There are movies that are timeless for their ability to touch audiences over the generations, regardless of the time period in which they were made. These films have several things in common, including a great script, a perfect cast and a message that inspires hope and inspiration. One of these films is Miracle on 34th Street, which made its debut in theaters in 1947 and is making its high def debut on Blu-ray this month.
Film
Quite frankly, the original incarnation of Miracle on 34th Street is a wonderful film. The film has been remade several times, for both TV, the theater and even a broadway musical. However, none have had the impact of the original released in 1947 which remains a timeless Christmas classic to this day. While the film is set during the Christmas season, it was originally released to theaters in June 1947. Despite being released during the summer, the film was an instant success at the box office. It is easy to see why.
The film tells the tale of an older gentleman (Edmund Gwenn) living in a home for the aged who believes himself to by Santa Claus. He has all the markings of Santa, with a white beard and a kind and engaging, even jolly, disposition and the perfect name to boot, Kris Kringle. He comes into Manhattan on Thanksgiving for the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade and discovers that the man hired to be Santa in the parade is drunk. He brings that to the attention of one of the parade’s coordinators, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), a single mother who is an executive at Macy’s and who hires Kris to replace him in the parade as well as in the store.
He quickly becomes a hit with the crowd as well as the shoppers at Macy’s and quickly comes to the attention of Mr. Macy himself for his innovative idea of referring shoppers to Macy’s competitors such as Gimbel’s for items that Macy’s did not carry. Mr. Macy saw this as a great way to promote Macy’s during the holiday season. Kris becomes friendly with Doris’ young daughter Susan played by a very young Natalie Wood, who like her mother, is very grounded and who doesn’t believe in fairy tales or Santa Claus. However, not everyone loves Santa and Kris is provoked by the store’s psychiatrist and taps him on the forehead in anger which the psychiatrist reports to the authorities. Kris deliberately fails a competency test and faces an involuntary commitment proceeding where his friend, lawyer and boyfriend of Doris Walker Fred Gailey (John Payne) has to prove Kris actually is Santa Claus to preserve his freedom and in doing so, teaches Doris and her daughter the true meaning of Christmas.
The film is perfectly cast with Edmund Gwenn a real delight as Kris Kringle, a performance which earned him the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. It is interesting how the film frowns on the commercialization of Christmas 62 years ago, something that has only gotten worse all these years later. This is a wonderful film that is still a joy to watch, even after repeat viewings. It is witty, funny and poignant and as relevant today as it was to theater goers 62 years ago and will likely remain so for decades to come. Highly recommended.
Video
Despite the color photos on the box and the description of the back that indicates that this release contains the colorized version of the film, it does not. The film presented here is in black and white, which is how it should be IMHO. The print used for this transfer appears to be in very good shape as I really didn’t notice dirt, speckles or scratches marring the image. The film is presented in its original 4×3 aspect ratio with blacks bars on the side. The video quality is just average and not quite up to the standard set by another black and white film of similar vintage released on Blu-ray, Casablanca. This transfer of Miracle on 34th Street lacks the deep black, fine detail and clarity that made the transfer of Casablanca so special, looking a bit softer in comparison. However, I can state that the film has never looked better on any prior home video release than it does here on Blu-ray.
Audio
There is not really a lot that one can do with a mono film audio track of this vintage so I was not expecting much in the audio department and as such, was not surprised by the audio on this release. While remixed to 5.1 from mono and featuring DTS HD Master Audio, they really shouldn’t have bothered. The original mono mix is included as an option. so that you can compare the two. The real issue I had with the sound is the overall fidelity rather than the mix. The sound is thin and bright with no dynamics and precious little bass. The dialogue track is clear and easy to follow which, given the age of the film, is really about all we could have expected.
Special Features
There are several extras included with this release, none of which are in HD. An audio commentary with Maureen O’Hara is included as well as an AMC Backstory feature on the film which details the history of the film and includes interviews with some surviving cast members and/or members of their families. Also included is an old Fox Movietonenews feature on the film as well as a featurette on the history of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as well as the original theatrical trailer for the film and a photo gallery. The most interesting thing that I learned from the extras concerns the trailer which was very original in that it told audiences nothing about the actual film. The trailer mentions nothing about it even being a Christmas film. Given that the film was set to open in the summer, I can see why the studio took this approach. Other than this little tidbit, the extras here are rather pedestrian.
Final Thoughts
Miracle on 34th Street is a charming and entertaining film that retains its relevance and charm 62 years after its release. Highly recommended for a holiday viewing.
