Please don't spend money on this.

Memorable, crazy movie

Did you people see the same film I saw?

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This Christmas movie, about a man named Kris Kringle who says he is Santa Clause, is a tastefully and brilliantly done classic that will make you believe in miracles and encourage you to escape reality for a while and let your imagination run free. Filled with humor, innocence, solid acting, and intrigue, this is a must-see movie to celebrate the Christmas season.The gestures of goodwill in the story, and the will to have faith are cornerstones of the quick-paced plot. This movie is surely one of a kind and definitely one that will be enjoyed my families for generations to come.Grade A

"Do you believe in Santa Claus?" is the big question in this festive classic from 1947, that features a stellar performance from a young Natalie Wood.I had only seen the 90's remake of this film written by John Hughes previously, but it's interesting to now compare/contrast and see how little that film adds to the original story.It was a little slow in places, but I liked the ending much better and thought that everybody involved gave wonderful performances.If any film deserves the title of 'festive classic' it's this one.

Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara) employs a kindly old man to be her Santa Claus both on parade and in Macy's department store after discovering that her intended Santa Claus is intoxicated. Doris is initially happy with her new Santa Claus as he actually looks like Santa Claus (real whiskers and all). However, when Santa Claus (played by Edward Gwenn) starts claiming that he is the real Santa Claus Doris is horrified especially after she's explained to her young daughter Susan (Natalie Wood) that Santa Claus isn't real. Santa Claus AKA Kris Kringle ends up institutionalised as a result of his claims (and also due to the behaviour of unscrupulous psychiatrist Granville Sawyer). Having established enough evidence to believe that Kringle is the real Santa Claus lawyer Fred Gailey (John Payne) takes Kringle's case to court to prove once and for all that he is the real Santa Claus.I think one of the key successes with a film like Miracle on 34th Street is that it is a film that has great appeal to very young children but it also has some themes running throughout the film that adult audiences can also pick up upon. Clearly children are the key target audience here (given the nature of the premise it's probably a film that will work better with very young children). However, if you delve deeper then it's clear that there is also plenty of content and commentary on offer to an adult audience as well.The selling point for an adult audience is that the film also remembers what Christmas is actually about and actually manages to turn negatives into positives - the film focuses on such things as Christmas being far too commercialised, it also focuses on corporate greed and consumerism (department stores trying to manipulate kids into buying items they're overstocked with rather than toys that they actually want). It then turns these negatives into positives by Kringle's notion of being honest with the kids by referring them to another store if Macy's doesn't have the toy that they want. Initially, the head of Macy's department store is angry about the idea of losing business, but Kringle's actions have so much positivity about them that it ends up bringing good PR to Macy's. This leads to a funny moment where the heads of the two biggest department stores are actually encouraging shoppers to buy things from their rivals store which is both ironic and very clever.I think some of the best moments in the film are the scenes between Kris Kringle and Susan Walker (Natalie Wood). As mentioned, Gwenn is excellent here and is probably everything that kids imagine Santa Claus to be - kind, wise, caring, selfless. Considering Natalie Wood was only around 9 years old when this was made I thought her performance here was terrific and at times she almost steals the show from Gwenn. She's neither overly-cute, annoying or bratty and basically just portrays a young girl who slowly starts to believe in something that she's always been told isn't real. The chemistry and warmth displayed between the two characters was a joy to behold. Of course the film had other strengths as well, but Gwenn and Wood were the real stars of the show here.Miracle on 34th Street is a film with plenty for children and adults alike to enjoy. Young children will bear witness to a wonderful interpretation of the mythical man with the white beard who delivers all their presents on Christmas morning. For adults there's a bit of escapism and subtle nods about commercialisation, corporate greed and consumerism and again I liked the idea that these negative aspects were given a positive spin. It's certainly a film I wouldn't mind watching every now and again at Christmas.

World War II had ended less than two years before this film made its debut in early May 1947. It would open in Western Europe in early December, in time for Christmas. The world was in no mood for a court in the United States to declare that there is no Santa Claus. Besides the loss of loved ones in the war, the U.S. and other countries had endured years of rationing, sacrifice and going without. The post-war economies were gearing up, people had jobs and money to spend, and families that had gone without now could buy holiday meals and gifts for everyone. The screenplay of "Miracle on 34th Street" doesn't say anything about all of this. But, it is implied and it was surely understood by the movie audiences that watched the film on its release in 1947. Keeping that in mind today will help one understand the commercialization aspects the movie addressed at that time. Interestingly, Valentine Davies wrote the story for the movie in 1944 while serving in the U.S. Coast Guard. He had become disillusioned by the commercialization of Christmas – and that was during the war years. Imagine how he would see the major holiday observation in the world today. Davies won one of the three Oscars the film garnered. His was for best original story; and his close friend, George Seaton, won the Oscar for the screenplay. The most recognized Oscar was that awarded to Edmund Gwenn for best supporting actor, as Kris Kringle. One scene in the movie puts the author's point clearly. Kris is talking with Alfred (played by Alvin Greenman), a young Macy janitor who plays Santa Claus at an orphanage. They have talked about the changes in attitudes and loss of the Christmas spirit. Kris, "That's what I've been fighting against for years …the way they commercialize Christmas." Alfred, "Yeah, there's a lot of bad 'isms' floating around, but one of the worst is 'commercialism.' Make a buck. Make a buck. Even in Brooklyn it's the same. Don't care what Christmas stands for. Just make a buck. Make a buck." What would Alfred say today with one more 'ism' added – secularism?This film surely is a holiday classic and favorite. Besides Gwenn, it has a sparkling cast. Maureen O'Hara plays an unusual role for that time – a divorced single mother who was working in an executive position. Doris Walker was raising her little girl in their mid-town Manhattan apartment. This was 8-year-old Natalie Wood's fifth film and first major role, as Susan Walker. John Payne plays a young attorney, Fred Gailey. Porter Hall is fantastic as Granville Sawyer. He's the twitching neurotic Macy company personnel psychologist (who doesn't have a license to practice, by the way). Much of the comedy occurs in the courtroom sequences. Some of the funniest occurs between Gene Lockhart who plays Judge Henry Harper and William Frawley who plays Charlie Halloran, his campaign manager. All of the cast are excellent. Over the years as I watched this movie with family members, I would "see" the miracle in the story. Only, it changed from year to year. Or rather, it multiplied. So, in answer to a question that someone might ask, "What is the miracle?," it seems clear that there are several. Indeed, this is a film about many miracles, large and small. I'll let the viewers ferret out those themselves. In the meantime, here are some bits of trivia related to the movie. The parade that takes place in the film is the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Macy's started the annual event in 1924. But, that was four years after Herald Square rival department store, Gimbols had held the first such parade in Philadelphia. At the time, Gimbols was the largest department store chain in the world. If you haven't guessed by now, one of the miracles was the coming together of the heads of those two companies in the spirit of Christmas to direct shoppers to others stores if they couldn't find what they wanted in their store. Here are a couple of favorite lines from the film. Doris, "He's crazy. He thinks he is Santa Clause." Julian Shellhammer, "I don't care if he thinks he's the Easter Bunny. You've got to get him back." Doris, "He's insane, I tell you." Shellhammer, "But, but maybe he's only a little crazy … like painters or composers or some of those men in Washington."Fred and Doris are talking about his defense of Kris in the court hearing. Fred, "You don't have any faith in me, do you?" Doris, "It's not a question of faith. It's just common sense. Fred, "Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to."