miracle on thirty fourth Road from childhood.
Apparently of the three channels we bought again within the ’70s, the station that
confirmed afternoon motion pictures on TV favored It is
a Great Life, a minimum of twice a 12 months!
Whereas not miraculous,
there have been a lot of nice surprises watching 1947 model of Miracle on thirty fourth Road fully for
the primary time. First, it isn’t instructed strictly as a Christmas story, however as a
character-driven story. This makes Miracle
extra grounded in actuality and common, and units it aside from most Christmas-themed
motion pictures. That’s additionally how 20th Century Fox studio head Darryl F.
Zanuck needed it launched, feeling that it could be in any other case pigeon-holed as a
style film. So, Miracle on 34th
Road was launched in Might, 1947. The movie was an enormous box-office hit for the
remainder of the 12 months, and a perennial basic ever after.
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| The post-war realism touches by director-screenwriter George Seaton are forward- pondering, in “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” Maureen O’Hara’s a divorced working mom & John Payne is a lawyer who likes youngsters & is not afraid to assist in the kitchen! |
There are two
interwoven tales in Miracle on 34th
Road. One is about slightly woman who doesn’t consider in Santa Claus. The
different is a few man who believes that he’s certainly Kris Kringle. As the 2
tales change into interwoven, the little woman involves consider in Kris and Mr.
Kringle finally prevails, in court docket no much less, that he’s certainly Santa Claus.
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| Some of the touching moments of 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road” is when the little Dutch warfare orphan (Marlene Lyden) desires to speak to Santa. |
Filming started in late
1946 for Miracle on 34th
Road, by director George Seaton, and post-WWII sensibilities infuse
this film, due to the writers. Seaton gained finest screenplay writing Oscar for
his tackle the story; Valentine Davies gained an Oscar for his finest authentic
story. First off, Maureen O’ Hara performs divorced mom Doris Walker, which
raised censors’ eyebrows. It will have been a lot simpler to make Doris a warfare
widow, proper? Whereas there have been extra marriages and a child increase, there have been extra divorces
after WWII, too. Doris’ little woman, Susan, isn’t a sugary candy cinema tyke, however
a little bit of a troublesome little cookie. O’Hara’s maid is performed straight and with no stereotyped
humor. When Kris Kringle befriends a shy, chubby teen named Alfred, who finds
pleasure in turning into Santa, I bought a definite homosexual vibe from this mild loner. Whereas Miracle may have ignored referencing
the latest warfare, there’s a warfare orphan who insists on visiting Santa at Macy’s, and
it’s one of many movie’s most touching scenes. The characters really feel extra like actual
folks and never film stereotypes.
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| Alvin Greenman as Alfred, the shy janitor who will get nice pleasure out of enjoying Santa Claus, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
Including to the realism
was a beneficiant quantity of location capturing for the period. Miracle on 34th Road opens with Edmund Gwenn’s Kris
Kringle strolling down Madison Avenue. Macy’s well-known Thanksgiving Parade was
extensively shot, with Gwenn’s Santa wanting proper at house! There are a number of
scenes at the actual Macy’s flagship retailer. Better of all, Susan’s dream house was
actual, and nonetheless stands in Port Washington, Lengthy Island.
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| Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle in Macy’s precise 1946 Thanksgiving Parade for 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
Edmund Gwenn gained the Finest
Supporting Actor Oscar as Kris Kringle, after his cousin Cecil Kellaway turned
it down. I’m glad, as a result of Cecil might be very cutesy in lovable roles—see Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner? Gwenn
performs with good cheer, actual heat, but additionally with matter of reality frequent
sensibility. His Kris Kringle might be my favourite movie Santa!
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| Edmund Gwenn, completely forged as Kris Kringle, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
Maureen O’Hara is
beautiful, clever, and spirited as at all times, so this main girl function matches her
like a glove. She’s a working girl right here, and a contemporary mom, too. But, O’Hara
softens on the prospect of saving Gwenn’s Santa by the final act. O’Hara at all times
holds her personal in a person’s world—on this case, Macy’s!—however she by no means loses her
womanliness. By the tip of the film, you’re rooting for her Macy’s promoter to
merge with lawyer Payne.
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| Maureen O’Hara made a no-nonsense main girl and regarded nice doing so! As Macy’s occasions coordinator Doris Walker, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
John Payne is lawyer/neighbor
Fred Gailey, who’s drawn to Macy’s occasion coordinator/ PR individual, Doris
Walker, performed by O’Hara. He will get by means of her little woman Susan to get to her.
Today which may appear dicey, however they had been extra harmless instances. He is taken
by the younger daughter, who has been taught to be practical. I want John
Payne when he was in his younger, good-natured main man period, reasonably than his
later worn-out robust man. Payne has a superb rapport with younger Natalie Wooden and
John had performed nicely reverse O’Hara in one other crowd pleaser, Sentimental Journey. Seaton writes a enjoyable
post-war main man function that’s freed from posturing. A man who’s snug with
youngsters, Santa, and even places on an apron and helps within the kitchen!
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| Maureen O’Hara’s divorced mother is smart to being arrange by neighbor John Payne and her personal daughter, in 1947’s “Miracle on the thirty fourth Road.” |
Though I am keen on
Natalie Wooden, I by no means sought out her Miracle
on 34th Road. I suppose I most well-liked her as a delicate and
sultry grownup! Very like Elizabeth Taylor, whose star-making flip, Nationwide Velvet, I’ve solely seen as soon as.
I’ve not seen a lot of Wooden’s work as a baby actress, however because the pragmatic child
who longs for a house of her personal, Nat is a standout right here. Her response to the
warfare orphan speaking to Santa in Dutch is so intensely expressive. Wooden works
nicely with the three grownup stars and she or he greater than holds her personal—in actual fact, she’s
fairly the scene-stealer!
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| Natalie Wooden is memorable as Susan Walker, the trendy woman who does not consider in Santa Claus, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
The nice supporting
forged contains: Phillip Tonge as Julian Shellhammer, head of Macy’s toy
division; Porter Corridor makes an important comedian villain as Macy’s private man who fancies
himself a psychiatrist; Gene Lockhart (June’s dad!) is an amusing wishy-washy
decide; William Frawley comes on within the final act as a political con man; and Jerome
Cowan’s humorous because the pissed off district lawyer.
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| With only one uncredited scene in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road,” Thelma Ritter scored with audiences & twentieth Century Fox, and have become a star character actress. |
Get pleasure from some acquainted
faces amid the various uncredited gamers in Miracle
on 34th Road. Essentially the most well-known is Thelma Ritter. Because the harried
mom on the lookout for the precise present for her boy, she’s astounded when Santa sends
her to Gimbels. That particular face and voice in that one scene led her to a
contract at 20th Century Fox, the place she went on to change into a beloved
character actress, successful six Oscar supporting actress nominations.
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| Younger Jack Albertson, proper, because the postal employee who has a win-win thought, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” Jack later starred in “Chico and the Man.” |
That man within the postal
mail room who will get the sensible thought to ship all of the letters to Santa to the court docket
room on the climactic scene is Jack Albertson, later famed for Chico and the Man. Character actor
and appearing coach Jeff Corey is without doubt one of the reporters. Future sitcom and
Disney fixture Percy Helton is Macy’s drunk Santa. The complete forged is aces, proper
right down to Robert Gist, as the shop window dresser who will get pestered by Kris
Kringle about his association of toy reindeer!
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| Natalie Wooden’s Susan does not consider Edmund Gwenn’s Kris Kringle or his beard is actual, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
There have been a slew
of remakes of Miracle on 34th
Road, largely for tv. Practically all display of their missing of what
the unique did so nicely. All of the plastic mugging by these actresses enjoying
little Susan are the frequent flaw, exhibiting why Natalie Wooden’s severe but wryly
skeptical efficiency was so exceptional. The Fox TV ’55 remake stars Thomas Mitchell,
beloved character actor—Scarlett’s Pa! George Bailey’s Uncle Billy! Right here, as
Kris Kringle, Mitchell is on autopilot. MacDonald Carey is all voice, as typical,
Teresa Wright is strong however missing O’Hara’s spark, and pinch-faced little Sandy
Descher mugs as typical.
There was a extra
elaborate TV model in ’59, with Ed Wynn mugging insufferably as Kris Kringle.
Within the ’70s, there was Sebastian Cabot—Household
Affair‘s Mr. French—enjoying Kris Kringle as really loopy. Cabot is
caught with stiffs like David Hartman and Jane Alexander, who look and act like
refugees from an aspirin industrial. Suzanne Davidson is totally false as
Susan. An awesome 70’s supporting forged performs cartoonishly, and this model has
that drab early ‘70’s look.
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| Santa Claus wins! Keep on with the unique and finest model of “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” |
There was one huge
display screen 1994 model of Miracle on 34th
Road, produced by John Hughes that was unmemorable, as nicely. Follow the
extra practical and really magical 1947 model of Miracle.
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| Little Susan Walker has a typical post-WWII dream, to have a house of her personal, in 1947’s “Miracle on thirty fourth Road.” This house nonetheless stands in the present day! |
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| My tackle “Sitting Fairly!” |
Right here’s one other effective
Fox comedy with Maureen O’Hara, Sitting
Fairly. Maureen contends with Mr. Belvedere right here, not Kris Kringle! My
look:
https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2025/03/clifton-webbs-mr-belvedere-still.html
