Miracle on 34th Street

1947
Approved
1h 36m

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

56K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

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Holiday Comedy Holiday Family Comedy Drama Family Fantasy Holiday

After a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends h... Read allAfter a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.After a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.9/10

56K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

1,950

1,051

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 3 Oscars
- 8 wins & 1 nomination total

Secretary
(uncredited)

Dick Cogan

Department Store Head
(uncredited)

Jeff Corey

Reporter
(uncredited)

Director
- George Seaton
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
When Edmund Gwenn accepted his Best Supporting Actor Oscar, he said, "Now I know there's a Santa Claus."

Goofs
Kris claims that John Quincy Adams' Vice President was Daniel D. Tompkins. In fact, that was John C. Calhoun, while Tompkins had been Vice President under Adams' predecessor, James Monroe. The confusion arose because Adams was the 6th President whereas Tompkins was the 6th Vice President, some Presidents having had a different Vice President in each term, and one of the latter having served under 2 of the former.

Quotes
Mr. Shellhammer: But... but maybe he's only a little crazy like painters or composers or... or some of those men in Washington.

Crazy credits
The film's credits do not contain the standard "All characters and events are fictional..." disclaimer, leaving many people to believe that this was a true story.

Alternate versions
Also available in two computer colorized versions. The film was first colorized in 1985 by Color Systems Technology, Inc. and again in 2006 by Legend Films using much-improved technology. Prints came with a disclaimer: "It has been altered without the participation of the principal director, screenwriter and other creators of the original film."

Connections
Featured in The Screen Writer (1950)

Soundtracks
Jingle Bells
(1857) (uncredited)
Written by James Pierpont
Played at the announcement of the parade
Played occasionally in the score
Sung a cappella a bit by Percy Helton and later by Jack Albertson

User reviews227

Review

Featured review

9/10

Edmund Gwenn as Santa: a deserving Oscar winner

Christmas confection from Twentieth Century Fox, released in the summer of 1947 (!), might have been a treacly mess were it not for director George Seaton's nimble handling and his wise, caring screenplay-adaptation from Valentine Davies' story. Edmund Gwenn is perfectly cast as the department store Santa who really is; Natalie Wood is adorable as a non-believing tyke who learns about faith and miracles. A most deserving recipient of the Supporting Actor Oscar, Gwenn seems like an incredibly nice man--maybe because he never has to force kindliness; more than that, he has an innate happiness and twinkle that comes from within (he truly glows in this part). Dated? Perhaps. But the message of belief, ultimately, is timeless and the silvery black-and-white cinematography from Lloyd Ahern and Charles Clarke is wonderful. The adults--Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, William Frawley and Thelma Ritter (in a wonderful bit) all shine in this classic fairy tale. It is a film without artifice. Four Oscar nominations with three wins including Seaton for his screenplay and Davies for Best Original Story. Remade for television three times; a theatrical remake followed in 1994. ***1/2 from ****