Miracle on 34th Street (1959 TV Movie) User Reviews

Lost...and found

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 13 December 2023]

"Miracle on 34th Street" is one of the very best Christmas movies ever made. Yet, despite being practically perfect in every way, there have been at least four remakes...three made for TV and one for theaters. To me, this is like trying to remake the Mona Lisa or the Venus de Milo...why bother when the original is so perfect?!

Apparently, this version of the story was played LIVE and in color. Many TV shows were live in the 50s...and you can tell in this one when Ed Wynn flubs his lines in Dutch. While there is no color copy, a black & white copy was recently discovered. This is one of the wonderful things about the internet...as thousands and thousands of supposedly lost TV shows and movies have been recently discovered because collectors all over the globe have been able to share their finds. In this case, YouTube has a copy you can watch for free.

As for the film, it's good...though it's much shorter since it was made for a one hour time slot. Because of this, it feels sped up and many of the lovely touches from the original film are missing. Still, it's not bad at all...just not as perfect as the 1947 movie.

My feeling is that for the average person, this 1959 version is not necessary to watch. But for the curious and unusual viewer, it's a nice little film.

Not bad-available on YouTube

[delmothesaint · 6/10 · 28 December 2022]

Found out about this version on Facebook. A b/w kinescope is available on YouTube. Gave it a watch as I had re-watched the 1947 version on Christmas Eve. It sticks pretty close to the original, except for the ending. I wonder if a color version still exists? Ed Wynn is a little too goofy for my tastes to play Santa Claus. You never see the parade as this is done live for television so no real way to recreate a parade indoors. Of course, they could've aired footage of the parade on a tv within the show. That might've worked. Just a thought. One shouldn't have to pad a review in order for it to be viable.

The 1959 version IS now accessible

[gnas_qcb · 7/10 · 5 September 2023]

The 1959 version IS now accessible for everyone.

This is the third version of Miracle on 34th Street.

Someone here wanted the link. I can't post it due to regulations, but it is now available on Youtube since december 2022. A certain Brian Lynch had the brillant idea to made it accessible to everyone. Thank you !

It is a rare version of the original Miracle on 34th Street.

I love rare movies / rare copies like every afficionado.

The movie is not that good, neither that bad, and the original is evidently much better.

But the case that it is rare just attracts me so much.

And I am very happy I saw it.

This Isn't the 1955 one

[mrchrimboyt · 10/10 · 6 December 2021]

Looks like people are confusing this one with the 1955 TV Movie.

I would love to see this version but I don't think anyone has converted the kinescope copy and posted it online.

If anyone knows where to find this version pls post a review.

LOOKING FOR THE 1959 VERSION

[Pete-Claus · 10/10 · 3 January 2021]

The version on Tubi is:

(1955) · 45 min

If anyone knows where to find the 1959 version, PLEASE POST A REVIEW HERE WITH THE INFO.

I'd love to see how Ed Wynn handles the role.

Thanks!

Picture does not match with information

[unicorns1972 · 3 December 2020]

I just found and watched this movie (the one that corresponds to the picture, not the info given), on a ROKU app. I tried to find it here because I recognized one of the actor's voices (Hans Conried-voice of Captain Hook in Disney's original Peter Pan). I was disappointed to not find the version I watched credited here. The picture is for the 1955 20th Century-Fox Hour TV movie, not the 1959 version.

Warning about the TUBI version

[swmwshrk · 8/10 · 18 December 2020]

I forgot to bring my DVD of this wonderful holiday favorite to my familys thanksgiving. Its a tradition we watch this after the parade. I found that Tubi had it.

Their version is 45 minutes. It is horribly cut and speed up. The actors voices sound more like The Chipmonks than people. I will never live down the humiliation of subjecting my family to this butchered version of our favorite holiday movie.

All information about this movie is wrong

[kcputts · 3/10 · 2 December 2020]

All actors are different even Santa Claus. Wrong year too! 1955 Is on Tubi app.

Good, but too short.

[cinephile-27690 · 9/10 · 29 April 2019]

This takes a 97 minute movie and squeezes it down to 45 minutes. That's the problem. It tries to condense a classic movie for the sake of a 1 hour TV show.

While is this is entertaining, it begs the question: Why a 1 hour version of a classic movie? Would you do a 1 hour:

*Citizen Kane?

*2001: A Space Odyssey?

*It's A Wonderful Life?

*The Godfather?

*The Sound of Music?

Probably not! This is a good adaptation of Miracle, but not the best-for that very reason.

PS, Alfred from the original 1947 classic is NOT in this adaptation.

Macy's propaganda

[angel_44 · 3/10 · 16 December 2020]

This film was a blatant 45 minute Macy's advertisement. Ok to play in the background, but this is no classic, sorry.

Who really played Kris Kringle

[beebldr · 3/10 · 1 December 2020]

Thomas Mitchell looks like the person that played Santa, not Ed Wynn.