Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

Miracle on 34th Street Overview:

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) was a Comedy - Drama Film directed by George Seaton and produced by William Perlberg.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Valentine Davies published in 1947.

SYNOPSIS

After It's a Wonderful Life (1946), this is the ultimate Hollywood Christmas movie, featuring Gwenn as the real Kris Kringle playing a department-store Santa who teacher the true meaning of Christmas to a doubting 9-year-old Wood, O'Hara's daughter. A sentimental slice of Americana that still brings a smile. Ritter's screen debut. Remade in 1973 and 1994. The 50th-anniversary edition includes remastered footage and a promotional short.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Miracle on 34th Street was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2005.

Academy Awards 1947 --- Ceremony Number 20 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best Supporting ActorEdmund GwennWon
Best WritingValentine DaviesWon
Best WritingGeorge SeatonWon
Best Picture20th Century-FoxNominated
See More Oscar Winners

Miracle on 34th Street BlogHub Articles:

75 years and five versions of Miracle on 34th Street

on Dec 21, 2022 From Comet Over Hollywood

Released on June 4, 1947, the 20th Century Fox film, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET celebrates 75 years in 2022. Since its release, the film and story have continued to be a holiday favorite. While the 1947 film continues to be celebrated, the story was retold and adapted for five times over the span of 47 ... Read full article

Maureen O'Hara and John Payne experience the "Miracle on 34th Street"

By Stephen Reginald on Dec 13, 2022 From Classic Movie Man

Maureen O'Hara and John Payne experience the "Miracle on 34th Street" Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is a comedy-drama directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn. Others in the cast include Natalie Wood, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Jerome Cowan, William F... Read full article

Review: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Dec 24, 2018 From 4 Star Films

From its opening motif of a man nitpicking the arrangement of reindeer in a shop window, Miracle on 34th Street skates away on a delightful journey that evokes both fanciful whimsy and a liberal amount of holiday sentimentality. However, it also one of the finest examples and greatest purveyors of h... Read full article

25 Days of Christmas: Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

on Dec 22, 2017 From Journeys in Classic Film

This review originally ran on December 20th, 2011.  My thoughts on the film itself haven’t changed, and have only grown. Natalie Wood continues to astound me, and the film has such love embedded in it. How can I say I’m a film fan, and actually write reviews for a living, if I’ve ... Read full article

Miracle on 34th Street (1994)

on Dec 1, 2017 From Journeys in Classic Film

I gave my thoughts on 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street in a previous review which you can peruse here before reading my thoughts on the remake. I was rather harsh regarding this remake in my original review, if only because I’ve grown to accept this film’s faults and praise what it do... Read full article

See More Miracle on 34th Street Articles

Miracle on 34th Street Quotes:

Kris Kringle: To market, to market, to buy a fat pig! Home again, home again, jiggety-jig. To market, to market, to buy a fat hog! Home again, home again, jiggety-...
Kris Kringle: Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it.
Susan Walker: There's no such thing as giants.
Fred Gailey: What about the one Jack killed?
Susan Walker: Jack? Jack who?
Fred Gailey: Jack from "Jack and the Beanstalk".
Susan Walker: I never heard of that.
Fred Gailey: Sure you have. You must have forgotten. It's a fairy tale.
Susan Walker: Oh... one of those. I don't know any of those. My mother thinks they're silly.
Susan Walker: You mean it's like, 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.'
Doris Walker: Yes.
Susan Walker: I thought so.
Mr. R. H. Macy: [to Sawyer] "Psychologist". Where'd you graduate from, a correspondence school?
[starts to walk away, then turns back to Sawyer]
Mr. R. H. Macy: You're fired.
See More Quotes from Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street Facts
Both the actual Macy's and Gimbels department stores were approached by the producers for permission to have them depicted in the film. Both stores wanted to see the finished film first before they gave approval. If either store had refused, the film would have had to been extensively edited and reshot to eliminate the references. Fortunately at the test viewing, both businesses were pleased with the film and gave their permission.
"Screen Director's Playhouse" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on December 21, 1950 with Edmund Gwenn again reprising his film role.
The role of Kris was originally offered to Cecil Kellaway, who turned it down. The role went to Edmund Gwenn, Kellaway's cousin. Cecil Kellaway did play Santa in the Bewitched script A Vision of Sugar Plums, which featured child star Bill Mumy.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on December 20, 1948 with John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn again reprising their film roles.
Thelma Ritter's screen debut.
See More Facts about Miracle on 34th Street >>