Comedy
Drama
Family
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.
Directors
Maureen O'Hara
Doris Walker
John Payne
Fred Gailey
Edmund Gwenn
Kris Kringle
Natalie Wood
Susan Walker
Porter Hall
Granville Sawyer
Philip Tonge
Julian Shellhammer
Alvin Greenman
Alfred (uncredited)
Harry Antrim
R.H. Macy (uncredited)
James Seay
Dr. Pierce (uncredited)
Jerome Cowan
Thomas Mara
Gene Lockhart
Judge Henry X. Harper
William Frawley
Charlie Halloran
Lela Bliss
Mrs. Shellhammer (uncredited)
Jack Albertson
Postal Sorter Al (uncredited)
Sam Bagley
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Arline Bletcher
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Walden Boyle
Judge's Clerk (uncredited)
Dorothy Christy
Secretary (uncredited)
Directors
User reviews2
Review
Featured review
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.
Geronimo196703 Dec, 2022
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Budget
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