Miracle On 34th St (bw)

1947's "Miracle On 34th Street", starring the great Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn, is a motion picture that can be watched over and over again without losing one bit of its original flavor. And its flavor is quite tasty, in my opinion!A very spunky 8-year-old Natalie Wood helps to make this movie an even bigger treat. Natalie shows an acting talent in this film that belies her tender age. She gives one of the best performances by a child actor in a film I've ever come across. "34th Street" was Natalie's 4th screen appearance, in a successful career that would eventually span 52 films before her sudden and tragic death at the age of only 43.Miss Wood seems well-suited for her good-sized role as "Susan Walker" in this movie. She blends perfectly with the other actors, and her scenes with Gwenn (who, of course, plays the part of "Kris Kringle" to utter perfection) are highly memorable.Could the studio have possibly found a better choice for the part of "Kris" (Santa) in this motion picture? Well, perhaps. But ONLY if the REAL Santa Claus were to have taken a break from his duties at the North Poll and played the part himself. Oh...wait...Gwenn turns out to BE the REAL Santa, doesn't he? LOL! :)Yes, Edmund Gwenn actually DOES become "Santa Claus" for the 97-minute running time of this movie. He's *that* believable in the role. Gwenn was so good here that he won an Oscar for his memorable performance (Best Supporting Actor).This is a perfect movie to show your children. It must be a lot of fun watching a child's reaction to seeing Mr. Gwenn's very realistic portrayal of the portly fur-clad Christmas-time gift-giver. To a child that still does believe that Mr. Claus visits his or her house every December 24, this movie must be quite an eye-opener.This 20th-Century Fox DVD version of "Miracle On 34th Street" brings us the film in its intended (original) screen ratio of 1.33:1 (Full Frame); and the picture looks just dandy! The film, which was shot in "glorious black-and-white", exhibits outstanding clarity on this DVD. I can't spot a bit of grain or "noise". An absolutely beautiful digital transfer. Especially considering the age of this flick.The audio comes via an English Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono soundtrack. The audio comes across nice and clean, with just a small amount of background "hiss" present. There's also a foreign-language track here, too (French). This French track (which is also 2.0 DD Mono) sounds a bit on the "muffled" side. Not nearly as clear-sounding as the English track. There are subtitles in English and Spanish.There's not a whole lot to talk about in the way of "Special Features" for this DVD release. But there is the Original Theatrical Trailer and a short "TV Spot" advertising the movie (which is a bonus *not* shown on the DVD's packaging). Plus: there's also a small text-only area on the disc, featuring "Cast Credits".I *must* say, however, even though we don't get many bonus extras with this title, I'm very pleased that the Trailer is included. This Theatrical Trailer is one of the very best, and most innovative, I think I've ever witnessed. It's a relatively-lengthy trailer, which features a studio executive bumping into multiple actors while on the FOX movie lot. He asks several of these actors what they thought of the just-released picture, "Miracle On 34th Street". And what he receives in return (naturally) are glowing reviews for the film.It's a very well-done trailer, and doesn't seem overly "hokey" or staged. And it's very fun to see stars the likes of Rex Harrison and Anne Baxter pop up here, promoting "34th Street". Harrison even speaks briefly in this trailer of his then-current work on "The Ghost And Mrs. Muir", which, ironically, also featured young Miss Natalie Wood as one of Rex's co-stars. This trailer is a real treat. And it's in remarkably good shape too. Very good video quality. The audio for the trailer is in DD 2.0 Mono, and sounds just fine.Menus .... I like a good (and simple) Menu design. And this disc has just that. The Main Menu is a "static" one, with separate links to other Sub-Menus (such as Language Selection, Chapter Listing, and Supplements). When you select any of these three items, you'll be treated to a very short (but fun and well-designed) animated transition, which then dissolves into the chosen sub-menu screen. These short "transitions" are all slightly different, with each one featuring a Christmas tune playing as "background" music as the screen fades from the Main Menu to your desired selection. This themed music seems as though it's being played over a Department Store's P.A. system (which is appropriate for this DVD, since we often hear the soft playing of Christmas tunes during the "Macy's" scenes in the film). One menu transition also features a "snowflakes falling" visual effect, along with the music. Very cleverly done, IMO.Additional Disc Information for this title ..............................>> Enclosures? .... Yes. There is one here. A one-page Chapter List insert is included (21 chapters), with an excellent promo picture of actors Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, and John Payne on one side; and on the "Chapter" side, an image of "Kris" (Mr. Gwenn). I particularly like the fact that FOX Home Entertainment used a different picture for the insert than what we see on the front cover (normally on DVDs, the two pictures are identical). I might also add, in case one or two picky people might be interested in such trivial matters, that this insert is made out of better-quality (thicker) paper than what we usually see for such paper enclosures.>> Region? .... This is a "Region 1" (NTSC) disc. Single-sided.----------"Miracle On 34th Street" is one of those films that deserves to be seen more than once, and not only in the month of December either (IMO). It holds up very well even in the summer months. And this clear-as-a-bell DVD from FOX Home Entertainment makes viewing this 1947 classic an even more enjoyable experience -- no matter if it's in December, March, or August.

Miracle on 34th Street is a classic not only because of the attractive characters, the fantasy ending, the humor, but also because of certain structural subtleties which are not noticed by the casual viewer.The movie consists of a series of threats to Kris Kringle and a series of events which neutralize those threats.In the first place, once hired as Macy's Santa, Kris starts sending customers to other stores. When Thelma Ritter (perfectly cast) tells him he shouldn't have promised her son a fire engine ("Macy's hasn't got 'em, nobody's got 'em") Kris replies, "You don't think I would have promised the boy unless I was sure, do you? You can get those fire engines at Schoenfeld's, an excellent bargain."Mr. Schellhammer, the manager of the toy department, overhears this and is horrified. He is on the point of firing Kris when Thelma Ritter walks up to him and congratulates Macy's on "this wonderful new stunt you're pullin'." So Schellhammer has to think twice about firing Kris.Meanwhile Mr. Gailey (who will eventually be Kris's attorney) takes Maureen O'Hara's daughter Susie to see Kris. When Susie overhears Kris speaking Dutch to a little Dutch girl, her skepticism (inculcated in her by her cynical mother) is challenged. Doris responds to this by firing Kris.No sooner has this happened than Schellhammer tells Doris about Kris sending customers to other stores. Mr. Macy is excited about the idea, so they both have to un-fire Kris.So much for the first threat to Kris.The second threat comes when Mr. Sawyer, Macy's psychologist, takes a dislike to Kris and tells Doris he has to be fired. But this threat is neutralized by the doctor from the old people's home on Long Island who comes into Doris's office and says Sawyer is exaggerating, Kris "only wants to be friendly and helpful." Despite Sawyer's snide denial of this, Kris remains as Santa and even engineers a handshake between Macy and Gimble.A grace note: Sawyer twists his eyebrow, his secretary twists her eyebrow.At this point we might think that Kris is free and clear, there are no more conflicts. But the movie would be boring without the third and most dramatic conflict.When Kris finds out that Sawyer is psychoanalyzing Alfred, the innocent boy who pushes a broom at Macy's and likes to play Santa Claus, Kris hits Sawyer on the head with his cane. Sawyer pretends the injury is serious and gets Kris committed to Belleview.This sets up the climax of the movie. Gailey tells the judge (Gene Lockhart) that he intends to prove that Kris IS Santa Claus.The judge would throw the case out, but William Frawley (perfectly cast as his political adviser) says, "You go ahead and rule there's no Santy Claus. Wait til the candy companies, the Christmas tree companies, the toy companies hear about this. You're gonna be an awful popular fellow."The judge sees the problem, and rules that the belief in Santa Claus is open to debate, a matter of opinion. "I will hear arguments on both sides."The District Attorney rests his case after asking Kris, "Do you really believe you're Santa Claus?" and Kris answers "Of course."Now it is up to Gailey to prove that Kris is the one and only Santa Claus. This he cannot do. The Mayor, the Governor, refuse to put in writing that Kris is Santa Claus.In a touching moment Gailey puts Mr. Macy on the stand. "Do you believe this man is Santa Claus?" Macy ponders. He sees newspaper headlines saying "MACY ADMITS HIS SANTA IS A FRAUD." Then he see the happy faces of the children whose lives Kris has touched, and humbly says "I do." Applause in the courtroom.Now for the tour de force of the movie. Gailey is stuck. No person in authority will publicly say Kris is Santa.We cut to Susie writing a letter to Kris addressed to the courthouse. "I hope you are not sad. I believe you really are Santa Claus." Doris appends to the letter, "I believe in you too."The letter arrives at the post office, where Jack Albertson suddenly gets the idea of sending all the letters written by Santa to the courthouse. Gailey introduces the letters as proof that a government agency certifies that Kris is Santa Claus. The judge, relieved to be off the hot seat (and the multiple shots of Bill Frawley pointing his cigar at the judge, now warningly, now approvingly, are hilarious), rules, "If the U.S. Post Office says Mr. Kringle is Santa Claus, this court will not dispute it."The letter from Susie is overdetermined in two ways: first, its content goes to the cynicism she has learned from her mother, which Kris has now overcome. Secondly, the letter sets up the happy ending.So MIRACLE is one of the most intricately structured movies ever made, along with perhaps THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. Every scene is overdetermined, with meanings reaching down to the thematic depths of the story while driving the action forward.A great example of film structure at its best.

this is one of the best Christmas holiday movies to watch anytime of the year

My best Christmas movie 1949 production.

Me encanta. Es una película que hacia muchos años que no veía y me encanta. Muy buena imagen y sonido en español.Te hace volver a la ilusión de cuando eras un niño.

Hermosa pelicula, me trajo muchos recuerdos pues viene con el idioma español de siempre!!!!!. Una verdadera joya para verla en familia!!!

personal use, lots of memories

I have just aquired this film and it will probably be next Christmas when I see it for the first time in colour.For many years I have hadthis 1947 version on video and disc and on DVD too in black and white with a very young Natalie Wood, also the 1973 version which these days you never see or can buy and of course the Dicky Attenborough 1994 version. If you have never seen this film you have been missing a wonderful Christmas story, A must buy, even at thre present cost.

Most enjoyable even thought the colour addition to the B&W version is not as good as using colour film stock in the first place.