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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

97 ^%

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Reviews Counted:29

Fresh:28

Rotten:1

Average Rating:8.2/10

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... [More]

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

Director: George Seaton

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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.

Reviews for Miracle on 34th Street

1 - 20 (sorted by date)

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N/R

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03/26/09

Variety

Top Critic

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

Full Review

Comment

11/27/07

Channel 4 Film

Top Critic

It's a highly professional piece of Hollywood sentimentalism.

Full Review

Comment

11/27/07

Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Top Critic

Christmas wouldn't be complete without it.

Full Review

Comment

12/22/06

Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

A touch labored but lovable.

Full Review

Comment

12/04/06

TV Guide's Movie Guide

Top Critic

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

Full Review

Comment

11/25/06

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

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

Full Review

Comment

11/17/06

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Formulaic, but charming.

Comment

08/11/05

Alex Sandell

Juicy Cerebellum

No review available.

Comment

06/12/05

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Comment

04/15/05

Daniel M. Kimmel

Worcester Telegram & Gazette

One of a half dozen Christmas movie classics.

Comment

01/03/05

Steve Crum

Kansas City Kansan

No review available.

Comment

05/27/04

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

Comment

03/16/04

Brian Webster

Apollo Guide

No review available.

Comment

02/24/04

Rebecca Murray

About.com

No review available.

Comment

02/13/04

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

Comment

02/13/04

Rich Cline

Shadows on the Wall

No review available.

Comment

01/29/04

Randy Shulman

Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

A charmer.

Full Review

Comment

12/25/03

Dennis Schwartz

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The genuine classic article!

Comment

11/05/03

John Urbancich

Sun Newspapers of Cleveland

Takes consumerism and...condemns it in a meaningful and thought-provoking way.

Full Review

Comment

10/29/03

Ryan Cracknell

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Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

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