Miracle on 34th Streetby Bill-Ciardini

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December 06, 2009: We know Miracle on 34th Street is one of the most beloved films of all time and is a true cinema treasure. It is one of those films that simply becomes a part of your life and the next generation. With so many perfectly cast players, Edmund Gwynn (who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance), John Payne, Natalie Wood and Thelma Ritter in her first film, I love it most for Maureen O'Hara. In terms of film history, she was one American cinema's great beauty's which may be why she was a bit underrated as an actress. O'Hara's red hair and green eye's were made for technicolor and her own naturally spunky nature crossed over into her film roles to the point that she was never window dressing for the male lead but always his equal partner. She was always a outstanding addition to any film she appeared in and in this wonderful little story of Christmas, I believe the O'Hara character is the heart and soul of the film even though we logically assume it is the Kris Kringle character. But the film is so expertly directed that we look at it as a nearly perfect ensemble piece. I've loved her work my entire life, obviously, and believe her to be Ireland's great gift to film. Shockingly, she was never 'Oscar'd, nor even nominated'. Here Esmeralda, in her first American film THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, is one of my favorite films of Miss O'Hara's. She was superb it the film but it had the misfortune of being released in that golden year of 1939 which was a rich, competitive year for classic performance on film. She was overlooked for major awards from HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY through THE QUIET MAN and OUR MAN IN HAVANA right up until ONLY THE LONELY. But we still have her and on several DVD'S in which now into her 90's she has gifted us with a few facinating oral history's concerning her work in MIRACLE and on the wonderful John Ford film, THE QUIET MAN. O'Hara worked for Ford five times in all and that say's alot about the actress. That brings me to her skillfully transformational role of Doris, mother to Natalie Wood's Susan character in MIRACLE on 34th STREET. To me the film seems to be centered around O'Hara going from Chistmas cynic to wide-eyed believer at the close of the film along with the daughter she has with all of the best intentions, made to see the world in black and white only with no gray tones. The journey begins with Edmund Gwynn's opening jaunt down an Avenue in NYC in which we learn right away from his first scene with the window dresser he encounters that he believes he is the real Santa Clause. We, the viewer's, like Doris are skeptical because we are adults and we are of course logical. My first viewing of the film was as a child so my opinion was that he was Santa. The film makes that very clear to the young viewer. But one of the great charms of the film is that later in adulthood it is still a joy to travel through the rich tableau of this Christmas classic and enjoy the story and wonderful characters all over agan. O'Hara's oral history of working on the film begins with the circumstances surrounding her being cast in the film and like her wonderful anecdotes on THE QUIET MAN, it was enough for me to buy the film for the third time. The first was on VHS in it's black and white version, then later the VHS colorized version and now it's better than ever on Blue Ray, with all the enhancements that provides, but mainly for the wonderful gift of Maureen O'Hara's priceless...

This review was written about the Blu-ray Subtitled / Pan & Scan / Dubbed edition.

I Also Recommend: Meet Me in St. Louis, Indiscretion, The Bishop's Wife, Scrooge, It's a Wonderful Life.

As good if not better than the original!by Anonymous

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December 12, 2006: I loved the original 34th street and didn't expect much from a "new" version. But I thoroughly enjoy this movie and watch it at least 2 or 3 times every Christmas as well as a couple of times through the year. If you-deep down in your heart-believe in the magic of Santa and Christmas, you will love this movie too.

This review was written about the DVD Special Edition / Full Frame edition.