I think today would be appropriate if I review another all time favorite Christmas classic. Let’s see…How about the 1947 “Miracle on 34th Street?” That sounds right for today.
Doris Walker, played by the beloved Marueen O’Hara, is stressing out that she needs to replace the Santa she hired, played by Percy Helton, for the Thanksgiving Day Parade after she is told that he is drunk on the float. Lady luck is on her side because a nice old gentleman, played by Edmund Gwenn, with a naturally large beard arrives and she gives him the position. He does the job like he is the real Santa Clause that she asks him to continue this position and be the Santa at Macy’s. Later she regrets having given him the position when she hears that he claims and believes that he is Kris Kringle.
Ever since she got a divorce from her husband, Doris does not want to tell anyone fairy tales, as she teaches her daughter, Susan, played by Natalie Wood, to be as disbelieving. Then her neighbor Fred Gailey, played by John Payne, takes Susan to see Santa to kill time in waiting for Doris to finish her shift. Kris’s charm catches Susan while she is off guard.
Susan is not the only one who is confused on whether Kris really is Santa Clause. The thing is, a little of his magic seems to be affecting almost everyone he talks to. That is, except for Macy’s psychologist, Granville Sawyer, played by Porter Hall, who believes that Kris is mentally unstable and needs to be institutionalized. With the question of whether Kris is sane, he is put on trial, where the New York court will decide if Kris “is” Santa Clause.
With a little bit of hope and a rush of faith, this film leaves you warm and has become a tradition for families to watch around Christmastime. Donna Gustafson says at the end of her review, “But, if you have not yet had to answer those awkward queries regarding the authenticity of that midnight visitor, you may want to wait a few years before sharing it with your little ones.”
Hands down, this film gets a 10+, it’s a beloved Christmas classic. If you haven’t seen this yet, you are missing out. If you want to watch a film that will leave you with a warm feeling after you are done, then make sure to watch this classic.
Believe it or not, they actually remade this film. Want to know how it is? Find out tomorrow in my 25 day countdown to Christmas reviews.
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