When it comes toholiday classics, there are few films that can compete withMiracle on 34th Street. In many ways, it’s the perfect Christmas picture, encompassing the whole of the season from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and is filled with memorable characters, fantastic arcs, and just a hint of magic in an otherwise realistic world. Since its 1947 release, the movie has been remade, readapted, andeven colorized, yet, for many it’s the film’s first incarnation that remains an icon. However, then20th Century Fox’s production head, Darryl F. Zanuck, insisted on a premiere that saw the film release many months before the holidays, causing the studio to respond with a sneaky promotional campaign.
‘Miracle on 34th Street’ Is an All-Around Perfect Holiday Film
It may be hard to find a Christmas classic that checks quite as many boxes asMiracle on 34th Street. Following the story of Susan (Natalie Wood) and Doris Walker (the legendaryMaureen O’Hara), a lonely mother-daughter duo who become involved with a kindly old man, Kris (Edmund Gwenn), who may or may not beSanta Claus. While the description alone has all the makings of a warm, if not cheesy holiday flick,what makes the film work is its vague nature, mixed with its real-world setting.
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Famously,it’s never stated whether Kris actually is Santa Claus, yet the characters fight adversaries to prove in a court of law that he is indeed the mythical figure. Of course, they succeed, and all parties involved find themselves more fulfilled, finding light and love in an otherwise difficult world. In the end, it doesn’t really matter if Kris is Santa or not; he’s already brought a priceless gift into the lives of the Walkers. Keeping any sort of confirmation vague and largely keeping magic out of the story makes the film one that never actually indulges in thecheesier parts of Christmas movies, and helps keep it timeless, while also elevating the true meaning of the season. So, why wasn’t it releasedduringsaid season?
Fox Decided to Release ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ In the Spring
Per Tampa Theatre, the cunning campaign began with the film’s poster and printed media. Theimages put focus on Maureen O’Hara and John Payne, while Gwenn’s Kris was a reduced to a small, barely distinguishable background character. And if hiding Gwenn’s potentialSanta identitywasn’t enough to throw audiences off the trail, the studio was careful to erase any further Christmas references, even when it came to the film’s title.Per the book,Movie Time: A Chronology of Hollywood and the Movie Industry from its Beginnings to the PresentbyGene Brown, the studio hadcycled through quite a few titlesfor the film. Originally, the picture was going to be calledChristmas Miracle on 34th Street, but after Zanuck’s decision, the studio workshopped other yuletide-free names, which included the likes ofThe Big Heart,It’s Only Human, andMy Heart Tells Me. While these titles were certainly far more neutral as far as the holidays are concerned, the studio, of course, ended up reworking the original name, and with the gift of retrospect, it was the right decision, as it matches the subject matter much more closely.
For on-screen marketing, the studio created a star-studded trailer which featured many of their contracted stars. Thetrailer was restored by the Walt Disney Companyafter it purchased Fox. Ironically, the trailer features a fictional Fox producer who is upset by the studio’s promotion of the film and insists on accurate promotion. He then roams the lot, running into stars such asAnne BaxterandRex Harrison, all of whom love the film for its many elements. Of course, the one element that is never mentioned the film’s holiday nature. However, all that promotion must’ve worked. When the film was released that May, it was a massive hit at the box office and even won three Academy Awards out of its four nominations. But beyond awards and sneaky advertising campaigns is a true Christmas classic; one that’s legacy is far greater than its quirky release, and that continues to delight generation after generation each holiday season.
Miracle on 34th Street
Miracle on 34th Streetis available to stream on Disney+ in the U.S.Watch on Disney+
