Miracle on 34th Street (1947) on Netflix
The man playing Santa in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade arrives drunk, so Doris Walker persuades Kris Kringle to take his place. Macy's hires Kris as its store Santa on 34th Street.
- Netflix4.4/5
- IMDb7.9/1060,121 votes
- Rotten Tomatoes96%
Trailer
Plot summary
Kris Kringle, an old man who says he is Santa Claus, is hired to play Santa at Macy's store on 34th Street after the Thanksgiving Day parade. Mr. Shellhammer, the toy department head, tells him to recommend overstocked items, but Kris sends a woman to another store for the fire engine her son wants. Fred Gailey, a lawyer, takes Doris Walker's daughter Susan to see him. Granville Sawyer, the store psychologist, says Kris is dangerous and should be committed.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- Cecil Kellaway turned down the role of Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street, and the part went to his cousin, Edmund Gwenn.
- Studio head Darryl F. Zanuck, who apparently did not like the film, insisted the Christmas story be released in May, arguing that more people go to the movies in warmer weather, and the studio promoted it while keeping its Christmas setting a secret.
- In 1985, Miracle on 34th Street became one of the first full-length black-and-white films to be colorized; the 4½-month job was carried out by Color Systems Technology.
- For the 1994 remake, Macy's declined to let its name be used and was replaced by the fictitious "Cole's"; spokeswoman Laura Melillo said, "We feel the original stands on its own and could not be improved upon."
- Maureen O'Hara was at first reluctant to take the part, having recently moved back to post-war Ireland, but changed her mind as soon as she read the script and returned to the United States for the film.
- John Payne was on suspension at his studio and took the role to get back to work; it turned out to be his last film for Fox.
- Assistant director Arthur Jacobson filmed the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving morning with nine cameras running at once, and said he "plunked actors Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in the department store cafeteria line during a weekday lunch-rush".
