'' (also titled '''''The Big Heart''''' (UK)) is a
1947 Film which tells the story of a gentle old man, working as a
Santa Claus at
Macy's department store in
New York City , who contends that he is the real deal. The movie was written by
Valentine Davies and director
George Seaton ; Davies also penned a
Short Story version of the tale which was published simultaneously with the film's release.
The story begins when Kris Kringle attends the annual
Thanksgiving Day parade and finds to his indignation that the actor cast as Santa is drunk. When he complains to the special events director, Doris Walker, she desperately casts Kris as a replacement. Kris proves a sensation during the event and he is quickly hired as the Santa for Macy's main outlet.
Once there, Kris proves he is stands apart from others in both his firm belief in the spirit of christmas and his firm contension that he is actually Santa himself. Although Doris initially wants to fire him as crazy, Kris' unusually generous ideas such as occasionally recommending other stores for toys create so much good publicity and customer support for Macy's that Kris is considered indispensable. In addition, Fred Gailey, an idealistic lawyer smitten with Doris and her daughter, Susan, who is raised not to believe in anything, come to see there is something special about Kris that makes his claims seem creditable.
However, things take a turn for the worst when a burgeoning conflict between Kris and a cruelly incompetent
Psychologist , Mr. Sawyer, erupts into a heated argument over the supposed doctor's consoling a young man that he is mentally ill simply because he is generous and kind hearted. In a fit of anger at the psychologist's unreasonable attitude, Kris raps him on the head, and Sawyer exaggerates the incident as a pretext to have Kris sent to the Bellevue mental hospital. Once there, the discouraged Kris deliberately fails his mental examination and is recommended for permanent commitment.
However, Fred Gailey comes to persuade Kris not to give up on the world and he himself is talked into working to secure Kris' release. To that end, Fred requests a formal hearing under Judge Harper in which he makes the stunningly unorthodox argument that Kris should be released because his contention to being Santa Claus is rational because he actually is that figure. Although Doris has no faith in Fred's ability's, Fred is able to reinforce his argument with clever questioning of witnesses, including the prosecutor's own son. In addition, Judge Harper is sympathetic to Kris if only because he is well aware that ruling against the popular figure is political suicide.
However, Fred hits an insurmountable obstacle when the Judge is forced to agree with the prosecutor that Kris' claims need to have authoritative support. While Fred searches fruitlessly for such support, Susan, now firmly believing in Kris, writes a letter to him to cheer him up with a support postscript from Doris. While the letter is in transit, a postal worker finds it and realizes that the postal system could easily offload their many letters to Santa to Kris at the courthouse. When Fred learns of this unusual delivery, he successfully argues in court that the
United States Postal Service , a branch of the federal United States government, is in fact supporting Kris' claims in this fashion. When asked to show his evidence, Fred has all the mail brought and the judge is literally buried in letters, which proves convincing and politically convienent enough for him to rule that Kris be released.
On Christmas Day morning, it seems a happy ending for all. However, Susan is disillusioned because Kris was apparently unable to supply her greatest wish, a house in the 'burbs for her family to live in. However as Fred, Doris and Susan are driving along a route Kris suggested, Susan is elated to find the house of her dreams for sale. Fred and Doris decide to purchase the house and Fred notes that it has been a good time as proudly notes that he managed to do the seemingly impossible getting Kris officially called Santa. However at that boast, Fred immediately spots a cane that looks exactly likee Kris' which suggests he arranged this grand gift. While Doris doubts that, Fred notes he might not be that good a lawyer after all if Kris is capable of feats like this, remarking "Maybe I didn't do such a worderful thing after all."
The film stars
Maureen O'Hara ,
John Payne ,
Edmund Gwenn ,
Natalie Wood ,
Gene Lockhart ,
William Frawley and
Jerome Cowan .
Percy Helton ,
Thelma Ritter , and
Jack Albertson have scene-stealing supporting performances as (respectively) a drunken Santa Claus, a frustrated shopper, and a
Post Office sorter.
- In the book, ''Reel Justice'', the authors point out that Judge Harper had an easy way of dismissing the case early without the political repercussions he feared. This was when the prosecutor rested his case immediately after Kris Kringle admitted in court simply that he believed he was Santa Claus. In doing so, Judge Harper could have ruled that prosecution had forfeited its opportunity to prove that Kringle was dangerous, the basic point of the hearing while his actual mental state itself was irrelevant, and ordered the subject immediately released.
''Miracle on 34th Street'' won
Academy Awards for
Best Actor In A Supporting Role (Edmund Gwenn),
Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies) and
Best Writing, Screenplay . It was also nominated for
Best Picture .
''Miracle on 34th Street'' was remade twice:
- 1994 , starring Horatio Sanz , Richard Attenborough , Elizabeth Perkins , Dylan McDermott , J.T. Walsh , James Remar , Jane Leeves , Simon Jones , William Windom and Mara Wilson . It was adapted by John Hughes from the Seaton script, and directed by Les Mayfield . This version has a more serious tone than the original and adds a subtext concerning religious Faith .
