Miracle on 34th Street (1947/1994)
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (U)
D: George Seaton
20th Century Fox (William Perlberg)
US 1947
94 mins
Comedy/Fantasy
W: George Seaton [based on a story by
Valentine Davies]
DP: Charles Clarke & Lloyd Ahern
Ed: Robert Simpson
Mus: Cyril Mockridge
Maureen O'Hara (Doris Walker), John Payne (Fred Gailey),
Natalie Wood (Susan Walker), Edmund Gwenn(Kris Kringle), Gene Lockhart (Judge Henry Harper)
Seasonal classic in which a department store Santa Claus
claims that he's the real thing and is committed as a result, only for the community to rally for his release.
Parts of the film haven't dated particularly well, but
it's a sweet & charming story of Yuletide innocence which perfectly encapsulates the magical time of year.
8/10
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (PG)
D: Les Mayfield
20th Century Fox (John Hughes)
US 1994
114 mins
Comedy/Fantasy
W: George Seaton & John
Hughes [based on a story by Valentine Davies]
DP: Julio Macat
Ed: Raja Gosnell
Mus: Bruce Broughton
Elizabeth Perkins (Dorey Walker), Dylan McDermott (Bryan
Bedford), Mara Wilson (Susan Walker), Richard Attenborough (Kris Kringle), J.T. Walsh (Ed Collins)
Schmaltzy remake of the 1947 classic with some good
performances, especially from Richard Attenborough as the department store Santa Claus who claims to be the real thing.
As far as remakes go, this is very well done, but seems to
have been dipped in an extra coating of sugar in the more sentimental moments.
7/10
