by Michael Lyons
Pure Movie Magic. How many times have you heard that phrase? Or have you seen it splashed across a movie poster? It's beyond overused and applies only to certain movies.
One of them is the original Miracle on 34th Street. The movie that's become a classic Christmas tradition and part of many film fans' seasonal rotations has magic to spare. What's most remarkable, as it celebrates its 75th anniversary, is that Miracle on 34th Street does this without the benefit of visual effects and, instead, tells a down-to-earth story overflowing with the ethereal wonder of the season.
The film tells the now-familiar tale of how Macy's department store in New York City hires a kindly gentleman as their seasonal Santa Claus, only to learn that he claims to be the real Saint Nick himself. What follows is a tremendous amount of speculation, resulting in a hearing to determine if Santa is really who he says he is.
Director George Seaton and his wife were vacationing with writer Valentine Davies and his wife when Davies told Seaton about his idea for the story. Seaton then crafted the screenplay (which won him an Academy Award) and stepped behind the camera as director to helm Miracle on 34th Street.
When it was ready to be released, Darryl F. Zanuck, the head of 20th Century-Fox, decided to release the film not during Christmastime but on June 11, 1947, as Zanuck believed that more people went to the movies during the summer.
All marketing and promotion at the time, including the original trailer and poster, had no images of Christmas and kept the story shrouded in mystery to entice audiences to theaters.
Once critics saw Miracle on 34th Street, however, the secret was happily out of the bag. In The New York Times, Bosley Crowther wrote: "For all those blasé skeptics who do not believe in Santa Claus - and likewise for all those natives who have grown cynical about New York-but most especially for all those patrons who have grown weary of the monotonies of the screen, let us heartily recommend the Roxy's new picture, Miracle on 34th Street. As a matter of fact, let's go further: let's catch its spirit and heartily proclaim that it is the freshest little picture in a long time and maybe even the best comedy of the year."
In addition to its story, Miracle on 34th Street is buoyed by the performances. Young Natalie Wood is amazingly natural as the "older-than-her years" little girl Susan Walker; Maureen O'Hara as Susan's mother, Doris, the Macy's manager who hires Kris Kringle, reveals great strength and vulnerability as she is torn between fantasy and reality; John Payne brings warmth to his role as Fred Gailey, the attorney who defends Santa in court and learns to believe; Gene Lockhart is hysterical as the skittish judge, and holding the film together, in the kindest, gentlest performance film has ever seen is Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle.
The performance won Gwenn a Best Supporting Actor Oscar, and he delivered one of the greatest acceptance speeches when he said, "Now I know there is a Santa Claus."
In the seven and a half decades since its release, Miracle on 34th Street has become more beloved each Christmas season. Although there have been remakes, such as a made-for-TV version in 1973 and the big-budget theatrical remake in 1994, none compare to the original.
Author Sarah Parker Danielson wrote a book chronicling the making of the film, aptly titled Miracle on 34th Street, in which she states:
"Though its setting is the Christmas season, the film's message is a simple one applicable year-round: Life’s intangibles are what make living worthwhile. As Fred Gailey points out, what really matters are the things that Kris Kringle stands for - hope, joy, kindness, and love. That the characters in the film come to understand the meaning of these intangibles is the miracle on 34th St."
In other words: pure movie magic.
Happy 75th anniversary to Miracle on 34th Street, and Merry Christmas to one and all!
Sources:
Sarah Parker Danielson, Miracle on 34th Street, JG Press, 2006
Wikipedia
Looking for a book to read over Christmas break? Check out my book, Drawn to Greatness: Disney's Animation Renaissance. It's available at Amazon, and signed and personalized copies are available at my website:Words From Lyons
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