Editing Miracle on 34th Street

{{Short description|1947 film by George Seaton}}
{{About|the 1947 film}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Miracle on 34th Street
| image          = Miracle on 34th Street (1947 film poster).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| alt            = <!-- See [[WP:ALT]] -->
| director       = [[George Seaton]]
| screenplay     = George Seaton
| story          = [[Valentine Davies]]
| producer       = [[William Perlberg]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Maureen O'Hara]]
* [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]]
* [[Edmund Gwenn]]
* [[Gene Lockhart]]
* [[Natalie Wood]]
* [[Porter Hall]]
* [[William Frawley]]
* [[Jerome Cowan]]
* [[Philip Tonge]]
}}
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
* [[Charles G. Clarke|Charles Clarke]]
* [[Lloyd Ahern]]
}}
| editing        = [[Robert Simpson (film editor)|Robert Simpson]]
| music          = [[Cyril Mockridge]]
| distributor    = [[20th Century-Fox]]
| released       = {{Film date|1947|6|11}}
| runtime        = 96 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $248,000<ref name=color>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=November 27, 1985|page=7|last=Harwood|first=Jim|title=Colorful Christmas 'Miracle'}}</ref> 
| gross          = $2.7 million (US [[Distributor rental|rentals]])<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://archive.org/stream/variety169-1948-01#page/n62/mode/1up |title=Top Grossers of 1947 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=January 7, 1948 |page=63}}</ref>
}}

'''''Miracle on 34th Street''''' (initially released as '''''The Big Heart''''' in the United Kingdom)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b0812f7 |title=Miracle on 34th Street (1947) |publisher=[[British Film Institute]] |access-date=December 22, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915062629/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b0812f7 |archive-date=September 15, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Big Heart Poster|url=http://www.movieposterstudio.com/detail.aspx?ItemNumber=1576|website=Movie Poster Studio|access-date=21 December 2017}}</ref> is a 1947 American [[Christmas film|Christmas]] [[comedy-drama]] film released by [[20th Century-Fox]], written and directed by [[George Seaton]] and based on a story by [[Valentine Davies]]. It stars [[Maureen O'Hara]], [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]], [[Natalie Wood]], and [[Edmund Gwenn]]. The story takes place between [[Thanksgiving]] and [[Christmas]] in [[New York City]], and focuses on the effect of a department store [[Santa Claus]] who claims to be the real Santa. The film has become a perennial Christmas favorite.

''Miracle on 34th Street'' won three [[Academy Award]]s: Gwenn for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]], Valentine Davies for [[Academy Award for Best Story|Best Writing, Original Story]], and George Seaton for [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Writing, Screenplay]]. The film was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], losing to ''[[Gentleman's Agreement]]''. In 2005, the film was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant". The [[Academy Film Archive]] preserved ''Miracle on 34th Street'' in 2009.<ref>{{cite web| title=Preserved Projects| url=http://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=miracle+on+34th+street&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All| website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>

Davies also wrote a [[Miracle on 34th Street (novella)|short novelization]] of the tale, which was published by [[Harcourt Trade Publishers|Harcourt Brace]] simultaneously with the film's release.

==Plot==
<!-- Please review [[WP:FILMPLOT]] before adding material. Plot summaries should not exceed 700 words. -->
On the morning of the [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]], the man playing [[Santa Claus]] is drunk. An old man named Kris Kringle indignantly complains to event director Doris Walker. Doris persuades Kris to play Santa in the parade. A success, Kris is subsequently hired to play Santa at [[Macy's Herald Square|Macy's New York City store]] on [[34th Street (Manhattan)|34th Street]].

The toy department head, Mr. Shellhammer, instructs Kris to recommend overstocked items to shoppers. Instead, Kris directs a woman to another store for the hard-to-find fire engine her son wants. Impressed, the woman informs Shellhammer that she will become a loyal Macy's customer.

Attorney Fred Gailey, Doris's neighbor, takes Doris's daughter, Susan, to see Santa. After hearing Kris speak [[Dutch language|Dutch]] to an orphan girl from [[the Netherlands]], Susan is amazed. Doris, who has raised Susan to not believe in [[fairy tales]], asks Kris to tell Susan "the truth", but Kris insists that he really is Santa Claus.

Worried, Doris decides to fire Kris, but [[Rowland Hussey Macy|R. H. Macy]], the store's owner, promises bonuses to Doris and Shellhammer because of the positive publicity Kris has generated. To alleviate Doris's misgivings, Shellhammer suggests Granville Sawyer administer a "psychological evaluation". After doing so, Sawyer insists Kris be put in a [[mental institution]]. Meanwhile, Susan shows Kris a magazine photo of her dream house and tells him she wants it for Christmas. Kris promises to do his best.

In the company cafeteria, young employee Alfred tells Kris that Sawyer convinced him that he is unstable simply because he enjoys dressing as Santa. Kris confronts Sawyer, eventually striking him on the head with an umbrella. Sawyer, outraged, takes Kris to [[Bellevue Hospital]]. Tricked into cooperating and believing Doris to be in on the deception, Kris deliberately fails his examination and is recommended for permanent commitment. However, Fred persuades Kris not to give up and represents him in court.

At a hearing before Judge Henry Harper, [[District Attorney]] Thomas Mara gets Kris to assert that he is Santa Claus and rests his case, asking Harper to rule that Santa does not exist. In private, Harper's political adviser, Charlie Halloran, warns him that doing so would be disastrous for his upcoming reelection bid. Harper buys time by hearing further evidence. Fred calls Macy as a witness and gets him to admit that he believes Santa exists. Macy then fires Sawyer. Next, Fred calls Mara's own young son, who testifies that his father told him that Santa is real. Mara concedes the point, but goes on to demand that Fred prove that Kris is "the one and only" Santa Claus on the basis of a [[competent authority]] by the following day.

Meanwhile, Susan writes Kris a letter to cheer him up, which Doris also signs. When a New York Post Office mail sorter sees Susan's letter, addressed to Kris at the New York courthouse, he suggests delivering all of the [[Dead letter mail|dead letters]] addressed to Santa to Kris, freeing up storage space. As court resumes, Fred is informed of the mail delivery; he argues that the [[United States Post Office Department|Post Office]], a branch of the federal government, has acknowledged that Kris is the one and only Santa Claus by delivering the letters. When the judge insists on seeing the letters, postal employees empty many bags of letters on Harper's desk. Harper dismisses the case.

Kris invites Fred, Doris and Susan to a Christmas Day celebration at his current residence, the Brooks' Memorial Home for the Aged. Susan loses faith in Kris when he admits he was unable to get her the house she wanted. However, after Kris offers Fred and Doris a route home that avoids traffic, Susan sees her dream house with a "For Sale" sign out front; Susan becomes ecstatic and runs into the house. Fred learns that Doris had encouraged Susan to have faith and suggests they get married and purchase the house. Fred and Doris then spot a cane inside that looks just like Kris's. Fred  begins to wonder if Kris really is Santa Claus.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Maureen O'Hara]] as Doris Walker
* [[John Payne (actor)|John Payne]] as Fred Gailey
* [[Edmund Gwenn]] as Kris Kringle
* [[Gene Lockhart]] as the Hon. Henry X. Harper
* [[Natalie Wood]] as Susan Walker
* [[Porter Hall]] as Granville Sawyer
* [[William Frawley]] as Charlie Halloran
* [[Jerome Cowan]] as District Attorney Thomas Mara
* [[Philip Tonge]] as Julian Shellhammer
}}

===Uncredited roles===
{{Cast listing|
* [[Jack Albertson]] as "Al", the post office mail sorter
* [[Harry Antrim]] as R. H. Macy
* [[Lela Bliss]] as Mrs. Shellhammer
* [[Jeff Corey]] as reporter
* [[Mary Field]] as Dutch girl's adoptive mother
* [[William Forrest (actor)|William Forrest]] as Dr. Rogers at Bellevue
* Alvin Greenman as Alfred
* [[Theresa Harris]] as Cleo, the Walkers' maid/housekeeper
* [[Percy Helton]] as drunken Santa Claus
* [[Herbert Heyes]] as Mr. Gimbel
* [[Robert Karnes]] as 2nd Bellevue intern
* [[Snub Pollard]] as mail-bearing court officer
* [[Thelma Ritter]] as Peter's mother, the one directed to another store for a toy fire engine
* [[James Seay]] as Dr. Pierce, physician at the Brooks' Memorial Home for the Aged
}}

==Production==
[[File:Miracle on 34th Street trailer.webm|thumb|thumbtime=147|right|The original [[Trailer (promotion)|trailer]] for ''Miracle on 34th Street'' omitted any mention of its Christmas themes.]]
Throughout the process of getting this script accepted by the [[Motion Picture Association#Production Code Administration|PCA]], the movie underwent multiple title changes, starting as ''My Heart Tells Me'' and then progressing into ''The Big Heart'', ''It's Only Human'', and ''Meet Me at Dawn'', and finally ending with the name ''Miracle on 34th Street''. These title changes all happened within a four-month period. These title changes occurred while the filmmakers were fixing any other discrepancies that the PCA required them to fix before the production of the film could begin.<ref>{{Cite web|title=CONTENTdm|url=https://digitalcollections.oscars.org/digital/collection/p15759coll30/id/19580/rec/3|access-date=2021-10-21|website=digitalcollections.oscars.org}}</ref>

O'Hara was initially reluctant to take the role, having recently moved back to post-war Ireland. She immediately changed her mind after reading the script<ref>{{cite book| last=O'Hara| first=Maureen| title='Tis herself: a memoir| year=2005| publisher=Pocket| location=London| isbn=978-0-7434-9535-6| author2=John Nicoletti| page=139}}</ref> and came back to the United States for the film.

John Payne was on suspension at the studio and took the role to get back into work. However, it was his last film for Fox.<ref name=color/>

[[Cecil Kellaway]] turned down the role of Kris Kringle, which eventually went to his cousin Edmund Gwenn.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/dec/20/french-screen-legends-edmund-glenn | title=Philip French's screen legends | newspaper=The Guardian | date=December 20, 2009 | last1=French | first1=Philip }}</ref>

''Miracle on 34th Street'' was shot on location in New York City, with the [[Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade]] sequences filmed live while the 1946 parade was happening.<ref name="OHara Nicoletti 2005 p. ">{{cite book | last1=O'Hara | first1=M. | last2=Nicoletti | first2=J. | title=Tis Herself: An Autobiography | publisher=Simon & Schuster | series=Non fiction May 2012 | year=2005 | isbn=978-0-7432-6916-2 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aNhAdQK5CyMC | access-date=2019-12-09 | page=116}}</ref> "It was a mad scramble to get all the shots we needed, and we got to do each scene only once," Maureen O'Hara recalled in her memoir. "It was bitterly cold that day, and Edmund and I envied Natalie (Wood) and John Payne, who were watching the parade from a window."<ref name="OHara Nicoletti 2005 p. "/>

[[Arthur Jacobson]], assistant director, filmed the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving morning with nine cameras simultaneously. He said he "plunked actors Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in the department store cafeteria line during a weekday lunch-rush". When Maureen O'Hara requested a special police escort for a Christmas shopping spree through Macy's he said, "I know New Yorkers. They aren't going to pay any attention to you. And don't wear a bandanna around your head or dark glasses. Just be normal."<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1004-Winter-2010-11/On-the-Job-Arthur-Jacobson.aspx |title=Arthur Jacobson – New York to Hollywood |date=2011 |work=DGA Quarterly Magazine |access-date=2020-03-31}}</ref>

Although the film is set during the Christmas season, studio head [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], who apparently didn't like the film, insisted that it be released in May, arguing that more people go to the movies in warmer weather.<ref name="HuffPost-2015">{{cite web | title=A Weird Thing You Didn't Know About Your Favorite Classic Christmas Films | website=HuffPost | date=December 21, 2015 | url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/christmas-film-trivia_n_5671b5b7e4b0688701dbe1bc | access-date=2019-12-09}}</ref><ref name=color/> The studio rushed to promote it while keeping its Christmas setting a secret. Fox's promotional [[Film trailer|trailer]] depicted a fictional producer roaming the studio backlot and encountering such stars as [[Rex Harrison]], [[Anne Baxter]], [[Peggy Ann Garner]], and [[Dick Haymes]] extolling the virtues of the film. In addition, the [[movie poster]]s prominently featured O'Hara and Payne, with Gwenn's character kept in the background. The film opened in New York City at the [[Roxy Theatre (New York City)|Roxy Theatre]] on June 4, 1947.<ref name="Movie Time">{{cite book|last=Brown|first=Gene|title=Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from Its Beginnings to the Present|year=1995|publisher=Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=0-02-860429-6|page=[https://archive.org/details/movietimechronol00brow/page/186 186]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/movietimechronol00brow/page/186}}</ref> By contrast, modern [[home video]] packaging has Gwenn and Wood dominating the imagery, with the DVD release having Kringle in his Santa Claus costume.

==Reception==
===Critical reception===
''Miracle on 34th Street'' mostly received positive reviews from critics. [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said: "For all those blasé skeptics who do not believe in Santa Claus—and likewise for all those natives who have grown cynical about New York—but most especially for all those patrons who have grown weary of the monotonies of the screen, let us heartily recommend the Roxy's new picture, ''Miracle on 34th Street''. As a matter of fact, let's go further: let's catch its spirit and heartily proclaim that it is the freshest little picture in a long time, and maybe even the best comedy of this year."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9401E7DB103EE13BBC4D53DFB066838C659EDE| title=Movie Review: ' Miracle on 34th Street,' With Edmund Gwenn in the Role of Santa Claus, at Roxy -- 'Web' at Loew's Criterion| first=Bosley| last=Crowther| work=[[The New York Times]]| date=June 5, 1947| access-date=August 22, 2017| archive-date=August 23, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823024414/http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9401E7DB103EE13BBC4D53DFB066838C659EDE| url-status=dead}}</ref> A critic for the [[BBC]] called it "a clever and deeply original story, that remains true and confident in direction, while delivering considerable charm all the while."<ref>{{Cite web |title=BBC - Films - review - Miracle on 34th Street |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2000/12/08/miracle_on_34_street_1947_review.shtml |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=www.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> In ''[[The Nation (magazine)| The Nation]]'' in 1947, critic [[James Agee]] wrote, "Santa Claus (well played by Edmund Gwenn) comes to Herald Square and wraps up the millennium in one neat package. Clever, and pleased with itself, and liked by practically everybody; but since I have always despised the maxim 'Honesty is the best policy,' I enjoy even less a statement of the profits accruing through faith, loving kindness, etc."<ref>Agee, James - ''Agee on Film Vol.1'' © 1958 by The James Agee Trust.</ref>

The film is considered by many to be one of the best films of 1947,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1947.html |title=Greatest Films of 1947 |website=[[Filmsite]] |access-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.films101.com/y1947r.htm |title=The Best Movies of 1947 by Rank |website=Films 101 |access-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref> and it has been dubbed a "Christmas classic" by several publications.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson Globe |first=Odie |title='Miracle on 34th Street': A Christmas classic turns 75 - The Boston Globe |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/12/22/arts/miracle-34th-street-christmas-classic-turns-75/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |work=[[Boston Globe]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=The retail world at the heart of 'Miracle on 34th Street' no longer exists |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/made-by-history/2022/12/23/miracle-34th-street-department-stores/ |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=George Seaton's 1947 film “Miracle on 34th Street” is a Christmas classic frequently described as “timeless.”}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=What Makes MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET a Christmas Classic? |url=https://nerdist.com/article/what-makes-miracle-on-34th-street-original-a-christmas-holiday-classic-movie/ |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Nerdist}}</ref> On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film holds an approval rating of {{RT data|score}} based on reviews from {{RT data|count}} critics, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The website's critics consensus reads, "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."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/miracle_on_34th_street|title=''Miracle on 34th Street''|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref>

The [[National Legion of Decency|Catholic Legion of Decency]] gave the movie a "B", "morally objectionable in part" rating. This was mainly due to the fact that O'Hara portrayed a divorcée in the film.<ref>{{cite web| last=Catcher| first=Jessica| date=December 12, 2014| title=12 Awesome Facts You Didn't Know About The Original ''Miracle On 34th Street''| work=ViralNova| url=http://www.viralnova.com/miracle-34-trivia/| access-date=May 27, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150527210345/http://www.viralnova.com/miracle-34-trivia/| archive-date=May 27, 2015| url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Accolades===
Gwenn won the [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]], Valentine Davies for [[Academy Award for Best Story|Best Writing, Original Story]] and George Seaton for [[Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay|Best Writing, Screenplay]]. The film was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]], losing to ''[[Gentleman's Agreement]]''.

'''[[American Film Institute]] lists:'''
* [[AFI's 10 Top 10]] – #5 Fantasy Film<ref>{{cite news| title=AFI Crowns Top 10 Films in 10 Classic Genres| work=ComingSoon.net| date=June 17, 2008| url=http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072| access-date=June 18, 2008| archive-date=August 18, 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080818100312/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=46072| url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| title=Top 10 Fantasy| url=http://www.afi.com/10top10/fantasy.html| publisher=American Film Institute| access-date= June 18, 2008}}</ref>
* [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]] – #9<ref>{{cite web| title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers| url=http://www.afi.com/100Years/cheers.aspx| year=2006| publisher=American Film Institute| access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

In 2005, ''Miracle on 34th Street'' was selected for preservation in the United States [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.screentours.com/miracle-on-34th-street-new-york-city |title=Miracle on 34th Street |publisher=On Location Tours |access-date=August 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115120244/http://screentours.com/miracle-on-34th-street-new-york-city |archive-date=January 15, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039628/awards| title=''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947): Awards| publisher=[[IMDb]]| access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref>

==Home media and colorization==
[[File:MiracleColor.jpg|thumb|right|The film was one of the first full-length [[black and white]] films to be [[colorized]].]]
''Miracle on 34th Street'' was first released on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]] in 1987.

In 1985, it became one of the first full-length [[black and white]] films to be [[film colorization|colorized]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/83570/miracle-on-34th-street#articles-reviews|title=''Miracle on 34th Street'' (1947)|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=2018-01-26}}</ref> The 4½-month process was carried out by Color Systems Technology, Inc.<ref>''Nitrate Won't Wait: A History of Film Preservation in the United States'' (2000) by [[Anthony Slide]], p. 125.</ref> In 1993, this version was released on [[VHS]] and [[LaserDisc]], and was followed four years later by a "50th Anniversary Edition" on both formats, remastered by [[THX]].

The first [[DVD]] release was in October 1999, featuring the original version alongside the original theatrical trailer and a TV spot. In November 2006, it was re-released as a two-disc "Special Edition" DVD, with disc one containing an "all new colorized version" carried out by [[Legend Films]]. The second disc had the original version and numerous extras, including ''[[The 20th Century Fox Hour]]''{{'}}s [[The Miracle on 34th Street (The 20th Century Fox Hour)|1955 TV remake]]. Both discs also included a full-length [[audio commentary]] by Maureen O'Hara. The B&W disc has since been re-released several times, including in a pairing with the 1994 remake.

In October 2009, [[20th Century Fox]] released the B&W version on [[Blu-ray]] with all previous extras, bar the TV remake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Miracle-on-34th-Street-Blu-ray/5584/ |title=''Miracle on 34th Street'' Blu-ray |publisher=Blu-ray.com |access-date=May 31, 2010}}</ref>

In 2017, the film was restored in [[4K resolution]]; so far this version is only available via [[Digital Cinema Package|DCP]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.parkcircus.com/latest/P2010-Restored%20Christmas%20Classics|title=Restored Christmas Classics|publisher=Park Circus}}</ref>

==Remake==
A [[Miracle on 34th Street (1994 film)|1994 feature film]] starred [[Richard Attenborough]], [[Elizabeth Perkins]], [[Dylan McDermott]], [[J. T. Walsh]], Timothy Shea, [[James Remar]], [[Jane Leeves]], [[Simon Jones (actor)|Simon Jones]], [[William Windom (actor)|William Windom]] and [[Mara Wilson]]. It was adapted by [[John Hughes (filmmaker)|John Hughes]] from the Seaton script, and directed by [[Les Mayfield]]. Due to Macy's refusal to give permission to use its name, it was replaced by the fictitious "Cole's". "We feel the original stands on its own and could not be improved upon," said Laura Melillo, a spokeswoman for Macy's. Gimbels no longer existed by 1994 so its name was replaced by the name of the fictional "Shopper's Express". Alvin Greenman (Alfred in the original version) played a doorman. The 1994 remake of the film had a more serious tone than the original 1947 film had and a large portion of the plot was rewritten, although the majority of both the plot and the characters remained intact. The 1994 film also added a subtext which described concerns about religious faith.

==In other media==
There are numerous remakes of the movie, as well as a Broadway musical.

===Radio===
''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' aired a one-hour adaptation of the movie on three occasions: on December 22, 1947, which starred the original cast including Natalie Wood;<ref name="Vindicator1">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=II1IAAAAIBAJ&pg=6274%2C2781954&q=Miracle+34th+Street+Payne+Natalie+Wood+Edmund+Gwenn+Theater |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Arion Chorus Sings at 10; Yule Music Dominates Air |page=15 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio) |date=1947-12-22 |access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> on December 20, 1948, without Natalie Wood's participation;<ref name=Deseret>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PaVTAAAAIBAJ&pg=4429%2C5302203&q=Miracle+34th+st+Lux+Theater+Edmund+Gwenn+Owen |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=MIRACLE ON 34TH ST. on Lux Theatre Tonite (KSL advertisement) |page=F-2 |newspaper=The Deseret News |date=1948-12-20 |access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> and on December 21, 1954.<ref name="Vindicator2">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=h4E_AAAAIBAJ&pg=1018%2C2031914&q=Edmund+stars+Miracle+34th+story+department+store+Santa+Theatre |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Radio Tonight |page=39 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio) |date=1954-12-21 |access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> There were also two broadcasts on ''[[Screen Directors Playhouse (radio series)|Screen Directors Playhouse]]'': as a half-hour play on December 23, 1949;<ref name="Toledo1">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=muROAAAAIBAJ&pg=3807%2C3429504&q=Screen+Directors+Playhouse+Miracle+31th+St. |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Friday Selections |page=4 (Peach Section) |newspaper=Toledo Blade (Ohio) |date=1949-12-23 |access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> and then as a one-hour play on December 21, 1950.<ref name="Toledo2">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mmFOAAAAIBAJ&pg=2741%2C3103718&q=Screen+Direc+Directors+Play+Playhouse+Miracle+34th+Street |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Thursday Selections |page=4 (Peach Section) |newspaper=Toledo Blade (Ohio) |date=1950-12-21 |access-date=2021-06-01}}</ref> All of these adaptations had Edmund Gwenn reprising his screen role.

It was adapted for Australian radio in 1954 as ''[[There is a Santa Claus (radio serial)|There is a Santa Claus]]'' with a script by [[Morris West]].

===Theatre===
A 1963 Broadway musical version, entitled ''[[Here's Love]]'', was written by [[Meredith Willson]].

The novella was adapted into a stage play by Will Severin, Patricia Di Benedetto Snyder and John Vreeke in 2000. It is a favorite in many community and regional theaters during the Christmas season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com/events/view.php?eventid=0000001563 |title=Rancho Cucamonga Community Theatre Presents Miracle on 34th Street| publisher=Lewis Family Playhouse |access-date=August 22, 2017}}</ref> The characters' names are those used in the novella, and the stage setting is distinctly late 1940s. Production rights are held by [[Samuel French, Inc.]]<ref>{{cite book| title=Miracle on 34th Street: A Play from the Novel by Valentine Davies| first1=Patricia Di Benedetto| last1=Snyder| first2=Will| last2=Severin| first3=John| last3=Vreeke| publisher=Samuel French, Inc.| year=2000| isbn=978-0573628924}}</ref>

===Television===
A 1955 one-hour television adaptation of the movie starred [[Thomas Mitchell (actor)|Thomas Mitchell]] as Kris, [[Macdonald Carey]] as Fred, [[Teresa Wright]] as Doris, and [[Sandy Descher]] as Susan. This version did not show the drunken Santa at all. Titled ''[[The Miracle on 34th Street (The 20th Century Fox Hour)|The Miracle on 34th Street]]'', it originally aired as an episode of ''[[The 20th Century Fox Hour]]''. It was later re-run as "Meet Mr. Kringle".

[[Ed Wynn]] played Kris in a [[Miracle on 34th Street (NBC Friday Night Special Presentation)|1959 television adaptation]] of the movie. Also featured was [[Orson Bean]]. It was broadcast live and in color on [[NBC]] the day after Thanksgiving. NBC made a [[kinescope]] of the program, probably for broadcasting opening night on the West Coast. The copy was in a large collection of kinescopes donated by NBC to the [[Library of Congress]] and later unearthed by Richard Finegan, who reported his experiences in the December 2005 issue of ''Classic Images''.

A [[Miracle on 34th Street (1973 film)|1973 television version]] featured [[Jane Alexander]], [[David Hartman (TV personality)|David Hartman]], [[Roddy McDowall]], [[Sebastian Cabot (actor)|Sebastian Cabot]] as Kris (without his natural beard; he was forced to shave and wear a false beard for the role), Suzanne Davidson, [[Jim Backus]], [[David Doyle (actor)|David Doyle]] and [[Tom Bosley]]. It was adapted by Jeb Rosebrook from the George Seaton screenplay, and directed by [[Fielder Cook]]. Mrs. Walker's first name is changed to Karen in this version. This would prove to be the final version in which the department store was Macy's. David Doyle, who played R. H. Macy in this version, had played Mr. Sawyer in the original Broadway cast of ''Here's Love'' 10 years earlier.

===Puppets===
In 2012, the flagship [[Macy's Herald Square|Macy's Department Store at Herald Square]] in New York City featured a 30-minute puppet version of the story within its Santaland display, featuring the voices of Broadway stars [[Brian Stokes Mitchell]] and [[Victoria Clark]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Miracle on 34th Street at Macy's Puppet Theatre |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/miracle-on-34th-street-at-macys-puppet-theatre |website=TimeOut |date=March 15, 2012 |access-date=25 December 2020}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Trial film]]
* [[List of Christmas films]]
* [[Santa Claus in film]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category|Miracle on 34th Street (film)}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|En-Miracle_on_34th_Street-article.ogg|date=2017-03-26}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{AFI film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* [https://www.allmovie.com/movie/miracle-on-34th-street-am5247 ''Miracle on 34th Street'' at AllMovie]
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/MiracleOn34thSt/ Backstage and deleted scenes]

'''Streaming audio'''
* [https://archive.org/7/items/Lux_Fills_and_Upgrades/Lux-471222-correct-596td-Miracleon34ThStreet-MOHaraEGwennJPNW.mp3 ''Miracle on 34th Street'']{{cbignore}} on [[Lux Radio Theater]]: December 22, 1947
* [https://archive.org/details/Lux13/Lux_48-12-20_Miracle_on_34th_St.mp3 ''Miracle on 34th Street'']{{cbignore}} on [[Lux Radio Theater]]: December 28, 1948
* [https://archive.org/31/items/ScreenDirectorsPlayhouse/SDP_49-12-23_ep048-Miracle_on_34th_Street.mp3 ''Miracle on 34th Street'']{{cbignore}} on [[Screen Directors Playhouse]]: December 23, 1949
* [https://archive.org/31/items/ScreenDirectorsPlayhouse/SDP_50-12-21_ep082-Miracle_on_34th_Street.mp3 ''Miracle on 34th Street'']{{cbignore}} on [[Screen Directors Playhouse]]: December 21, 1950
* [https://archive.org/6/items/Lux19/Lux-541221-correct-47m52s-903hrt-Miracleon34thStreet-EGwennVGregg.mp3 ''Miracle on 34th Street'']{{cbignore}} on [[Lux Radio Theater]]: December 21, 1954

{{Miracle on 34th Street}}
{{George Seaton}}
{{MacysInc}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Miracle On 34th Street}}
[[Category:Miracle on 34th Street| ]]
[[Category:20th Century Fox films]]
[[Category:1947 films]]
[[Category:1947 comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1940s American films]]
[[Category:1940s Christmas comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:1940s English-language films]]
[[Category:1940s fantasy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American black-and-white films]]
[[Category:American Christmas comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:American courtroom films]]
[[Category:American fantasy comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:Films about lawyers]]
[[Category:Films about mother–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:Films based on short fiction]]
[[Category:Films directed by George Seaton]]
[[Category:Films featuring a Best Supporting Actor Academy Award–winning performance]]
[[Category:Films produced by William Perlberg]]
[[Category:Films scored by Cyril J. Mockridge]]
[[Category:Films set in department stores]]
[[Category:Films set in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Films shot in New York City]]
[[Category:Films that won the Academy Award for Best Story]]
[[Category:Films whose writer won the Best Adapted Screenplay Academy Award]]
[[Category:Legal comedy films]]
[[Category:Macy's]]
[[Category:Santa Claus in film]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:English-language Christmas comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy comedy-drama films]]