Miracle on 34th Street was a 1947 film written and directed by George Seaton and based on a story by Valentine Davies. It stars Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, a very young Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn as the charming Kris Kringle.
The heartwarming story, about a Macy’s department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real Chris Pringle, has become a seasonal favorite in America.
Edmund Gwenn received an Academy Award for best actor in a supporting role; and Valentine Davies and George Seaton received awards for best original story, writing and screenplay.
A modern remake of the film was released in 1994 – but Rotten Tomatoes gave it only 56% on the tomatometer (vs. 96% for the original 1947 version) and 62% audience score (vs. 87% for 1947 version).
In 2009 the 1947 film was selected for preservation by the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.”