‘Miracle on 34th Street’: The Surprising Number of Remakes of The 1947 Christmas Classic
For many film buffs, the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street is their go-to holiday film. Subsequently, the movie depicts the best and worst of humanity and is essential viewing during the Christmas season. Altogether, the original film has spawned four remakes. However, they’ve all stayed true to the original script.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947)
The film’s original plot follows Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), a worker at Macy’s Department Store in New York City. However, Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) realizes the man who will play Santa Claus is drunk. Later, he tells Doris, and she hires Kris to be the Macy’s store Santa Claus.
Her divorce disillusions Doris and her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood). However, their neighbor, lawyer Fred Gaily (John Payne), is surprised Susan doesn’t believe in Santa Claus.
When Susan meets Kris, she believes he’s Santa Claus. Fred believes Kris and clashes with Doris. When Macy’s store psychiatrist challenges Kris’s sanity, Dr. Sawyer (Porter Hall), the sanity hearing comes to trial. His validity as Kris Kringle is determined after bags of letters addressed to Santa Claus are presented as evidence.
‘The 20th Century Fox Hour’ (1955)
The 20th Century Fox Hour (Hour of Stars) was an anthology series aired on CBS. The series was a mix of newly written dramas and condensed versions of some of Fox’s most popular big-screen hits.
In the first retelling of Miracle on 34th Street, Thomas Mitchel stars as Kris Kringle. Teresa Wright plays Doris Walker, and MacDonald Carey is Fred Gaily.
Sandy Descher plays Susan Walker, Hans Conried aws Mr. Shellhammer, Ray Collins plays the Judge, John Abbott plays Dr. Sawyer, and Dick Foran portrays the district attorney.
Much of the script is similar to the original film. However, the 45-minute run time led to some condensing of plot points.
‘NBC Friday Night Special Presentation’ (1959)
The NBC Friday Night Special Presentation was a live performance of the classic Christmas film Miracle on 34th Street. This 1959 version notably starred Ed Wynn as Kris Kringle.
Supporting Wynn were Mary Healy as Doris Walker, Peter Lind Hayes as Fred Gaily, Susan Gordon as Susan Walker, and Orson Bean as Dr. Sawyer. Airing on Nov. 27, 1959, this version was filmed live and in color.
This live television production was thought to have been lost for many years. Reportedly, a print of the original film remains at the Library of Congress.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ TV special (1973)
This 90-minute television film, Miracle on 34th Street, aired on CBS in 1973. But this version follows the same storyline as the original 1947 film.
The cast included Sebastian Cabot as Kris Kringle, Jane Alexander as Karen Walker, and David Hartman as Bill Schaffner. Also cast were Suzanne Davidson as Susan Walker, Roddy McDowall as Dr. Sawyer, Jim Backus as Shellhammer, and Tom Bosley as the Judge.
Per Good Housekeeping, Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner were asked if they’d be interested in having their daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, star in the 1973 TV remake. Subsequently, she would have played the same role her mother did in the film’s 1947 version.
However, Wood put her foot down. Furthermore, Wagner declined the offer because Wood didn’t want her children to start acting at a young age.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1994)
For some film fans, the 1994 version of Miracle on 34th Street is a generational classic. According to the film’s star, Mara Wilson, this remake was made in response to the success of the John Hughes film Home Alone.
To The Guardian, Wilson said, “John Hughes was assigned to write the script of the Miracle remake. Ultimately, the part of Susan, played by Natalie Wood in the original, was rewritten as a boy named Jonathan.”
However, “Within a few weeks, the producers had changed Jonathan back to Susan. I had the part,” she explained.
This version starred Wilson, Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle, Elizabeth Perkins as Dorey Walker, and Dylan McDermott as Bryan Bedford. Consequently, it differed from other versions as it could not call the store Macy’s. However, while Macy’s department store approved using their name in every different film version, the store name was Cole’s in 1994.
The original Miracle on 34th Street film version celebrates its 77th anniversary in 2023.
