Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Directed by George Seaton

Film Review

A mainstay of the Christmas TV schedules for at least half a century, the original Miracle on 34th Street is a film that is so charming and good natured that its daft plot and occasional lapses of syrupy sentimentality are easily forgiven, all the more readily if you watch the film over the Christmas period.  Incredible to think that the film was first released in the month of May, since the head of Twentieth Century Fox, Darryl F. Zanuck, believed it would make much more money over the summer - a cynical move which would appear to run contrary to the spirit of the film.  Don't bother with the bland 1994 remake, a tacky offering which fails to ring true.  This is the kind of film that could only have been made in the 1940s, a far less cynical and exploitative era than our own.

One of the main reasons for the film's enduring popularity is Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of the instantly loveable Kris Kringle, the man who believes he is (or genuinely is) Santa Claus.  The 70 year-old English character actor is perfect for the part and, for many people, he is the definitive screen Santa, radiating benevolence and amiability, with just a slight whiff of something sinister beneath the surface.  Gwenn was justly rewarded with an Oscar in the Best Supporting Actor category (even though he is obviously the star of the film).  The film won two further Oscars, for its screenplay and original story, and was even nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.  The film's other notable performance is from 8 year-old Natalie Wood, who is both captivating and utterly believable as the little girl who somehow combines the charm of Shirley Temple with the bitchy self-assurance of Joan Crawford.

For all its whimsy, Miracle on 34th Street is a film that explores some weighty themes with intelligence and a great deal of compassion.  It effectively satirises the shameless commercialisation of Christmas and reminds us that there is far more to the festival than excessive bingeing and the exchange of useless trinkets.  It also explores the value of faith, suggesting that it is our seemingly irrational belief in intangible things that gives life its meaning.   Somehow, this is a film that never seems to go out of fashion and appears to be more relevant today than it was when it was first released - particularly as Christmas has now been reduced to little more than a mindless orgy of self-indulgent excess.   Without sinking too deeply into tacky sentimentality or labouring its point too heavily, Miracle on 34th Street reveals to us the true meaning of Christmas, a time of year when what should be exchanging is selfless love and understanding, not crate-loads of tat.

Film Synopsis

When he complains about a drunken Santa at a Thanksgiving Day parade, Kris Kringle quickly finds himself cast as his replacement.  So well-suited is the old man for the part that Doris Walker, the event organiser, hires him to play Santa at Macy's New York department store on 34th Street.   Doris has second thoughts when she learns that Kris really does believe he is Father Christmas.  When she hears him advise the customers to buy their presents at rival stores, she decides to dismiss him.  The store's owner overrules her when it becomes apparent that Kris's insane notion of sending customers away proves to be a highly advantageous gimmick.  However, the store psychologist remains convinced that Kris is a deluded and dangerous man and resolves to have him committed.   A court case is opened and Kris Kringle is put on trial.  Unless it can be proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is Santa Claus, he will spend the rest of his life in a lunatic asylum.  Luckily, Doris's lawyer friend Fred Gailey has no doubts as to Kris's authenticity (as a good man, if not Santa) and, with a little help from the New York postal system, he wins the day.  But will Doris's sceptical daughter get the present she has set her heart on or will Kris turn out to be just an ordinary old man in a beard..?