More than seven decades upon its release, 1947s "Miracle on 34th Street" has definitely withstood the test of time.
To this day, "Miracle on 34th Street" is the most original story of Santa Clause I've ever seen. Santa Clause portrayed by Edmund Gwenn has been in and out of mental institutions because he claims to be the actual Kris Kringle, and he's deemed non-violent with a delusion for good.
Natallie Wood was 8-years-old in this movie and like her screen-mother, Maureen O' Hara, she doesn't believe in Santa Clause. O' Hara plays Doris Walker, the department store manager who hired Kris Kringle and soon questions her own choice because she doesn't want her daughter Susan (Wood) believing in Santa Clause, and the new Santa she hired is very convincing or perhaps the real Santa himself which makes for a great family Christmas tale.
Kris Kringle (Gwenn) becomes the New York Macy's department store Santa Clause and Mr. Macy himself doesn't care that his new Santa thinks he's Saint Nick himself, but Kringle ends up on trial for lunacy.
The New York Supreme Court judge and Mr. Macy themselves are extremely reluctant to claim there is no Santa Clause in a court of law because of the ramifications it might cause in the world of business.
Lawyer Fred Gailey defends Kringle and uses the U.S. Post Office as competent authority that Santa Clause does indeed exist. Four stars easy for this Christmas classic.
Mark Izzy Schurr
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