Christmas Movie Night: Miracle on 34th Street

****Miracle on 34th Street (1947)  watched the black and white version, and so got the original version.  This movie presents a young single mother, Doris Walker (Maureen O' Hara)and her daughter, Susan Walker (Natalie Wood) as a mother and daughter who have the attitude of only believing in things that are real, and not in Santa Claus.  It also has a Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) and a lawyer, Fred Gailey (John Payne) who defends Kris when he is being sent to an insane asylum because he insists that he is Santa Claus.  Kris Kingle is a very good Santa, and insists  it is more important for the children to be happy, than any one store to get sales.  There is a company psychiatrist at Macy's who leads the anti Santa Claus movement.  That leads them into conflict.  The case ends up in court, and there is a cute scene with the son of the District Attorney who is prosecuting the case.  The son points out his father told him who Santa Claus is.  His father is try to convince the judge to commit Kris Kringle to an asylum.  The judge is seeking some reason to accept him, as is given this when the U.S. Postal Service delivers letters to him.  Of course Doris had suggested this.  This movie talks about faith, and what faith is.  Doris and her daughter find faith in the end.  I really enjoyed Natalie Wood, and her emotions and expressions.  It is interesting the commercialization of Christmas was a theme over sixty years ago.  This movie is a classic.

***^ Miracle on 34th Street (1994)  This movie has basically the same characters and relationship.  Richard Attenborough stars as Kris Kringle and Mara Wilson as Susan Walker.  There are a couple of plot twists which keep this show interesting.  We are introduced to Kris Kringle who intervenes when a hired Santa Claus is inebriated.  Instead of a psychiatrist, the villain is a competitor shoe, with a couple employees who are trying to discredit the Santa Claus who is bringing the store he hopes to buy, back from the brink. The other interesting twist is "In God We Trust" gives the little bit the judge needs to not commit Kris.  The other is the three   requests from Susan to Saint Nick and how they come to pass.  Again a classic.