It’s A Miracle!
Monday at The Movies featuring the Holiday Classic “Miracle on 34th Street.”
MIRACLE ON 34th STREET; 1947; Studio: 20th Century Fox; Director: George Seaton; Cast: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood
This fanciful Christmas classic follows a legal battle to prove that Santa Claus truly exists when a department store Santa (Gwenn) asserts that he is in fact the legendary figure and faces being institutionalized as a result. A heartwarming exploration of faith and hope in the face of cynicism and commercialism, the film was a magical experience for those involved in its production too, with many of the cast and crew speaking highly of Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood, who was working on two other films simultaneously.
There have been several TV and film remakes; this was also one of the first black-and-white movies to be colorized in 1985. Gwenn won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as Kris Kringle; the film also won two awards for the story and screenplay, and was nominated for Best Picture (losing to Gentleman’s Agreement). “Just because every child can’t get his wish, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a Santa Claus.”Appreciation for the expert commentary goes to Dr. Arnold Blumberg. THANKS DOC!! Doc is an educator, publisher, author, comic and pop culture historian, and former museum curator. He was the editor of The Overstreet Comic Book Price guide and teaches courses in everything from comics to zombies to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Find him on Twitter @DoctoroftheDead.