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20th Century Fox
Not part of a collection.
Capture the spirit of Christmas with this timeless classic!
Kris Kringle, seemingly the embodiment of Santa Claus, is asked to portray the jolly old fellow at Macy's following his performance in the Thanksgiving Day parade. His portrayal is so complete that many begin to question if he truly is Santa Claus, while others question his sanity.
CinemaSerf
Dec 3, 2022 · via TMDB
I suppose if anyone was ever to play the definitive Santa Claus, then it would have had to be Edmund Gwenn. The glint in his eye, the smile and the avuncular look all lends itself so very well to this tale of the Christmas nay-sayers! Set in the toy department of the legendary Macy's toy store in New York, we meet this character who steps in to help out at the city's famous parade after their existing "Santa" gets a bit too inebriated. An instant success with the crowd, he is hired to run the shop's grotto and soon sales are going through the roof. It turns out that he is none too loyal though, and when news reaches his bosses that he is advising the parents where better deals on their gifts can be obtained, things look a bit precarious - or has he hit on the ultimate PR idea! Success never comes alone and resentful of his success certain people engineer an altercation in which our "Kris Kringle" ends up in court. Insisting before learned judge "Harper" (Gene Lockhart) that he is really from the North Pole, what now ensues is a comical, sprightly-written, court-room drama that requires the prosecutor "Mara" (Jerome Cowan) to prove, conclusively, that - well... It is interesting that the posters gave top billing to Maureen O'Hara and to John Payne as neither character are really necessary as the story builds up into the ultimate test of what we believe - or, what we choose to believe. Gwenn is in his element and this is just one of those films that I think it's impossible not to like - at least once a year.
Peter McGinn
Dec 26, 2021 · via TMDB
This is one of the classic holiday pics I will watch every year if it is available to me (Oh no; he said “holiday” instead of Christmas. Blasphemy!) So I will neither pick it apart nor praise it to the heavens. The story writing is strong and the ensemble cast do a good job. The fact that it has been redone so many times speaks for itself. I won’t even try to compare it to the other versions. Instead, as I read in the Pearls Before Swine comic strip, “The floot-floot did a boom-boom on the jim-jam.” (Another way of saying “It is what it is.”)
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Maureen O'Hara
Doris Walker
John Payne
Fred Gailey
Edmund Gwenn
Kris Kringle
Gene Lockhart
Judge Harper
Natalie Wood
Susan Walker
Porter Hall
Granville Sawyer
William Frawley
Charlie Halloran
Jerome Cowan
Thomas Mara
Philip Tonge
Julian Shellhammer
James Seay
Dr. Pierce (uncredited)
Harry Antrim
R.H. Macy (uncredited)
Lela Bliss
Mrs. Shellhammer (uncredited)
Jack Albertson
Al (uncredited)
William Forrest
Dr. Rogers (uncredited)
Theresa Harris
Cleo (uncredited)
Robert Hyatt
Tommy Mara Jr. (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy
Secretary (uncredited)
Dick Cogan
Department Store Head (uncredited)
Jeff Corey
Reporter (uncredited)
Jack Gargan
Chauffeur (uncredited)
Jane Green
Mrs. Harper (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes
Mr. Gimbel (uncredited)
Robert Gist
Window Dresser (uncredited)
Percy Helton
Intoxicated Santa (uncredited)
Marlene Lyden
Dutch Girl (uncredited)
Lorin Raker
Macy's Salesman (uncredited)
Thelma Ritter
Peter's Mother (uncredited)
Mae Marsh
Woman in Santa Line (uncredited)
Guy Thomajan
Lou (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey
Patient (uncredited)
Clark Howat
Patron in Macy's Lunchroom (uncredited)
Robert Karnes
Bellevue Intern #2 (uncredited)
Richard Irving
Reporter (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre
Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
Bob Reeves
Court Officer Bearing Mail (uncredited)
Ray Spiker
Court Officer Bearing Mail (uncredited)
Harry 'Snub' Pollard
Final Court Officer Bearing Mail (uncredited)
Clyde McLeod
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Charles Meakin
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Richard Neill
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Charles G. Clarke
Director of Photography
George Seaton
Director
Alfred Newman
Music Director
George Seaton
Screenplay
Valentine Davies
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Versus
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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF
1978
Saddle Leather Law
1944
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
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