Meet Mr Kringle Part Five of Five (Miracle on 34th Street-Cliff Notes Version)

Or at least, that's the name of what this teleplay was but there is no mistaking that it's the Cliff Notes version of Miracle on 34th Street. Back in the fifties, a TV was in it's infancy, networks often had trouble providing original programming for the growing medium. You know, the same problem they have these days.

It wasn't unusual to take a film teleplay and adapting it for televison which generally meant cutting enough out of the script to fit the show into an hour format (less after commercials.) It originally aired as part of the 20th Century Fox hour in 1955. In fact, this was nominated for an Emmy for best screenplay adaptation.

Theresa Wright(Mrs. Lou Geherig in Pride of the Yankees) fills in for Maureen O'Hara, Thomas Mitchell takes over for Edmund Gween, MacDonald Carey (Mr. Sands through the hour glass) takes over for John Payne and Sandy Descher takes over for Natalie Wood. If you've ever seen the movie Them!, you'll recognize Sandy as the traumatized little girl who yells THEM! And they bring it all home in just under an hour.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Merry Christmas
• Happy Holidays
• Miracle on34th Street
• Kris Kringle

[truegritwayne]

You said: Theresa Wright(Mrs. Lou Geherig in Pride of the Yankees) fills in for Maureen O'Hara. You also say: Sandy Descher takes over for Maureen O'Hara. Which one is it?

[Christmasfellow2008]

It's Natalie Wood. Just like it says in the description.

[Glinkaism1]

@truegritwayne Judge is Lt Tragg on Perry Mason. He was Ray Collins, a member of Orson Welles original theater group. Thomas Mitchell, who played the father in Gone with the Wind and Uncle Billy in It's A Wonderful Life, among many other roles.

[floritka85]

Aw. :) I like in the remake from 94' though, when Susan says she wished for a baby brother. :)

[Mavarin]

I notice that the director is Robert Stevenson - who directed Mary Poppins!

[Fiftiesflashback]

Great posting...I never knew this existed! Thanks!

[thebhoytony]

dougie dougie!!!!!!!! it`s just a "white lie"

[sillygrl23]

lol, my mom has watched this movie ever since she was a little girl and even as a adult when she sees this, she still laughs at the scene with the mailbags piling up on the Judge's desk. Its her favorite part of the movie. :).

[fromthesidelines]

"Two weeks from tonight, 'THE 20th CENTURY-FOX HOUR' will present 'Man On the Ledge', starring Cameron Mitchell, Sylvia Sidney and William Gargan. We hope you'll be watching. Good night, and Merry Christmas."

[truegritwayne]

I like the little girl in this one. Can't say the same about the judge, the prosecutor, or Kris Kringle.