Miracle on 34th Street

### Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

> *"You've got them mixed up! You're making a mistake. You're making a mistake with the reindeer. Tsk tsk tsk."*
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***Miracle on 34th Street*** (initially released in the United Kingdom as The Big Heart) is an American Christmas comedy-drama film written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn. The story takes place between Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day in New York City, and focuses on the impact of a department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Santa. The film has become a perennial Christmas favourite.

The film won Academy Awards for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Edmund Gwenn), Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies) and Best Writing, Screenplay. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The Academy Film Archive preserved Miracle on 34th Street in 2009.

Davies also penned a short novelisation of the tale, which was published by Harcourt Brace simultaneously with the film's release.

* June 11, 1947 (US); December 12, 1947 (UK)

#### Plot Summary

When Doris Walker (O'Hara) frantically recruits a last minute replacement for a drunken Santa (Percy Helton) for Macy's Christmas parade, he seems just ideal for he job and perhaps for good reason - he says his name is Kris Kringle and that he's the real Santa Claus (Gwenn). She pays him no mind and at the department store, he's proving be popular as well. He seems to be able to speak many languages and knows just what kids would like to have and creates a bit of a sensation when he refers shoppers to other stores rather than Macy's. When Kris has a run-in with the Department store's psychological tester, the man tries to have him committed leading to a court case where Doris' lawyer neighbour Fred Gailey (Payne) tries to prove in court that Kris is the real Santa Claus. More important to Kris throughout all of this is to get Doris and her daughter Susan (Wood) to believe in him.

#### Notable Cast

* Maureen O'Hara as Doris Walker
* John Payne as Frederick M. "Fred" Gailey
* Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle / Santa Claus
* Gene Lockhart as The Hon. Henry X. Harper
* Natalie Wood as Susan Walker
* Jack Albertson as Post Office Mail Sorter
* Jeff Corey as Reporter
* Percy Helton as Drunken Santa Claus
* Thelma Ritter as Peter's Mother

#### Novella

***Miracle on 34th Street*** (1947) is a best-selling novella by Valentine Davies, based on the story he wrote for the 1947 film with the same name, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Story. After having written the story for the film, Valentine Davies did a novelisation of it, which was published as a 120-page novella by Harcourt Brace & Company in conjunction with the film release.

The inspiration for the story, about a disillusioned woman, her skeptical daughter and a mysterious man who believes he is the real Santa Claus, came when Valentine Davies was standing in line at a big department store during the Christmas season. Davies took his story idea to writer and director George Seaton, who turned it into a screenplay that he titled The Big Heart. 20th Century Fox Studios loved the script and production started in October 1946, with the film then having the working title It's Only Human. In March 1947, the filming was finished and the film went into post-production. Shortly before the release, in June 1947, the film was given the final title of Miracle on 34th Street.

Davies' story has since been the basis of a number of other productions, and has become a favourite Christmas play for a number of American theatrical companies.

### Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

> *"Discover the Miracle."*
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***Miracle on 34th Street*** is an American Christmas fantasy film written and produced by John Hughes and directed by Les Mayfield. It stars Richard Attenborough, Mara Wilson, Elizabeth Perkins, and Dylan McDermott, and is the fourth remake (and the second theatrical version) of the original 1947 film. Like the original, it was released by 20th Century Fox, to mixed to positive reception.

The New York City based Macy's declined any involvement with the film, so the fictitious "Cole's" was used as its replacement. Gimbels had gone out of business in 1987, so it was replaced by the fictional "Shopper's Express".

* November 18, 1994 (US); December 2, 1994 (UK)

#### Plot Summary

A little girl discovers dreams do come true if you really believe. Six-year-old Susan (Wilson) has doubts about childhood's most enduring miracle - Santa Claus. Her mother (Perkins) told her the "secret" about Santa a long time ago, so Susan doesn't expect to receive the most important gifts on her Christmas list. But after meeting a special department store Santa (Attenborough) who's convinced he's the real thing, Susan is given the most precious gift of all - something to believe in.

#### Notable Cast

* Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle, said to be the real Santa Claus. He reluctantly takes on the duty as Cole's Santa after Tony Falacchi, the original drunk Santa, is terminated.
* Elizabeth Perkins as Dorey Walker, the director of special events for Cole's, Susan's mother, and Bryan Bedford's girlfriend and neighbor.
* Dylan McDermott as Bryan Bedford, Dorey's boyfriend and neighbor.
* Mara Wilson as Susan Walker, Dorey's 6-year-old daughter.
* J. T. Walsh as Ed Collins, a lawyer
* Simon Jones as Donald Shellhammer, the general manager of Coles, known for his departing phrase "Chin-Chin".
* Joss Ackland as Victor Landberg, owner of Shopper's Express who is eager to see Cole's go out of business so he can buy it out and extend his market.
* James Remar as Jack Duff, an associate of Victor Landberg.
* Jane Leeves as Alberta Leonard, another of Victor Landberg's associates.
* William Windom as C.F. Cole, the chairman and owner of the Cole's corporation.