Miracle on 34th Street

The Santa hired for the Macy's Thanksgiving parade in New York turns up drunk. The old man who replaces him, Kris Kringle, does the job perfectly and is taken on permanently at the store. The problem is that he says he really is Santa Claus. Doris, who runs the event, has raised her daughter Susan not to believe in such things. When Kris's sanity is questioned the matter goes to court, and what the court has to decide is whether Santa Claus exists. George Seaton directed and wrote it. Edmund Gwenn plays Kris, Maureen O'Hara plays Doris and the eight-year-old Natalie Wood plays Susan. The strangest thing about it is the release date. Although it is a Christmas film it opened in May 1947; the studio believed more people went to the cinema in summer and hid the Christmas connection in the marketing. It won three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor for Edmund Gwenn, Best Adapted Screenplay for Seaton and Best Story for Valentine Davies. It was also nominated for Best Picture. Who it is for: viewers who like classic Hollywood Christmas films. Who it is not for: anyone inclined to cynicism. The film argues for belief directly and does not even open it to debate in the courtroom.