Miracle on 34th Street

With all of the comments about this version not being the original acknowledged, this one is still my favorite version of the story.

Maybe its because I grew up with David Hartman on Good Morning America and in all those sappy commercials....or maybe its because I have always been a fan of Sebastian Cabot.

Regardless, the update did a good job of bringing the story into the '70s and, even 30 years later, I find it comforting on the very rare occasion that it is shown during the Christmas season....Sebastian Cabot is fine throughout, and the updated setting, while not outshining the original, at least makes us feel like we could have been there.

So, I wouldn't place it in my "top 10" list of movies, or even consider it any kind of competition with the original.

But it does have its own, somewhat subdued, charm, and its always a pleasure to see Cabot in one of his later roles.

I will underscore what has been said here on this 1974 remake of the 1947 Classic. The 1947 was such an original classic with wonderful performances by all the leads and supporting. Here Sebastian Cabot is probably the best choice to play the Santa but just cant compare to Edmund Gwenn's twinkle in the eyes..First the Miracle song in the Main title appears so "hokey" today but it does set the tone for the rest of the movie. The film in general does a credible job in updating the story for the 1970's but it has an impossible task to overcome as the world has changed and we have grown even more cynical of the Santa Claus story. I recommend it for curiosity only and I suppose there is a reason why this version hasn't really survived in the collective memory of repeated television broadcasts.

Personally, I have seen all three versions of this film, and while I understand why older generations and purists stand by the original as the best one, that doesn't mean that people can't still enjoy this version. For a made-for-TV version, it has a wonderful cast, with Sebastian Cabot being the highlight. I thought the way the court case was handled was better here than in the 1994 version, and having grown up with color all of my life (and having been born only 2 years before this version originally came out), I still claim this one as my favorite. That is not to say that the original or 1994 versions aren't good--I think they all have a place for those who enjoy them. I just think that this story--like many others--is a generational one, and everyone is going to have at least a little nostalgia for the one from their generation. My only wish, which so far has gone unfulfilled, is that someone will eventually put this version out on DVD and Blu-Ray so that those of us who enjoy it can watch it again. The 1947 and 1994 versions' fans have access to their movies--why can't we? I think the reviewer who offered the option of a box set including all versions of this movie has a wonderful idea--that way, everyone's happy, and each is different enough from the others that you can watch them all and enjoy them.

BEWARE OF FALSE REVIEWS & REVIEWERS. SOME REVIEWERS HAVE ONLY ONE REVIEW TO THEIR NAME. NOW WHEN ITS A POSITIVE REVIEW THAT TELLS ME THEY WERE INVOLVED WITH THE MOVIE. IF ITS A NEGATIVE REVIEW THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE A GRUDGE AGAINST THE FILM . NOW I HAVE REVIEWED OVER 300 HOLIDAY FILMS & SPECIALS. I HAVE NO AGENDA.

A department store Santa (Sebastian Cabot) hired by divorced mother Karen (Jane Alexander) tells Karen's daughter, Susan (Suzanne Davidson), that he is the real Kris Kringle. He also sends children to the store's competitors for lower prices. When a psychiatrist (Roddy McDowall) employed by the store questions Kringle's sanity and ends up committing him to an asylum, Karen's attorney friend Bill (David Hartman) seeks to free Kringle by proving in the courtroom that he's really Santa Claus.

This is nice production of the often told tale. There has been it least 3 television productions and 2 theatrical films that I am aware of. This production is good but the treat is seeing all the old familiar faces. The casting of this film makes the whole film worth watching!

Yes, I saw this the night it aired in 1973, and not again until I found it you YouTube tonight. We'd just watched the 1947 original with Edmund Gwinn, and recalled Sebastian Cabot's shot at the role.

Cabot did a very fine job here, but the revised script suffered greatly by comparison with the original ... plus ... Jane Alexander brings NOTHING of the fire or acting ability to the role that Maureen O'Hara did. Where the lines are the same, Alexander comes off as very flat.

Early on, when Bill (the lawyer) meets Karen, the parade coordinator (and why did they find a need to rename these characters??), this script introduces a lady friend doctor of Bill's who acts in a very proprietary manner. One sees a personality conflict coming, but the doctor never appears again and is never mentioned again! LOL One can only suppose that later in production, that storyline was dropped but they were too cheap to film the "after parade in Bill's apartment again".

Next, we have alcohol in what is surely a kid's movie, and Karen asking for a vodka cocktail in the morning hours? Another mistake.

Roddy McDowall was a fine actor, but he just wasn't the right choice for Dr. Sawyer.

Finally, they made the decision to hold the hearing in a closed courtroom? No Gallery? How does Macy's decision about testifying that Kringle is Santa Clause play in an empty courtroom? It doesn't. It made no sense at all.

Again, Cabot did a nice job. David Hartman did a nice job. David Doyle overplayed Macy in a ridiculous fashion. Jane Alexander was flat throughout. Susan (the little girl) doesn't hold a candle to Natalie Wood. Jim Backus does a nice job as Shellhammer, but the byplay between the judge and his political advisor contains NONE of the humor of that element of the original. The final speech when delivering the 'letters to Santa' was repetitive and overplayed, especially when being delivered to an empty courtroom. One can only surmise the producers were too cheap to pony up for extras.

Skip this and watch Edmund Gwinn again. You won't be sorry.