Comment

Dec 19, 2020RoyalJellyIII rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
----Miracle on 34th Street is a beautifully written gem of a picture, with a pitch-perfect balance between cynicism and human kindness. Edmund Gwenn IS Santa Claus in his Academy Award-winning performance, and Natalie Wood belies the oft-repeated criticism of the overly-acted, under-performing "child actor," by delivering a performance that is at once as believable as it is tender.-----One performance to especially watch for: Gene Lockhart as Judge Harper; he is absolutely hilarious as a jurist of the Supreme Court of New York, worried about his reelection chances if he rules that Santa doesn't exist. William Frawley, as Harper's political guru is also especially effective. --- Miracle on 34th Street does not represent "great art" or a larger-than-life subject matter, but it does represent something far more precious: the enduring human need of faith, and the bounty one reaps from small acts of kindness.