Miracle on 34th Street (1973)

I watched this when it first came on TV 35 years ago Dec.14,1973. I liked this one better than the 1947 and 1994 versions. Although,the 1947 and 1994 ones are on DVD and get the most advertised. This 1973 made for TV one is the one I grew up with as an 11 yr. old kid in the 70's.When at Christmas,kids wanted things like bicycles,roller skates, sleds,footballs,GI Joes,Barbie dolls,and the board games at that time. And before there were Ipods,there was the view master.This one stars Sebastian Cabot(Mr.French of Family Affair and Winston Essex of the Ghost Story series)as a man claiming to be Santa Claus. But Macy's store workers Karen Walker(Jane Alexander)and Dr.Sawyer(Roddy McDowall)have a hard time believing that but Karen's daughter Susan(Suzanne Walker(whatever came of her?)believes him. David Hartman(The Bold Ones:The New Doctors and Lucas Tanner)(the icon of 70's TV) plays Bill Schaffaer the lawyer who helps Kris Kringle prove who he is.This movie also stars Jim Backus(I Married Joan and Thurston Howell III of Gilligan's Island)as Horace Shellhammer. I liked it when Susan called him "Horace Belljammer". Conrad Janis(Mork and Mindy),Tom Bosley(Mr.C of Happy Days),and David Doyle(Bosley of Charlie's Angels)This movie should also set the record straight of a rumor that was going around of Tom Bosley and David Doyle being the same person. There is a scene were you see both actors together at an angle. So that rumor is false.I got this movie taped and watch it every Christmas because it reminds me of the Christmases I grew up with in the 70's.In my opinion,the best version.

I watched this last night on television for the first time (I did not see it when it came out in 1973). It sticks to the basics of the story: a jolly, fat old man named Kris Kringle (now Sebastian Cabot) is hired by Karen Walker (now Jane Alexander) to replace a drunken Santa Clause at the Thanksgiving Day Parade that Macy's throws. Kringle proves such a wonderful Santa that Mr. Macy (David Doyle) hires him for the season. He soon becomes a fixture in the Department Store by his fresh honesty that brings in customers. He also becomes a fixture in the lives of Karen and her daughter Susan (Susan Davidson) and her neighbor Bill Schaffner (David Hartman), encouraging Susan to rid herself of the mother-imposed controls on her imagination and childhood spirit, and encouraging Bill and Karen to get together. The fly in the ointment is the skeptical reaction of Dr. Henry Sawyer (Roddy MacDonald here) who is certain that Kris must be a mental case, as he openly claims he is Santa Clause. Eventually all is led to an insanity hearing before a politically active Judge (here Tom Bosley) with the prosecution led by the District Attorney (James Gregory here). The results are the same as in the original film.Familiarity supposedly breeds contempt, but here it was accepted that the audience knew the story (most audiences are aware of all the best stories connected to Christmas that have been made into films). The results is the film is still good, even if some of the edge and drive of the 1947 version are lost. For example, a definite highpoint of the original was William Frawley's funny speech of warning to Judge Gene Lockhart to be extremely careful about handling the insanity hearing. Frawley looked and spoke like the old time political pro he is supposed to be, and delivers the speech with a chirping little smile that the audience appreciates and cheers on. That speech has been dropped here, and while Jason Wingreen (best recalled as "Harry" the bartender on ALL IN THE FAMILY and ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE) is fine he has no really good replacement speech. Certain characters seem wasted. Karen's assistant is played by Jim Backus, but he is never given any really memorable bit of business his comic and acting abilities deserve. The hearing is a closed one, and it lacks the noise and publicity the original film gave (which added to the pressures on Lockhart and the D.A. in that film, Jerome Cowan). Roland Winters is in this film as Mr. Gimble, and has one good scene besting his rival for publicity. But the character also ended up in the 1947 version testifying (as does Mr. Macy) at the hearing.The biggest change (and a flawed one) is Dr. Sawyer. In the original it was Porter Hall, who really had no right to call himself a doctor, as he was not a real therapist (he just fell into the job at Macy's). He is a spiteful, despicable little worm, who eventually finds that his own actions get out of hand and ruin him. Here MacDowell is shading the character a bit. He actually is a psychiatrist, and he does believe that Cabot is off the wall, but he is also angry at Cabot's contempt for him and humiliating him in public. Something could have been rewritten to allow him to come around to seeing Cabot was right (if rewriting was part of the plans of the production). Still for all these changes or deletions, as I said the film holds up well, and the cast gives it their all. So as far as remakes go it is a good one, and worth watching.

With all of the comments about this version not being the original acknowledged, this one is still my favorite version of the story.Maybe its because I grew up with David Hartman on Good Morning America and in all those sappy commercials....or maybe its because I have always been a fan of Sebastian Cabot.Regardless, the update did a good job of bringing the story into the '70s and, even 30 years later, I find it comforting on the very rare occasion that it is shown during the Christmas season....Sebastian Cabot is fine throughout, and the updated setting, while not outshining the original, at least makes us feel like we could have been there.So, I wouldn't place it in my "top 10" list of movies, or even consider it any kind of competition with the original.But it does have its own, somewhat subdued, charm, and its always a pleasure to see Cabot in one of his later roles.

OK, this version was kind of lost in the shuffle when the 1994 (gasp, another one!) remake made its way to cable TV. So now these days you have your choice of the original 1947 B&W version with Maureen O'Hara or the 1994 remake with cute little Mara Wilson (Mrs. Doubtfire). What about the 1973 version?? Isn't that good enough to show on TV??? I grew up watching the 1973 version on Thanksgiving in the 1970s. The cast was definitely all-star. Sebastian Cabot (Mr. French on "Family Affair") was excellent as Kris Kringle. Jane Alexander was great as Karen Walker, the single mom, and David Hartman (former host of Good Morning America)was so-so of an actor as the attorney. Tom Bosley (Mr. Cunningham on "Happy Days") and David Doyle (Bosley on "Charlie's Angels") were both pretty good. This was kind of like a 1970s updated version of the 1947 movie.