Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Director:

George Seaton

Writers:

George Seaton (written for the screen by)
Valentine Davies (story)

Release Date:

2 May 1947 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance

Tagline:

Capture the spirit of Christmas with this timeless classic!

Plot:

When a nice old man who claims to be Santa Claus is institutionalized as insane, a young lawyer decides to defend him by arguing in court that he is the real thing.

Plot Keywords:

Santa Claus | Department Store | Lawyer | Christmas | Parade

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Maureen O'Hara	...	Doris Walker
John Payne	...	Fred Gailey
Edmund Gwenn	...	Kris Kringle
Gene Lockhart	...	Judge Henry X. Harper
Natalie Wood	...	Susan Walker
Porter Hall	...	Granville Sawyer
William Frawley	...	Charlie Halloran
Jerome Cowan	...	Dist. Atty. Thomas Mara
Philip Tonge	...	Julian Shellhammer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jack Albertson	...	Post Office Mail Sorter Next to Lou (uncredited)
Harry Antrim	...	Mr. R.H. Macy (uncredited)
Lela Bliss	...	Mrs. Shellhammer (uncredited)
Walden Boyle	...	Judge's Clerk (uncredited)
Kevin Burke	...	Child on Santa's Lap (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy	...	Secretary (uncredited)
Dick Cogan	...	Department Store Head (uncredited)
Jeff Corey	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mike Donovan	...	Court Bailiff (uncredited)
Teddy Driver	...	Terry (uncredited)
Mary Field	...	Dutch Girl's Adopted Mother (uncredited)
William Forrest	...	Doctor Rogers at Bellevue (uncredited)
Jack Gargan	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Robert Gist	...	Department Store Window Dresser (uncredited)
Jane Green	...	Mrs. Harper (uncredited)
Alvin Greenman	...	Alfred (uncredited)
Alvin Hammer	...	George (uncredited)
Theresa Harris	...	Cleo (uncredited)
Percy Helton	...	Drunken Santa Claus (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes	...	Mr. Gimbel (uncredited)
Clark Howat	...	Patron in Macy's Lunchroom (uncredited)
Robert Hyatt	...	Thomas Mara Jr. (uncredited)
Richard Irving	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Robert Karnes	...	Second Bellevue Interne (uncredited)
Fran Lee	...	Customer (uncredited)
Marlene Lyden	...	Dutch Girl (uncredited)
Robert Lynn	...	Macy Salesman (uncredited)
Mae Marsh	...	Woman in Santa Line (uncredited)
Ida McGuire	...	Drum Majorette (uncredited)
Joseph McInerney	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Jean O'Donnell	...	Miss Adams (uncredited)
Anne O'Neal	...	Secretary to Mr. Sawyer (uncredited)
Gil Perkins	...	Court Officer Bearing Mail (uncredited)
'Snub' Pollard	...	Mail-Bearing Court Officer (uncredited)
Lorin Raker	...	Macy Salesman (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Thelma Ritter	...	Peter's Mother (uncredited)
Stephen Roberts	...	Security Guard (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre	...	Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
James Seay	...	Dr. Pierce (uncredited)
Irene Shirley	...	R.H. Macy's Secretary (uncredited)
Patty Smith	...	Alice (uncredited)
Ann Staunton	...	Mrs. Mara (uncredited)
Brick Sullivan	...	Guard (uncredited)
Anthony Sydes	...	Peter (uncredited)
Guy Thomajan	...	Lou (uncredited)
Basil Walker	...	Bellevue Intern (uncredited)

Directed by
George Seaton

Writing credits
George Seaton		(written for the screen by)
Valentine Davies		(story)

Produced by
William Perlberg	....	producer

Original Music by
Cyril J. Mockridge		(as Cyril Mockridge)

Cinematography by
Lloyd Ahern		(director of photography)
Charles G. Clarke		(director of photography) (as Charles Clarke)

Film Editing by
Robert L. Simpson		(as Robert Simpson)

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Richard Irvine

Set Decoration by
Ernest Lansing		(set decorations)
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Kay Nelson		(costumes designed by)

Makeup Department
Ben Nye	....	makeup artist

Sound Department
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)
Arthur von Kirbach	....	sound (as Arthur L. Kirbach)

Special Effects by
Fred Sersen	....	special photographic effects

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Charles Le Maire	....	wardrobe direction
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Lyman Hallowell	....	apprentice editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	musical direction
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestral arrangements (as Edward Powell)
Maurice De Packh	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
John C. Eagan	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
Charlie Hall	....	location manager (uncredited)
Dirk Van H. Labberton	....	technical advisor (uncredited)
May E. Romm	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (presents) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film)

Distributors

• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (released through) (as Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation)
• 20th Century Fox (1947) (France) (theatrical)
• Netherlands Fox Film Corporation (1947) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Centfox (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• CBS/Fox (1993) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Fox Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• CBS/Fox (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Legend Films  colorization
• Percepto Records  score album released by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Dutch

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | UK:U | Germany:o.Al. (DVD) | South Korea:All | Australia:G | Portugal:M/6 | Netherlands:AL (original rating) | USA:TV-G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #12122)

Filming Locations:

19 East 61st Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

20th Century-Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck was very much against making this film because he thought it too corny to succeed. He finally agreed to a medium-sized budget provided writer/director George Seaton would accept his next three assignments unconditionally. Seaton, who desperately wanted to get the picture made, agreed.

Goofs:

Factual errors: While prosecutor Mara is making his final arguments to the Judge, defense attorney Gailey is out in the hall presumably talking to the postmen. Gailey returns to the courtroom just as Mara finishes his statement. No judge would allow final arguments to proceed in the absence of the attorney for the opposing party.

Quotes:

Doris Walker:I was wrong when I told you that, Susie. You must believe in Mr. Kringle and keep right on doing it. You must have faith in him.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Very Brady Christmas (1988) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Santa Claus Is Coming to Town

A Visit From St. Nicholas

The great Edmund Gwenn shines as Kris Kringle, an elderly, eccentric man who may or may not be the real Santa Claus. Little Natalie Wood thinks he is, though, and that's all that matters. This movie, written by Valentine Davies, has become, along with It's a Wonderful Life, a Christmas classic, and deservedly so. It is not, I imagine, in the same league as the Capra film (what is?), but it's an awfully good little movie in its own right; and while it presents its characters and issues pleasingly it does not push the envelope too much in any one direction, as one can respond to its whimsical little story any way one pleases.

Like so many films of the immediate postwar period it stresses the faith and wisdom of small children (as,--literally--opposed to adults); and its message is that children are perhaps wiser than we think. Considering the mess that grownups had made of the world in the previous two decades it must have been difficult for movie audiences of the time to disagree. Indeed, much of the mood of the postwar era was based at least partly on this premise, as children became central to our culture as never before. Their whims and wishes became paramount. Perhaps, in the end, too much so. One can see the start of all this in Miracle On 34th Street, whose gentle message still rings true today, every year, in the waning days of December.