Discover that miracles really do happen with one of the most spellbinding Christmas classic tales of all time. When Kris Kringle is hired to be Santa Claus in a department store's 34th Street branch, his success is overwhelming, much to the disdain of a rival store. When their attempts to discredit Santa take hold, threatening all that is sacred and magical about Christmas, prepare to find out that miracles really do happen...
Directed by
George Seaton
Written by
George Seaton (writer) Valentine Davies (story)
Starring
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). Please contact SFC to add other cast members and characters.
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A Classic Christmas Tale - for Adults
Mark Banks (United Kingdom)
Opinion: Recommended
This original version of 'Miracle on 34th Street' is a great little film; its moral message transcends the decades and the sharp script and adept acting have stood the test of time. However... it has been let down by the advent of technology. I don't mind a black & white film when the occasion calls for it, but Christmas is not really one of those occasions: Santa's costume without the red and the white (well okay it has the white!), just doesn't work so well - especially for children. Thankfully for once we have an equally good re-make (starring Richard Attenborough) that was made some 47 years later in 1994. For adults and children alike I recommend the latter, but if you happen to catch this version on TV, it is well worth a watch too.
