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Canby Connection • december 2013
Page 13
Continued from page 11
So the studio began scrambling to promote it while
keeping the fact that it was a Christmas movie a secret.
Maureen O'Hara was ultimately forced into her
role against her will, as she had just returned to Ireland
before being called back to America for the film.
However, she immediately changed her sentiments
upon reading the script.
There are 21 mail bags carried into the courtroom
at the end of Kris's hearing.
Natalie Wood was eight years old when she made
this film.
20th Century-Fox studio head Darryl F. Zanuck
was very much against making this film because he
thought it too corny to succeed. He finally agreed to a
medium-sized budget provided writer/director George
Seaton would accept his next three assignments
unconditionally. Seaton, who desperately wanted to get
the picture made, agreed.
When Dr. Pierce explains Kris' belief that he is
Santa Claus, he offers for comparative purposes a
Hollywood restaurant owner who believes himself to be
a Russian prince despite evidence to the contrary, but
rather conveniently fails to recall the man's name. This
was a reference to Michael Romanoff, owner of
Romanoff's in Hollywood, a popular hangout for movie
stars at the time.
Ranked #9 on the American Film Institute's 100
Most Inspiring Movies of All Time.
The scenes of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day
Parade are of the actual parade held in 1946. As such,
careful preparation was necessary for the shots as
retakes were obviously out of the question. 20th
Century-Fox had cameras positioned along the parade
route at the starting line at 77th Street, on Central Park
West, on the 3rd floor of an apartment building at 253
West 58th Street, in Herald Square and on 34th Street at
7th Avenue.
Cinematographer Charles G. Clarke was taken off
the picture and sent to Mexico to finish principal pho-
tography on the troubled production of Captain from
Castile. Lloyd Ahern replaced him.
According to Hedda Hopper's "Looking at
Hollywood" newspaper column of May 3, 1947 "when
the picture opens at the Roxy, Macy's will close for half
a day so it's 12,000 employees can see the first show-
ing."
Both the actual Macy's and Gimbel's department
stores were approached by the producers for permis-
sion to have them depicted in the film. Both stores
wanted to see the finished film first before they gave
approval. If either store had refused, the film would
have had to have been extensively edited and reshot to
eliminate the references. Fortunately at the test view-
ing, both businesses were pleased with the film and
gave their permission.
The scenes at Macy's were shot on location at the
main New York store on 34th Street itself. Shooting was
complicated by the fact that the crew's power needs
exceeded the store's electricity capacity and required
additional power
sources arranged in
the store's base-
ment.
The Dutch girl
spoke true Dutch,
but with a heavy
American accent.
The role of Kris
was originally
offered to Cecil
Kellaway, who turned
it down. The role
went to Edmund
Gwenn, Kellaway's
cousin. Cecil
Kellaway did play
Santa in the
Bewitched script A
Vision of Sugar
Plums, which fea-
tured child star Bill
Mumy.
"Lux Radio
Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the
movie on December 22, 1947 with Maureen O'Hara,
Edmund Gwenn, John Payne and Natalie Wood repris-
ing their film roles.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio
adaptation of the movie on December 20, 1948 with
John Payne, Maureen O'Hara and Edmund Gwenn again
reprising their film roles.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio
adaptation of the movie on December 21, 1954 with
Edmund Gwenn again reprising his film role.
Received a 'B' rating (morally objectionable in
part) from the highly influential Legion of Decency
because Maureen O'Hara played a divorcée.
Continued on page 14
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ fun facts....continued
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