A Masterpiece!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

I had seen the original 1947 Oscar winning Edmund Gwenn version, and the more recognised 1994 Lord Sir Richard Attenborough version, but I had no idea there was another one, until I saw it broadcast, so I watched to see what I'd think. Basically the actor playing Santa Claus for Macy's Department Store Thanksgiving Day parade is found drunk, so parade director Karen Walker (Jane Alexander) persuades the bearded man who found him, Kris Kringle (The Jungle Book's Sebastian Cabot) to take his place. Kris proves to be a sensation with the public, and is quickly recruited to work in the Macy's store store on 34th Street to play Santa for the holiday period. What gives the store really good business is that they market the fact that Kris is telling customers where to find toys, including at better prices, and he is really enlightening everyone's spirits, including Karen's own daughter Susan (Suzanne Davidson), who is intelligent but cynical to beliefs and fantasy. The store's incompetent psychiatrist Dr. Sawyer (Roddy McDowall), is hired take Kris on a case study, but they only become enemies in the process, he eventually provokes Kris and causes him to react in the a way that will cause him to taken to Bellevue for tests, and he awaits a trial to prove his sanity. Karen's friend and neighbour Bill Schafner (David Hartman), agrees to help Kris, not just to defend him for his freedom and sanity, but unbelievably by proving he is the real, and the one and only Santa Claus! It is going to take a miracle for Kris to win, but thankfully they find something that clearly proves his identity, hundreds of letters addressed to "Santa Claus", all given to Kris at Christmas, they win the case, and in the end, Susan gets the present she always wanted for Christmas, a new house. Also starring Jim Backus as Shellhammer, David Doyle as R.H. Macy, Tom Bosley as Judge Harper and Roland Winters as Mr. Gimbel. Cabot is likable as the man who may in fact be the real Santa, although I was distracted closing my eyes and imagining his voice with Bagheera the panther or the Narrator in Winnie the Pooh, the rest of the cast, apart from perhaps McDowall, aren't really worth mentioning, the story is pretty much the same as the original film, but you can tell it is made for TV, it has a predictable script, and it doesn't have any charm or pizazz, stick with the 1947 and 1994 versions, it is a fairly terrible remake seasonal family film. Adequate!

I had the opportunity to watch this version on You tube The only thing I can say about the movie that is good is that it is closer to the original than the Richard Attenborough one It was very bland No emotions No suspense No drama Even the court case was dead No public While it has its merits I still prefer the original It might have been made in black and white but the best sumation of the 1947 version is the comments made at the end of that movie with the director talking to some of the actors to get a review about the movie That movie had it all Romance Love Tenderness Drama Suspense This version AND the Attenborough version don't come a patch up to the original In fact I would even downgrade my rating of this movie from a 4 to a 2 The Attenborough one to a 1

I worked on this made-for-TV-movie as a set dresser back in 1973. It was my first job as a returning Vietnam war era veteran. The art director was a woman named Jan Scott who offered me more work as Set dresser but I chose to attend college on the GI bill as an art major, with the eventual goal of teaching art, though I did continue to work on a few more film projects on occasion.What is very noteworthy about this production was that the majority of the crew had just finished Martin Scorcese's "Mean Streets" and many of the locations used to film Mean Streets, most notably the Green Hotel in Pasedena, were used to film Miracle. In retrospect it's funny to think about how so many who had worked with Scorsese all thought that while he was a fairly good director, he was such a neurotic quirky sort that he probably wouldn't last long in the business and also no one seemed to think much of Mean Streets as a finished product. Most did, however, have a high opinion of De Niro's acting ability.Fielder Cook the director, was an early Hollywood television pioneer having directed episodes of Playhouse 90 and many other early TV productions. He was also quite the colorful character and well-liked by the crew. The two other people who impressed me were actors Roddy McDowell and Sebastion Cabot. Cabot, for his acting ability and McDowell Because after the project was wrapped he personally and quite sincerely thanked every crew member for a job well done.I was so impressed by Cabot's portrayal of Kris Kringle that as a college student, during Christmas vacation I got a job as a Department store Santa at a somewhat upscale large retail establishment in L.A. and played the "role" of Santa Claus much the way Cabot did and put on makeup for every "performance".On one occasion where there was a crowd of people waiting to bring their children up to sit on my lap and be photographed by my attractive young female "elves" I noticed a distinguished looking and portly white-haired older gentleman standing in the back of the crowd watching who I swear to God, MUST have been the Real Santa.

I watched this when it first came on TV 35 years ago Dec.14,1973. I liked this one better than the 1947 and 1994 versions. Although,the 1947 and 1994 ones are on DVD and get the most advertised. This 1973 made for TV one is the one I grew up with as an 11 yr. old kid in the 70's.When at Christmas,kids wanted things like bicycles,roller skates, sleds,footballs,GI Joes,Barbie dolls,and the board games at that time. And before there were Ipods,there was the view master.This one stars Sebastian Cabot(Mr.French of Family Affair and Winston Essex of the Ghost Story series)as a man claiming to be Santa Claus. But Macy's store workers Karen Walker(Jane Alexander)and Dr.Sawyer(Roddy McDowall)have a hard time believing that but Karen's daughter Susan(Suzanne Walker(whatever came of her?)believes him. David Hartman(The Bold Ones:The New Doctors and Lucas Tanner)(the icon of 70's TV) plays Bill Schaffaer the lawyer who helps Kris Kringle prove who he is.This movie also stars Jim Backus(I Married Joan and Thurston Howell III of Gilligan's Island)as Horace Shellhammer. I liked it when Susan called him "Horace Belljammer". Conrad Janis(Mork and Mindy),Tom Bosley(Mr.C of Happy Days),and David Doyle(Bosley of Charlie's Angels)This movie should also set the record straight of a rumor that was going around of Tom Bosley and David Doyle being the same person. There is a scene were you see both actors together at an angle. So that rumor is false.I got this movie taped and watch it every Christmas because it reminds me of the Christmases I grew up with in the 70's.In my opinion,the best version.