Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street is a holiday staple. A story about finding faith in the unbelievable, the film has become a timeless classic during the holidays for multiple generations since its release in 1947.
The film is full of classic Hollywood stars, from Maureen O’Hara to Natalie Wood, and has one of the best performances by an actor playing Santa Claus with Edmund Gwenn. But for all the memories people have made with this film, there are still lots of behind-the-scenes facts that have gone unnoticed.
You Can Still See The Original Window Displays
In the film, there are multiple window displays that can be seen through the front window of Macy’s department store. Though they were designed specifically for the film, these incredibly detailed dioramas stuck around to become staples at the Macy’s store.
Later, after the filming was complete, the displays were sold to the beloved New York City toy store FAO Schwarz. They remained at this spot on 5th Ave until Schwarz sold them. Eventually, the displays made their way to Marshall & Ilsley Bank of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Here they can still be seen today, displayed in the lobby of the bank.
The Approval From Macy’s And Gimbels
The entire film works around the idea that Macy’s department store hired the real-life Santa Claus. To achieve authenticity with the sets and locations, the filmmakers wanted to shoot on-site at both the Macy’s and Gimbels department stores in New York City.
The stores were hesitant at first, not wanting to immediately sign up for a filmmaking project. Before saying yes, both stores wanted to see the finished film. This meant that the filmmakers had to cut and edit the entire film, even risking the stores saying no. Luckily, the stores loved the final product and gave their approval.
More Than Just A Movie Santa
The opening of the film begins on Thanksgiving day, with Edmund Gwenn’s Santa Claus visiting New York on the day of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Since they filmed on location, this meant that the filming occurred during the actual parade in 1946.
Edmund Gwenn was made the official Santa Claus of the parade that year, riding in the sleigh at the end of the procession and addressing the crowd from the marquee of the department store. He assisted in the unveiling of the display windows and was the official Santa that year for the store.
Edmund Gwenn’s Physical Transformation
Edmund Gwenn is remembered as one of the most accurate on-screen portrayals of Santa Claus ever. For many audiences, there are few other actors who have embodied the spirit of the beloved figure of Christmas quite as well.
To achieve the physical look of the character, Gwenn committed as much as he could for the role. The scene in the movie where Natalie Wood tugs on his beard is real because he grew it himself. Not only that, but the actor also gained thirty pounds before filming to fill himself out.
The House At The End Is Real
The finale of the film finds Natalie Wood’s character, Susan, realizing that Kris Kringle fulfilled all her Christmas wishes. The house that she had so desperately wanted had been bought for her and her new family, leaving them with a storybook ending.
The house in the film was actually real, and not an assembled set at all. Located in Port Washington, New York, the house still stands today. If you were to visit it in real life, you would find it nearly identical as it looked during filming in 1946 (apart from some small cosmetic changes).
The Real Santa?
As stated, Edmund Gwenn committed as much as he could to play Santa. He grew out his facial hair, gained weight, and even played the role for thousands of children during the iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
All of this work not only pulled the wool over the eyes of audience members but the cast as well. According to her biographer, Natalie Wood believed all the way through filming that Edmund was the real Santa. It wasn’t until the wrap party that she realized he was just an actor.
Shared Stars
One of the funnier moments in the film was Kris Kringle confronting the parade Santa who got too drunk to perform. This Santa drank a bit more than needed to warm up on this cold November day in New York, serving up a ridiculously madcap performance.
This character was played by Percy Helton, who actually played a role in a later iconic Christmas film. Helton can be found hanging out with none other than Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye, appearing in Paramount’s White Christmas as the train conductor who hounds them for tickets.
Power Complications
As stated, the movie had been filmed for a good chunk at the actual Macy’s and Gimbels location in New York City. Since they had decided to film here as opposed to a constructed set, there were many issues the filmmakers faced that could have been avoided.
The amount of camera equipment, lighting, and more meant that the studio needed a ton of power that the store itself could not provide. So, the cords for the equipment often had to stretch all the way down to the basement of the store to the additional power supply.
Edmund Gwenn Almost Wasn’t Cast
It is hard to imagine anyone other than Edmund Gwenn playing the role of Kris Kringle. But, as with many leading roles, Gwenn was not the first choice for the studio. Lined up originally for the role was actor Cecil Kellaway.
Kellaway was actually a cousin to Gwenn, adding a bit of a familial connection between the two potential Santas. Eventually, Kellaway turned down the role, but he did eventually play Santa in another project, appearing in an episode of Bewitched in 1964.
Freezing Cameras
Electrical problems weren’t the only issues that the crew ran into while filming the movie. The winter that they had filmed was one of the harshest on record, with absolutely freezing temperatures. It was so cold in fact that the cameras literally froze and were unable to work.
Vaughn Mele, a woman who lived nearby the filming, allowed the crew to come into her home to keep warm. Maureen O’Hara, grateful to the woman for her hospitality, took Mele and her husband out for a fancy dinner as a gift.
