Hello and welcome back! I'm sure you all have noticed that I relate certain movies to certain times of the year or holidays, and how I have my traditions of watching them at these times. I have another of my traditions to share with you on this stroll. We need to hurry on over to 34th street, it's busy there this time of year....
At my house if the turkey's been eaten, there is only one thing left to do on Thanksgiving and that is gather around the television and watch "Miracle on 34th Street". I don't mean the 1994 version either. I mean the original and still the best one from 1947. It's not only a wonderful film it's the perfect transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
"Faith is believing in things that common sense tells you not to" … that was good advice when this movie was made in 1947 and it's even better advice in today's cynicism-drenched society.
At the Macy's Department Store Thanksgiving Day parade, the actor playing Santa is discovered to be drunk by a whiskered old man. Doris Walker, the no nonsense special events director, persuades the old man to take his place. The old man proves to be a sensation and is quickly recruited to be the store Santa at the main Macy's outlet. While he is successful, Ms. Walker learns that he calls himself Kris Kringle and he claims to be the actual Santa Claus. Despite reassurances by Kringle's doctor that he is harmless, Doris still has misgivings, especially when she has cynically trained herself, and especially her daughter, Susan, to reject all notions of belief and fantasy. Susan herself decides to put "Santa Claus" to the test by asking him for her dream house, one she can live in with her mother.
And yet, people, especially Susan, begin to notice there is something special about Kris and his determination to advance the true spirit of Christmas amidst the rampant commercialism around him and succeeding in improbable ways. When a raucous conflict with the store's cruelly incompetent psychologist erupts, Kris finds himself held at Bellevue where, in despair, he deliberates fails a mental examination to ensure his commitment.
All seems lost until Doris' friend, Fred Gaily, reassure Kris of his worth and agrees to represent him in the fight to secure his release. To achieve that, Fred arranges a formal hearing in which he argues that Kris is sane because he is in fact Santa Claus. What ensues is a bizarre hearing in which people's beliefs are reexamined and put to the test, but even so, it's going to take a miracle for Kris to win.
That night, Doris and Susan write Kris a note to cheer him up. A postal worker, seeing the courthouse address, then decides to send all the letters addressed to Santa to the courthouse. On Christmas Eve, Fred uses the bags of mail as official proof from the U.S. government that Santa exists, and the judge happily dismisses the case. On Christmas, Susan, Doris and Fred celebrate with Kris at the Brook's Home. Kris presents Pierce with an X-ray machine purchased with a bonus from Macy's, but Susan is so disappointed that she did not get her wish that she announces her disbelief in Santa. Doris, who has fallen in love with Fred, then explains that it is important to believe in something even if common sense says otherwise. After the party, Fred drives Doris and Susan home, following directions from Kris. To Susan's delight, they drive right past her dream house, which is for sale, and she rushes out of the car into the vacant house. Susan's excitement prompts Fred to propose to Doris, and when she accepts, he notices Kris's cane leaning against the wall.
That simple cane leaning on the wall will always be symbolic and holds a place in my memories of this great movie. Make sure to make your own memories over the holidays or . . . . .
Until next time!!