Miracle on 34th Street (1973) (TV)

User Rating:

5.7/10   

Director:

Fielder Cook

Writers:

Valentine Davies (story)
Jeb Rosebrook (writer)

Release Date:

14 December 1973 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

A department store Santa tries to convince a little girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus that he is Santa Claus...

Plot Keywords:

Santa Claus | Department Store Santa | Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade | Single Mother | Courtroom

Cast

Jane Alexander	...	Karen Walker
David Hartman	...	Bill Schaffner
Roddy McDowall	...	Dr. Henry Sawyer
Sebastian Cabot	...	Kris Kringle
Suzanne Davidson	...	Susan Walker
Jim Backus	...	Horace Shellhammer
David Doyle	...	R.H. Macy
Tom Bosley	...	Judge Harper
James Gregory	...	District Attorney
Roland Winters	...	Mr. Gimbel
Liam Dunn	...	Reindeer Keeper
Conrad Janis	...	Doctor Pierce
Ellen Weston	...	Celeste
Jason Wingreen	...	Halloran
Burt Mustin	...	Roy

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Photophone Sound Recording)

Filming Locations:

Castle Green - 99 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

Sebastian Cabot had to shave off his famous beard for this film and wear an artificial one after makeup artists were unable to whiten and fill his real beard out so that it made him look like Santa Claus.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (#4.21)" (1991)

3 Versions of "Miracle On 34th Street:" and this one's caught in the middle.

I have seen and liked all 3 versions of this movie (and let's pray no one else remakes it again)but this version I've only seen twice. I saw it in the early 90s one night in December on late night TV and then last night the MY-TV Network played the new DVD version. I could tell it was the DVD because it had those squares that interfere with the picture for a moment.

It was better than I remember it but I do agree with some here that it's not the best version. That always will be the first one,with the 1994 one being fairly close to that version. This version however is really pretty good. It only suffers from 1970s sensibilities,fashion and although I hate to say it,former "Good Morning America" host David Hartman.

He does well enough for a TV-movie and he did seem more into his role in the second half of the movie. Especially the very famous mailmen in the courtroom scene. The actress playing Susan's mother is nice and demonstrates the modern woman of that day admirably but it seems rushed in how she and Hartman fall in love and get together.

I wont fault the girl who played Susan at all,a kid is a kid and maybe she's not Natalie Wood but I still think she did a good job. Sebastian Cabot was the perfect choice for Kris. Loved his song too and glad there was only one song in the movie. He brought just the right energy to the role.

The film is filled with A-List (and B list) TV actors of the day and they all play their roles great and all were funny too. So,overall I can't find a tremendous amount of fault with the movie,I liked it too much to rate it less than a 9 out of ten. I'd say ten but the other two films truly outshine it. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! (END)