Miracle on 34th Street

Released on June 11, 1947, "Miracle on 34th Street", one of the best Santa Claus movies, brought forth an unexpected delight to audiences. Its under-publicized nature added to the surprise factor, leaving many attendees of the invitational preview at the time uninformed about the story. Yet, the film garnered a resounding round of applause, an unusual occurrence in a town that churns out movies more than it applauds them.

In a nutshell, "Miracle on 34th Street" follows the journey of a man named Kris Kringle, who assumes the role of Santa Claus at Macy's Department Store. However, Kris finds himself in a legal battle to prove the existence of Santa Claus, and ultimately, his own sanity.

Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Kris Kringle with his straight face and bearded countenance stands out as one of his finest performances in his illustrious career. Gene Lockhart also shines as the New York Supreme Court judge presiding over the sanity hearing. The film features a cast of memorable supporting characters, including Porter Hall as a store employee pretending to be a psychiatrist, Philip Tonge as the toy department manager, William Frawley as a shrewd political steerer, Jerome Cowan as the prosecuting attorney, and Alvin Greenman as the junior Santa impersonator, Albert.

While the abundance of characters may initially seem overwhelming, George Seaton's script weaves them together seamlessly, and knowing the plot twists beforehand might not detract from the enjoyment. Beyond the novelty of the story, the entertainment value remains so strong that the movie is still considered a legend to this day.

Release: 1947

Stars: Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%