|
|
Welcome to Movies & Film
Movie Reviews, & Film Industry Commentary
|
|
1947 – NR – 97 min.
Director: George Seaton
Primary Cast: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, Harry Antrim, Jerome Cowan, William Forrest, Herbert Heyes, Gene Lockhart, Thelma Ritter, Jack Albertson
Stars **** (of 5)
Popcorn ***** (of 5)
Film Type(s): Drama, Christmas, Fantasy
Synopsis: Santa Claus comes to New York to help others in this 1946 Christmas film. When the Macys’ Thanksgiving Parade Santa is fired by the Macy’s Store Supervisor Doris Walker (O’Hara) for being drunk she needs a replacement and quick. Kris Kringle (Gwenn) just happens to be on hand and becomes so much hit he is hired to be the regular store Santa for Macy’s. She soon regrets her choice when she realizes that Kris is telling shoppers to go to rival stores to get their gifts, and then confides in her that he is the real Santa Claus! Even Mr. Macy is concerned, but leaves it alone when it turns out to be a popular ‘gimmick’ to get more shoppers. Doris then needs to find a place for Kris to stay, so he ends up a roommate for lawyer neighbor Fred Gailey (Payne). Along the way Kris meets divorced Doris’ old-soul little girl Susan (Wood) and decides to teach her the meaning of Christmas and to subconsciously help Walker and Gailey together, who were admiring each other from afar. These events lead the conniving in-store Psychologist (Hall) to recommend an Asylum for Kris. Upon hearing this, Gailey defends Kris at his trial. But how will he get the State of New York to acknowledge both the existence of Santa Claus and the Kris is, in fact, him? Remade for TV in 1973 and in 1994 with Sir Richard Attenborough as Kris Kringle
Review: Based on the Valentine Davies novel, this Christmas Fable / Fantasy asks us what would we do if Santa Claus showed up in our midst. In fact, this Christmas classic has more than just strong Christian overtones; in many ways it reflects the New Testament (you think the Sanity hearing / Trial at the end was an accident?). Shot primarily in New York to capture the flavor of the area, this life affirming film capitalized on the Post-War optimism being felt at the time. Though many darker films emerged at the same time (The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Third Man, and to a lesser degree The Best Years of Our Lives), this was one of the more inspirational films going the other way. In fact, probably the only film to outshine this one from that time is Frank Capra’s Christmas classic from the previous year, It’s a Wonderful Life. As opposed to Capra, however, Seaton takes a subtler approach and deals with the psychological side of such events. He allows us as viewers to decide along the way whether or not Kris is indeed Santa Claus and not commenting on it as a filmmaker until the very last shot of the film. Gwenn’s Kris Kringle is a joy to watch, as any Santa should be. In fact, the Post-World War II audience thought so too and he received a Best Supporting Actor Oscar that year. Robertson is also fun to watch as a Judge with an Election coming up who is split on how to deal with Kris’ trial. Ritter and Albertson appear unbilled and many years before their later fame as a shocked mother and postal worker, respectively. Author Davies Adapted the screenplay from his own book. The studio didn’t want to use ‘Christmas’ in the title since it was originally released in the middle of May.
  |
| Web Design by Denver Design Web |
|
|