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Movies / On DVD / Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Street

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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

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Reviews Counted:31

Fresh:29

Rotten:2

Average Rating:8/10

Consensus: Irrefutable proof that gentle sentimentalism can be the chief ingredient in a wonderful film, Miracle on 34th Street delivers a warm holiday message without resorting to treacle.

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: Kris Kringle--unbeknownst to cynical, market-minded adults, the real Santa Claus--is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store, New York City. His gentle, joyous spirit and magical powers... Kris Kringle--unbeknownst to cynical, market-minded adults, the real Santa Claus--is hired to play himself at Macy's Department Store, New York City. His gentle, joyous spirit and magical powers soon transform those around him, including a little girl and her world-weary mother. Academy Award Nominations: 4, including Best Picture. Academy Awards: 3, including Best Original Story, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor--Edmund Gwenn. The 50th Anniversary Edition includes remastered footage and a promotional short. [More]

Starring: Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, Gene Lockhart

Starring: Maureen O'Hara, Edmund Gwenn, John Payne, Gene Lockhart, Natalie Wood, William Frawley

Director: George Seaton

Director: George Seaton
Screenwriter: George Seaton
Story: Valentine Davies
Composer: Cyril Mockridge
Producer: William Perlberg

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Oct 5, 1999

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • At the time of its release, everyone thought of MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET was a potential disaster in the making. Apart from being extremely expensive to film--having been shot partly on location in New York--and being built around a fantasy tale (always a tough sell), the studio decided to open the movie in the spring of 1947. Yet the gamble paid off, and the picture was still running in December of that year, one of the most successful fantasy movies and one of the most popular Christmas films in the history of Hollywood. In the decades since, the story of the bearded old man (Edmund Gwenn) who proves to be something more than an actor playing Santa Claus at Macy's has become virtually a modern-day fable, remade twice by the studio (in the 1970s and the 1990s). The 1947 film has a special charm and vitality, however, most obviously due to the vibrancy of the performances--Gwenn was at his most charming as Kris Kringle, the geriatric claimant to the name of Santa Claus, and Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood are perfect in their parts as three of the people swept into his magical orbit. Moreover, and more subtly, the movie captured the mood of hope, tinged by uncertainty, that characterized the postwar United States (especially New York). The DVD is as perfect a presentation of the movie as this reviewer has ever seen, and runs circles around the laserdisc editions of previous years (one of which, at least, was colorized), as well as the various videocassette versions. The source print itself is flawless, and the transfer ideal. The 21 chapters are just adequate to break down the movie's highlights but their paucity is more than made up for by the presence of the original trailer -- one of the most effective promotional pieces ever to come out of a Hollywood studio, it doesn't show anything from the movie, yet it conveys the movie's richness of plot perfectly and cleverly, making it seem an irresistible attraction (which it proved to be). The disc is programmed to go to the menu before starting the movie, which gives the viewer a chance to see that delightful trailer first.
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    Reviews for Miracle on 34th Street

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    What makes Miracle a genuine miracle of holiday filmmaking is the pitch-perfect balance of social cynicism and human generosity.

    Full Review Source: Seanax.com | comment Comment
    01/10/10
    Sean Axmaker
    Sean Axmaker
    Seanax.com

    I kept wondering: what would Jesus think about this movie, a kiddie pic that indicts America for losing sight of the one person that Christmas was always supposed to be about, and that's Santa.

    Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment 3 Comments
    12/28/09
    Nick Davis
    Nick Davis
    Nick's Flick Picks
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/26/09
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    One of the classic Christmas movies that is so happy about being sentimental it's enchanting rather than sickly sweet.

    Full Review Source: Film4 | comment Comment
    11/27/07
    Film4
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It's a highly professional piece of Hollywood sentimentalism.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
    11/27/07
    Dave Kehr
    Dave Kehr
    Chicago Reader
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Christmas wouldn't be complete without it.

    Full Review Source: 7M Pictures | comment Comment
    12/22/06
    Kevin Carr
    Kevin Carr
    7M Pictures

    A touch labored but lovable.

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    12/04/06
    TV Guide's Movie Guide
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    You want the spirit of Christmas? It's all right here.

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    11/25/06
    Christopher Null
    Christopher Null
    Filmcritic.com

    The only really good [Santa Claus movie] is this gentle, yet modern tale.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    11/17/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    Formulaic, but charming.

    comment Comment
    08/11/05
    Alex Sandell
    Alex Sandell
    Juicy Cerebellum

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    06/12/05
    Emanuel Levy
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    04/15/05
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Daniel M. Kimmel
    Worcester Telegram & Gazette

    One of a half dozen Christmas movie classics.

    comment Comment
    01/03/05
    Steve Crum
    Steve Crum
    Kansas City Kansan

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    05/27/04
    Jurgen Fauth
    Jurgen Fauth
    About.com

    Miracle on 34th Street is a great family film that will have kids and adults cackling with glee as Kringle does his best to fight the system.

    Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
    03/16/04
    Brian Webster
    Brian Webster
    Apollo Guide

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/24/04
    Rebecca Murray
    Rebecca Murray
    About.com

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/13/04
    Carol Cling
    Carol Cling
    Las Vegas Review-Journal

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    02/13/04
    Rich Cline
    Rich Cline
    Shadows on the Wall

    No review available.

    comment Comment
    01/29/04
    Randy Shulman
    Randy Shulman
    Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

    A charmer.

    Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    12/25/03
    Dennis Schwartz
    Dennis Schwartz
    Ozus' World Movie Reviews
     
     
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