Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
„Miracle on 34th Street“ is a 1947 Christmas comedy-drama film written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davies.
After a divorced New York mother hires a nice old man to play Santa Claus at Macy's, she is startled by his claim to be the genuine article. When his sanity is questioned, a lawyer defends him in court by arguing that he's not mistaken.
The film is a heartwarming television adaptation of the classic holiday tale, in which a department store Santa Claus claims to be the real Kris Kringle. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the story follows the legal battle to prove his identity, while touching the lives of a skeptical single mother and her young daughter. Set during the Christmas season, the film explores themes of faith, belief, and the magic of the holiday spirit.
Key Characters:
- Thomas Mitchell: Plays Kris Kringle, a kindly old man who insists he is the real Santa Claus, spreading holiday cheer and challenging disbelief.
- Teresa Wright: Portrays Doris Walker, a pragmatic and skeptical single mother who struggles to believe in the magic of Christmas.
- Sandy Descher: Plays Susan Walker, Doris’s daughter, who gradually opens her heart to the possibility that Kris Kringle might indeed be Santa Claus.
Cast:
- Maureen O’Hara – Doris Walker
- John Payne – Fred Gailey
- Edmund Gwenn – Kris Kringle
- Gene Lockhart – Judge Henry X. Harper
- Natalie Wood – Susan Walker
- Porter Hall – Granville Sawyer
- William Frawley – Charlie Halloran
- Jerome Cowan – Dist. Atty. Thomas Mara
- Philip Tonge – Julian Shellhammer
- Alvin Greenman – Alfred
- Patty Smith – Alice
- Joseph McInerney – Bailiff
- Basil Walker – Bellevue Intern
- Jack Gargan – Chauffeur
- Kevin Burke – Child on Santa’s Lap
- Theresa Harris – Cleo
- Mike Donovan – Court Bailiff
- Bob Reeves – Court Officer Bearing Mail
- John Roy – Court Officer Bearing Mail
- Ray Spiker – Court Officer Bearing Mail
- Jeffrey Sayre – Courtroom Reporter
- Arline Bletcher – Courtroom Spectator
- Curt Furberg – Courtroom Spectator
- King Lockwood – Courtroom Spectator
- William Marion – Courtroom Spectator
- Clyde McLeod – Courtroom Spectator
- Charles Meakin – Courtroom Spectator
- Richard Neill – Courtroom Spectator
- Rube Schaffer – Courtroom Spectator
- Fran Lee – Customer
- Dick Cogan – Department Store Head
- Robert Gist – Department Store Window Dresser
- William Forrest – Doctor Rogers at Bellevue
- Sheryl Deauville – Double for Natalie Wood
- James Seay – Dr. Pierce
- Ida McGuire – Drum Majorette
- Percy Helton – Drunken Santa Claus
- Marlene Lyden – Dutch Girl
- Mary Field – Dutch Girl’s Adopted Mother
- Alvin Hammer – George
- Brick Sullivan – Guard
- Walden Boyle – Judge’s Clerk
- Guy Thomajan – Lou
- Robert Lynn – Macy Salesman
- Lorin Raker – Macy Salesman
- ’Snub’ Pollard – Mail-Bearing Court Officer
- Jean O’Donnell – Miss Adams
- Herbert Heyes – Mr. Gimbel
- Harry Antrim – Mr. R.H. Macy
- Jane Green – Mrs. Harper
- Ann Staunton – Mrs. Mara
- Lela Bliss – Mrs. Shellhammer
- Arthur Tovey – Patient
- Clark Howat – Patron in Macy’s Lunchroom
- Anthony Sydes – Peter
- Thelma Ritter – Peter’s Mother
- Jack Albertson – Post Office Mail Sorter Next to Lou
- Irene Shirley – R.H. Macy’s Secretary
- Jeff Corey – Reporter
- Richard Irving – Reporter
- Robert Karnes – Second Bellevue Interne
- Dorothy Christy – Secretary
- Anne O’Neal – Secretary to Mr. Sawyer
- Stephen Roberts – Security Guard
- Teddy Driver – Terry
- Robert Hyatt – Thomas Mara Jr.
- Mae Marsh – Woman in Santa Line
„Das Wunder von Manhattan“ (Miracle on 34th Street) ist eine Weihnachtskomödie aus dem Jahr 1947, geschrieben und inszeniert von George Seaton und basierend auf einer Geschichte von Valentine Davies.
Als ein netter alter Mann, der behauptet, der Weihnachtsmann zu sein, als geisteskrank eingeliefert wird, beschließt ein junger Anwalt, ihn zu verteidigen und argumentiert vor Gericht, dass er der echte Weihnachtsmann ist.
Hauptcharaktere:
- Thomas Mitchell: Spielt Kris Kringle, einen freundlichen alten Mann, der darauf besteht, dass er der echte Weihnachtsmann ist, der Weihnachtsstimmung verbreitet und Ungläubige herausfordert.
- Teresa Wright: Stellt Doris Walker dar, eine pragmatische und skeptische alleinerziehende Mutter, die sich schwer tut, an die Magie von Weihnachten zu glauben.
- Sandy Descher: Spielt Susan Walker, die Tochter von Doris, die ihr Herz allmählich für die Möglichkeit öffnet, dass Kris Kringle tatsächlich der Weihnachtsmann sein könnte.