Enduring Charm of ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ are its Characters 1947

Charming Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) meets tough but cute customer Susan
 (Natalie Wood) in 1947's classic comedy/drama "Miracle on 34th Street."

I only have dim memories of 1947’s Miracle on 34th Street from childhood. Apparently of the three channels we got back in the '70s, the station that showed afternoon movies on TV favored It's a Wonderful Life, at least twice a year!

While not miraculous, there were a number of pleasant surprises watching 1947 version of Miracle on 34th Street completely for the first time. First, it's not told strictly as a Christmas story, but as a character-driven story. This makes Miracle more grounded in reality and universal, and sets it apart from most Christmas-themed movies. That’s also how 20^th Century Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck wanted it released, feeling that it would be otherwise pigeon-holed as a genre movie. So, Miracle on 34^th Street was released in May, 1947. The film was a big box-office hit for the rest of the year, and a perennial classic ever after.

The post-war realism touches by director-screenwriter George Seaton are forward-
thinking, in "Miracle on 34th Street." Maureen O'Hara's a divorced working mother
 & John Payne is a lawyer who likes kids & isn't afraid to help in the kitchen!

There are two interwoven stories in Miracle on 34^th Street. One is about a little girl who doesn’t believe in Santa Claus. The other is about a man who believes that he is indeed Kris Kringle. As the two stories become interwoven, the little girl comes to believe in Kris and Mr. Kringle eventually prevails, in court no less, that he is indeed Santa Claus.

One of the most touching moments of 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street" is when the
little Dutch war orphan (Marlene Lyden) wants to talk to Santa. 

Filming began in late 1946 for Miracle on 34^th Street, by director George Seaton, and post-WWII sensibilities infuse this movie, thanks to the writers. Seaton won best screenplay writing Oscar for his take on the story; Valentine Davies won an Oscar for his best original story. First off, Maureen O' Hara plays divorced mother Doris Walker, which raised censors’ eyebrows. It would have been much easier to make Doris a war widow, right? While there were more marriages and a baby boom, there were more divorces after WWII, too. Doris’ little girl, Susan, isn’t a sugary sweet cinema tyke, but a bit of a tough little cookie. O’Hara’s maid is played straight and with no stereotyped humor. When Kris Kringle befriends a shy, chubby teen named Alfred, who finds joy in becoming Santa, I got a distinct gay vibe from this gentle loner. While Miracle could have ignored referencing the recent war, there’s a war orphan who insists on visiting Santa at Macy’s, and it’s one of the film’s most touching scenes. The characters feel more like real people and not movie stereotypes.

Alvin Greenman as Alfred, the shy janitor who gets great joy out of playing
Santa Claus, in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

Adding to the realism was a generous amount of location shooting for the era. Miracle on 34^th Street opens with Edmund Gwenn’s Kris Kringle walking down Madison Avenue. Macy’s famous Thanksgiving Parade was extensively shot, with Gwenn’s Santa looking right at home! There are several scenes at the real Macy’s flagship store. Best of all, Susan’s dream home was real, and still stands in Port Washington, Long Island.

Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle in Macy's actual 1946 Thanksgiving Parade
for 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

Edmund Gwenn won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Kris Kringle, after his cousin Cecil Kellaway turned it down. I’m glad, because Cecil could be very cutesy in lovable roles—see Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? Gwenn plays with good cheer, real warmth, but also with matter of fact common sensibility. His Kris Kringle is probably my favorite film Santa!

Edmund Gwenn, perfectly cast as Kris Kringle, in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

Maureen O’Hara is lovely, intelligent, and spirited as always, so this leading lady role fits her like a glove. She’s a working woman here, and a modern mother, too. Yet, O’Hara softens at the prospect of saving Gwenn’s Santa by the last act. O’Hara always holds her own in a man’s world—in this case, Macy’s!—but she never loses her womanliness. By the end of the movie, you’re rooting for her Macy’s promoter to merge with lawyer Payne.

Maureen O'Hara made a no-nonsense leading lady and looked great doing so!
As Macy's events coordinator Doris Walker, in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

John Payne is lawyer/neighbor Fred Gailey, who is attracted to Macy's event coordinator/ PR person, Doris Walker, played by O'Hara. He gets through her little girl Susan to get to her. These days that might seem dicey, but they were more innocent times. He's taken by the young daughter, who has been taught to be realistic. I prefer John Payne when he was in his young, good-natured leading man era, rather than his later worn-out tough guy. Payne has a good rapport with young Natalie Wood and John had played well opposite O’Hara in another crowd pleaser, Sentimental Journey. Seaton writes a fun post-war leading man role that’s free of posturing. A guy who’s comfortable with kids, Santa, and even puts on an apron and helps in the kitchen! 

Maureen O'Hara's divorced mom is wise to being set up by neighbor John Payne
and her own daughter, in 1947's "Miracle on the 34th Street."

Although I adore Natalie Wood, I never sought out her Miracle on 34^th Street. I guess I preferred her as a sensitive and sultry adult! Much like Elizabeth Taylor, whose star-making turn, National Velvet, I’ve only seen once. I’ve not seen much of Wood’s work as a child actress, but as the pragmatic kid who longs for a home of her own, Nat is a standout here. Her reaction to the war orphan talking to Santa in Dutch is so intensely expressive. Wood works well with the three adult stars and she more than holds her own—in fact, she’s quite the scene-stealer!

Natalie Wood is memorable as Susan Walker, the modern girl who doesn't believe
in Santa Claus, in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

The great supporting cast includes: Phillip Tonge as Julian Shellhammer, head of Macy’s toy department; Porter Hall makes a great comic villain as Macy’s personal man who fancies himself a psychiatrist; Gene Lockhart (June’s dad!) is an amusing wishy-washy judge; William Frawley comes on in the last act as a political con man; and Jerome Cowan’s funny as the frustrated district attorney.

With just one uncredited scene in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street," Thelma Ritter
 scored with audiences & 20th Century Fox, and became a star character actress.

Enjoy some familiar faces amid the many uncredited players in Miracle on 34^th Street. The most famous is Thelma Ritter. As the harried mother looking for the right gift for her boy, she's astounded when Santa sends her to Gimbels. That distinctive face and voice in that one scene led her to a contract at 20^th Century Fox, where she went on to become a beloved character actress, winning six Oscar supporting actress nominations. 

Young Jack Albertson, right, as the postal worker who has a win-win idea, in 1947's
 "Miracle on 34th Street." Jack later starred in "Chico and the Man."

That guy in the postal mail room who gets the wise idea to send all the letters to Santa to the court room at the climactic scene is Jack Albertson, later famed for Chico and the Man. Character actor and acting coach Jeff Corey is one of the reporters. Future sitcom and Disney fixture Percy Helton is Macy’s drunk Santa. The entire cast is aces, right down to Robert Gist, as the store window dresser who gets pestered by Kris Kringle about his arrangement of toy reindeer!

Natalie Wood's Susan doesn't believe Edmund Gwenn's Kris Kringle or his beard
is real, in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street."

There have been a slew of remakes of Miracle on 34^th Street, mostly for television. Nearly all demonstrate in their lacking of what the original did so well. All the plastic mugging by those actresses playing little Susan are the common flaw, showing why Natalie Wood's serious yet wryly skeptical performance was so remarkable. The Fox TV '55 remake stars Thomas Mitchell, beloved character actor—Scarlett's Pa! George Bailey's Uncle Billy! Here, as Kris Kringle, Mitchell is on autopilot. MacDonald Carey is all voice, as usual, Teresa Wright is solid but lacking O’Hara’s spark, and pinch-faced little Sandy Descher mugs as usual.

There was a more elaborate TV version in '59, with Ed Wynn mugging insufferably as Kris Kringle. In the '70s, there was Sebastian Cabot—Family Affair's Mr. French—playing Kris Kringle as truly crazy. Cabot is stuck with stiffs like David Hartman and Jane Alexander, who look and act like refugees from an aspirin commercial. Suzanne Davidson is completely false as Susan. A great 70’s supporting cast plays cartoonishly, and this version has that drab early ‘70’s look.

Santa Claus wins! Stick with the original and best version of "Miracle on 34th Street."

There was one big screen 1994 version of Miracle on 34^th Street, produced by John Hughes that was unmemorable, as well. Stick to the more realistic and truly magical 1947 version of Miracle.

Little Susan Walker has a common post-WWII dream, to have a home of her own,
in 1947's "Miracle on 34th Street." This home still stands today!

My take on "Sitting Pretty!"

Here’s another fine Fox comedy with Maureen O’Hara, Sitting Pretty. Maureen contends with Mr. Belvedere here, not Kris Kringle! My look:

https://ricksrealreel.blogspot.com/2025/03/clifton-webbs-mr-belvedere-still.html