A department store Santa tries to convince a little girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus that he is Santa Claus, and winds up going on trial to prove who he is.A department store Santa tries to convince a little girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus that he is Santa Claus, and winds up going on trial to prove who he is.A department store Santa tries to convince a little girl who doesn't believe in Santa Claus that he is Santa Claus, and winds up going on trial to prove who he is.
Gloria LeRoy
- Mother #1
- (as Gloria Leroy)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOriginally, this TV movie was offered to Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner, with Wood's daughter Natasha Gregson Wagner to play Susan. However, Wood, a former child star herself, who portrayed Susan in the 1947 classic original Miracle on 34th Street (1947), declined on the grounds that Natasha was too young, and she wanted her to have as normal a childhood as possible.
- GoofsIn many scenes, green leaves are seen on the trees. This movie was clearly not filmed in November/December.
- ConnectionsReferenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1991)
Featured review
Earnest but hardly spirited TV update of the 1947 classic with Jane Alexander, David Hartman and Sebastian Cabot reprising the Maureen O'Hara, John Payne and Edmund Gwenn (Oscar winner) roles, and failing to warm the cockles of our old-fashioned hearts the way the original did. The '47 version had real bite amidst the holiday hokum; this one plays it safe and only nips. I say, you better have big, big ideas if you're gonna challenge a classic. Holiday sentimentalism ain't the kind of drawing power it used to be.
For starters, this 1974 effort makes a fatal mistake in trying to recapture the whimsy of its predecessor, which was a product of its times. Admirable maybe, but now it comes off stilted and dated. And then there are the performances...
Alexander and Hartman fail to register the same kind of romantic chemistry as O'Hara and Payne, the delightfully subtle games played by our original pair are just too pat here. The characters have less friction and are softer around the edges, making them more obvious and less interesting.
Hefty Sebastian Cabot has all the makings of a great Santa Claus, but compared with the twinkle-eyed magic of Edmund Gwenn, well, you find yourself having those nagging doubts all over again. I mean, Gwenn really WAS Kris Kringle; Cabot comes off like a Gimbel's store-front imitation.
Lastly, Suzanne Davidson doesn't hold a candle to darling Natalie Wood. The feisty Wood showed a hard-edged maturity and intelligence far beyond her age. Davidson captures none of the precocious cynicism necessary to pull of this difficult role.
In all, a game try, but still a lump of coal...with the 1994 remake hardly an improvement. If these two versions are all that's offered come Christmas time, may I suggest adding a little extra "nog" to your egg nog before settling in?
For starters, this 1974 effort makes a fatal mistake in trying to recapture the whimsy of its predecessor, which was a product of its times. Admirable maybe, but now it comes off stilted and dated. And then there are the performances...
Alexander and Hartman fail to register the same kind of romantic chemistry as O'Hara and Payne, the delightfully subtle games played by our original pair are just too pat here. The characters have less friction and are softer around the edges, making them more obvious and less interesting.
Hefty Sebastian Cabot has all the makings of a great Santa Claus, but compared with the twinkle-eyed magic of Edmund Gwenn, well, you find yourself having those nagging doubts all over again. I mean, Gwenn really WAS Kris Kringle; Cabot comes off like a Gimbel's store-front imitation.
Lastly, Suzanne Davidson doesn't hold a candle to darling Natalie Wood. The feisty Wood showed a hard-edged maturity and intelligence far beyond her age. Davidson captures none of the precocious cynicism necessary to pull of this difficult role.
In all, a game try, but still a lump of coal...with the 1994 remake hardly an improvement. If these two versions are all that's offered come Christmas time, may I suggest adding a little extra "nog" to your egg nog before settling in?
- gbrumburgh
- Mar 21, 2001
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Milagro en la calle 34
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime1 hour 40 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Miracle on 34th Street (1973) officially released in Canada in English?
Answer