Maureen O'Hara and John Payne experience the "Miracle on 34th Street"

Miracle on 34th Street (1947) is a comedy-drama directed by George Seaton and starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn. Others in the cast include Natalie Wood, Gene Lockhart, Porter Hall, Jerome Cowan, William Frawley, Theresa Harris, Jack Albertson, and in her screen debut, Thelma Ritter.

Doris Walker (O’Hara) is an executive with Macy’s Department Store in New York City. She’s also a divorced single mom raising her daughter Susan (Wood). Due to her disappointment with marriage, she’s raised Susan not to believe in fairy tales and Santa Claus.

When Doris hires a man named Kris Kringle to play Santa Claus in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, things get interesting. Kris doesn’t just play Santa Claus, he believes he is Santa Claus!

Fred Gailey, a lawyer who lives in the same apartment building as Doris and Susan. He befriended Susan in an effort to meet Doris. His plan works and he and Doris begin a relationship. Things get complicated when the two clash on whether or not Susan should be exposed to the “myth” of Santa Claus.

Kris Kringle suspects that Susan doesn’t believe in Santa Claus and he makes it his mission to make her think otherwise.

Wilk Kris be successful? And is there really a Santa Claus and is his name Kris Kringle?

Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood

George Seaton (1911 - 1979) was an American director, screenwriter, and producer. Seaton started out as an actor and played the Lone Ranger o the radio. He got a job as a contract writer at M-G-M in 1933. His first credited script was for the Marx Brothers' comedy A Day at the Races (1937). Unhappy with only working on comedies, Seaton moved to Columbia in 1940. In the early 1940s, he went to 20^th Century-Fox where he achieved his greatest success as a writer and director. At Fox, he wrote the scripts for That Night in Rio (1941), Moon Over Miami (1941), and The Song of Bernadette (1943). He made his directorial debut with Diamond Horseshoe (1945) starring Betty Grable. He wrote and directed Junior Miss (1945) starring Peggy Ann Garner. Seaton wrote and directed the classic Miracle on 34^th Street. He won an Academy Award for his screenplay. Other films directed by Seaton include Apartment for Peggy (1948), The Country Girl (1954), Teacher’s Pet (1958), The Counterfeit Traitor (1962), 36 Hours (1964), What’s So Bad About Feeling Good (1968), and Airport (1970), the biggest hit of Seaton’s career.

Maureen O’Hara (1920 - 2015) was an Irish-American actress and singer. In her native Ireland, O’Hara trained with the Abbey Theatre at age 14. She screen-tested for the role of Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn at age 19. Director Hitchcock wasn't impressed with O’Hara’s test but Laughton persuaded him to cast her. After finishing the film, O’Hara moved to Hollywood where she was signed to a contract at RKO. In 1941 she starred in How Green Was My Valley, her first collaboration with director John Ford. She starred alongside Tyrone Power in The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945) with Paul Henreid, and Sinbad the Sailor (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. That same year she starred in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street with John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a young Natalie Wood. Other popular films include The Quiet Man (1952), The Parent Trap (1961), and McLintock! (1963). 

John Payne (1912 – 1989) was an American film actor. He made his film debut in Dodsworth (1936). He had roles are various studios but found stardom at 20^th Century-Fox. At Fox, he had major roles in Tin Pan Ally (1940), Sun Valley Serenade (1941), The Dolly Sisters (1945), The Razor’s Edge (1946), and perhaps his most famous role as Fred Gayley in Miracle on 34^th Street (1947). Payne wasn’t happy with the roles he was being offered at Fox so he broke his contract which had four more years to go. As an independent freelance actor, Payne then specialized in westerns and films noir. During this period, he starred in Kansas City Confidential (1952), 99 River Street (1953), and Santa Fe Passage (1955). From 1957 to 1959, he starred as Vint Bonner in the western TV series, The Restless Gun. Payne’s final role was in an episode of Columbo in 1975.

Edmund Gwenn (1877 – 1959) was an English stage and film actor. He is best remembered for his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34^th Street (1947) for which he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Gwenn made his Hollywood film debut in Sylvia Scarlett (1935) and went on to have a long career in that town. He was a member of what was known as the British Colony—British ex-pats who were working in Hollywood. So of his other films include Pride and Prejudice (1940), Foreign Correspondent (1940), Lassie Come Home (1943), The Keys of the Kingdom (1944), Undercurrent (1946), Apartment for Peggy (1948), and Mister 880 (1950). The actor Cecil Kellaway was Gwenn’s cousin.

Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn

Miracle on 34th Street trivia

• The team at Twentieth-Century Fox filmed the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1946.
• Edmund Gwenn actually played Santa Claus in that 1946 parade!
• Both Macy's and Gimbel's gave their permission to have their names used in the movie...after they saw the completed film!
• Gwenn gained 30 pounds to play Kris.
• This as Thelma Ritter's film debut; she was soon under contract with Fox and was nominated six times for Best Supporting Actress Oscars. She never won.
• The marketers at Fox didn't promote the film as a Christmas movie and came up with a crazy trailer that doesn't mention Christmas at all. (see trailer below)
• Miracle on 34th Street was released in theaters on June 11, 1947.
• The movie grossed four times its production cost.

To watch the film on YouTube, click the link below.

To join the discussion on December 19, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and a link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. The film is an acknowledged holiday classic. Is it one of your favorites?
2. Does this film hold up in the 21st century?
3. What did you think of the relationship between Maureen O'Hara and John Payne? Did they have screen chemistry?
4. This movie put a young Natalie Wood on the map. After this performance, every studio in Hollywood wanted her in one of their movies. What did you think of her performance?
5. If you saw Edmund Gwenn, would you believe he was Santa Claus?
6. Do you have a favorite scene or piece of dialogue?

The original trailer for Miracle on 34th Street, featuring several movie stars on the Fox lot

Robert Young, Maureen O'Hara, and Clifton Webb are "Sitting Pretty"

Sitting Pretty (1948) is an American comedy directed by Walter Lang and starring Robert Young, Maureen O'Hara, and Clifton Webb. Other members of the cast include Richard Haydn, Betty Lynn, and Ed Begley.

Harry King (Young) and his wife Tacey (O'Hara) have gone through several nannies for their three boys and are desperate. So desperate in fact that Lacey hires a Lynn Belvedere (Webb) sight unseen only to find out that Lynn is a man. A man with many talents and abilities that he puts to good use in the King household. 

But is Lynn too good at his job? He may have tamed the three boys but has he won over their parents?

Clifton Webb in Sitting Pretty

Walter Lang (1896 - 1972) was an American film director who is most identified with Twentieth Century-Fox studio where he directed some of their most popular films. At Fox, he directed all their top stars including Tyrone Power, Loretta Young, Shirley Temple, Alice Faye, Betty Grable, Don Ameche, John Payne, Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, and Jeanne Crain. Some of the films Lang directed at Fox include The Little Princess (1939), Moon Over Miami (1941), State Fair (1945), Mother Wore Tights (1947), Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), With a Song in My Heart (1952), The King and I (1956), and Desk Set (1957). Lang was married to Madalynne Field who was an actress at the Mack Sennett studio. Field acted with Carole Lombard at Sennett where they became great friends and was Lombard's secretary until her marriage to Lang in 1937.

Robert Young (1907 - 1998) was an American actor. He was a radio, movie, and television actor. In spite of the fact that Young made over 100 films, he is best remembered for his starring roles in the television series Father Knows Best (1954 -1960) and Marcus Welby MD (1969 - 1976). Young was under contract with MGM early in his career. At Metro, he costarred with some of the most famous leading ladies from that studio including Katharine Hepburn, Margaret Sullavan, Joan Crawford, and Hedy Lamarr. Young received some of his best film roles once he left MGM. As a freelance artist, he starred in The Enchanted Cottage (1945), Claudia and David (1946), They Won't Believe Me (1947), and Crossfire (1947). Young's last theatrical film was Secret of the Incas (1954) co-starring Charlton Heston. Supposedly, this was the film that inspired Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Maureen O’Hara (1920 - 2015) was an Irish-American actress and singer. In her native Ireland, O’Hara trained with the Abbey Theatre at age 14. She screen-tested for the role of Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn at age 19. Director Hitchcock wasn't impressed with O’Hara’s test but Laughton persuaded him to cast her. After finishing the film, O’Hara moved to Hollywood where she was signed to a contract at RKO. In 1941 she starred in How Green Was My Valley, her first collaboration with director John Ford. She starred alongside Tyrone Power in The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945) with Paul Henreid, and Sinbad the Sailor (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. That same year she starred in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street with John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a young Natalie Wood. Other popular films include The Quiet Man (1952), The Parent Trap (1961), and McLintock! (1963).

Clifton Webb (1889 - 1966) was an American stage and film actor. Webb was a successful Broadway star and had made several silent films before he appeared in Laura (1944). As the acerbic Waldo Lydecker, Webb established himself as a character actor and eventually a leading actor in films like Cheaper by the Dozen (1950), Dreamboat (1952), and Titanic (1953). Working exclusively for Twentieth Century-Fox, Webb's last film was Satan Never Sleeps (1962) co-starring William Holden and directed by Leo McCarey.

Maureen O'Hara and Robert Young

Sitting Pretty trivia

• John Payne was set to play the role of Harry King before Robert Young was cast.
• Although third billed, Webb was nominated for Best Actor for his role as Lynn Belvedere.
• Film debut of Betty Lynn (Thelma Lou in The Andy Griffith Show).
• The movie produced two sequels all starring Clifton Webb repeating his role as Belvedere.

To watch the film on YouTube, click on the link below.

To join the discussion on June 27, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an invitation and link to join the discussion on Zoom.

Discussion questions

1. Was the premise of the film believable?
2. Sitting Pretty was one of the most popular comedies of the late-1940s. Does it hold up in 2022?
3. Clifton Webb's performance in this film earned him a Best Actor Academy Award nomination. Did he deserve it? Was his performance Oscar-worthy?
4. Were Robert Young and Maureen O'Hara believable as a married couple having trouble raising their children?
5. Did you have a favorite scene from this film?
6. Was this film like any other family comedy you've seen?

 

Walter Pidgeon and Maureen O’Hara head the cast in “How Green Was My Valley”

How Green Was My Valley (1941) was an American drama film directed by John Ford and starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O’Hara, Donald Crisp, Anna Lee, and Roddy McDowall. It is based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Richard Llewellyn. The novel was published in 1939 and 20th Century-Fox bought the film rights and had originally planned to film in color on location in Wales. Studio chief Darryl F. Zanuck had envisioned an epic like Gone with the Wind, but World War II made that impossible.

The film is told in flashback as Huw Morgan, the McDowall character, now a grown man is leaving the beloved valley home of his youth. He tells the story of a time before the coal dust from the mines hadn't blackened his village and the surrounding area and a time when his father and all his brothers worked in the coal mines. In the beginning, working in the mine was decent, honorable work that the men were proud of. Eventually, things changed and the men decide to unionize with the help and approval of the new minister Mr. Gruffydd (Pidgeon). This disturbs miner Gwilym Morgan (Crisp) and for a time alienates him from his five sons who championed the union. Angharad Morgan (O’Hara) longs for the love of Mr. Gruffydd but will his devotion to the church get in the way of their relationship?

John Ford (1894 - 1973) was an American film director who won a record four Academy Awards, more than any other director in history. He is perhaps best known for his western films, but ironically the Academy Awards he won weren’t for his classic westerns like Stagecoach (1939) and The Searchers (1956). Ford got his start in silent film, first as an actor, then as a writer-director. He directed many silent films including the epic The Iron Horse (1924). Once the sound era arrived, Ford was one of its first pioneers. He hit his stride in the 1930s with films like The Lost Patrol (1934), The Whole Town’s Talking (1935), and The Informer (1935), which brought Ford his first Academy Award for Best Director. Other popular Ford films include The Hurricane (1937), Wee Willie Winkie (1937), Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), Drums Along the Mohawk (1939), and The Grapes of Wrath (1940) the last three all starring Henry Fonda. He also had a long collaborative relationship with John Wayne. Wayne starred in many classic Ford films including She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), The Quiet Man (1952), The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962).

Maureen O’Hara and Walter Pidgeon

Walter Pidgeon (1897 - 1984) was a Canadian-American actor. During his long career, he was nominated for two Best Actor Academy Awards—Mrs. Miniver (1942) and Madame Curie (1943). Pidgeon worked on the stage before he entered films, making his Broadway debut in 1925. When he starting working in film, he starred in musicals. Once the interest in musicals declined, he began making a name for himself in dramas and comedies during the mid-1930s. His lead role in How Green Was My Valley restored his popularity. He was first paired with Greer Garson in Blossoms in the Dust (1941). They made a total of eight films together, making them one of the screen’s most popular acting teams. Some of their other films include Mrs. Miniver (1942), Mrs. Parkington (1944), Julia Misbehaves (1948), and That Forsyte Woman (1949). Pidgeon has success on his own in films like Week-End at the Waldorf (1945), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), and the science fiction classic, Forbidden Planet (1956). One of Pidgeon’s last film roles was Funny Girl (1968) where he portrayed Florenz Ziegfeld.

Maureen O’Hara (1920 - 2015) was an Irish-American actress and singer. In her native Ireland, O’Hara trained with the Abbey Theatre at age 14. She screen-tested for the role of Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn at age 19. Director Hitchcock wasn’t impressed with O’Hara’s test but Laughton persuaded him to cast her. After finishing the film, O’Hara moved to Hollywood where she was signed to contract at RKO. In 1941 she starred in How Green Was My Valley, her first collaboration with director John Ford. She starred alongside Tyrone Power in The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945) with Paul Henreid, and Sinbad the Sailor (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. That same year she starred in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street with John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a young Natalie Wood. Other popular films include The Quiet Man (1952), The Parent Trap (1961), and McLintock! (1963). 

Donald Crisp (1882 - 1974) was an English actor, producer, director, and screenwriter whose career began in the silent era into the 1960s. He played Ulysses S. Grant in D. W. Griffith’s silent epic The Birth of a Nation (1915). Crisp worked as an assistant to Griffith where he acquired the desire to be a director himself. He directed The Navigator  (1924) starring Buster Keaton and Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925) starring Douglas Fairbanks. Once the talkies arrived, Crisp devoted himself to acting in supporting roles in films like Mutiny on the Bounty (1935), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Valley of Decision (1945), and National Velvet (1944). His last film role was in Spencer’s Mountain (1963) with former film costars Henry Fonda and Maureen O’Hara.

Roddy McDowall (1928 - 1998) was a British-born American actor. He started his career as a baby model and then began appearing in films as a young child in England. When he came to Hollywood, he became an in-demand child actor where he appeared in dozens of films including My Friend Flicka (1943), Lassie Come Home (1943), The White Cliffs of Dover (1944), and Thunderhead, Son of Flicka (1945). McDowell was able to successfully transition from child actor to adult actor appearing in lead and supporting roles in films like Midnight Lace (1960), The Longest Day (1962), Cleopatra (1963), and That Darn Cat! (1965). He may be best known as Cornelius, one of the intelligent apes in The Planet of the Apes (1968), its sequels, and short-lived TV series. McDowall also served as a producer of Overboard (1987) as well as co-starring with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

How Green Was My Valley trivia

• John Ford won his third (out of a total of four) Best Director Academy Award.
• Wind machines were set up to get Maureen O’Hara’s bridal veil to blow in the wind exactly the way Ford wanted it to.
• Roddy McDowall was in the United States only two weeks before filming. He evacuated England with his mother and sister to avoid the Blitz.
• William Wyler was the original director when the film was set to film on location in Wales.
• The film beat out Citizen Kane for the Best Picture of 1941 and was nominated for a total of 10 Academy Awards; the most nominated film of the year.
• The Fox production crew turned an 80-acre plot in Brent’s Crags, CA, into a Welsh mining town when World War II prevented them from filming in Wales.

Why watch this film?

• It’s a Best Picture winner and one of John Ford’s most popular early successes in the sound era.
• The film marked Roddy McDowall’s introduction to American movie-goers.
• Marked the first Ford-directed film that Maureen O’Hara starred in.
• The film features several great character actors including Ana Lee, Sara Allgood, Patric Knowles, Barry Fitzgerald, John Loder, and Rhys Williams.
• The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture.

The Best Picture nominees for 1941

How Green Was My Valley-20the Century-Fox

Blossoms in the Dust-MGM

Citizen Kane-RKO

Here Comes Mr. Jordan-Columbia

Hold Back the Dawn-Paramount

The Little Foxes-RKO

The Maltese Falcon-Warner Bros.

One Foot in Heaven-Warner Bros.

Sergeant York-Warner Bros.

Suspicion-RKO

Interestingly, The New York Times declared Preston Sturges’s The Lady Eve the Best Picture of the Year; it wasn’t even nominated for Best Picture by the Motion Picture Academy.

To watch the film on YouTube, please click the link below.

To join the discussion on Zoom on June 14, 2021, at 6:30 p.m., click the link here. Once you RSVP, you’ll receive an invitation and links to join the discussion.

Discussion questions

1. Did you like the film narrative (flashback narration)?
2. Maureen O’Hara was only 21 when the film was released. What did you think of her performance as the only daughter of the Morgan family?
3. What did you think of the production? Was it convincing to you as a real mining town?
4. This film helped propel Walter Pidgeon to leading man status; what did you think of his performance?
5. Why do you think Huw chose to work in the mine rather than furthering in his education?

Charles Laughton and Maureen O’Hara check in at “Jamaica Inn”

Jamaica Inn (1939) is a British period adventure movie directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Charles Laughton, Maureen O’Hara, and Robert Newton. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Daphne du Maurier. The screenplay was written by long-time Hitchcock collaborators Sidney Gilliat, Joan Harrison, and Alma (Mrs. Hitchcock) Reville.

A modest inn in Cornwall is the headquarters for a gang of murderers and thieves. The gang plans a series of shipwrecks by extinguishing the warning lights along the coast. After the ships run aground, the gang kills the surviving crew and steals the cargo.  

Mary Yellan (O’Hara) goes to live with her Aunt Patience, her deceased mother’s sister, at Jamaica Inn. Immediately, Mary fears things are not quite right. She becomes acquainted with Sir Humphrey Pengallan (Laughton), the local squire who takes a shine to her and treats her kindly. As Mary becomes more and more suspicious of the goings-on at Jamaica Inn, she fears for her life and doesn’t know who to trust.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The 39 Steps (1939), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Notorious (1946), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Charles Laughton (1899 – 1962) had a long career on the stage and in Hollywood. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Henry VIII in The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933) and was nominated for two other Best Actor Oscars for his performances in Mutiny on the Bounty (1933) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). His performance in The Suspect is considered one of Laughton’s most natural screen performances, which is credited to director Siodmak, a close personal friend of the actor.

Maureen O’Hara (1920 - 2015) was an Irish-American actress and singer. In her native Ireland, O’Hara trained with the Abbey Theatre at age 14. She screen-tested for the role of Mary Yellan in Jamaica Inn at age 19. Director Hitchcock wasn't impressed with O’Hara’s test but Laughton persuaded him to cast her. After finishing the film, O’Hara moved to Hollywood where she was signed to contract at RKO. In 1941 she starred in How Green Was My Valley, her first collaboration with director John Ford. She starred alongside Tyrone Power in The Black Swan (1942), The Spanish Main (1945) with Paul Henreid, and Sinbad the Sailor (1947) with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. That same year she starred in the Christmas classic Miracle on 34th Street with John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a young Natalie Wood. Other popular films include The Quiet Man (1952), The Parent Trap (1961), and McLintock! (1963). 

Robert Newton (1905 – 1956) was a popular English actor and is probably best remembered for his role as Long John Silver in the Walt Disney version of Treasure Island (1950). His exaggerated accent in that role is credited with what we consider the “pirate voice.” Newton was a popular player in London’s West End and he also appeared on Broadway, replacing Laurence Olivier in Private Lives. He made several films in Hollywood including The Desert Rats (1953), Les Miserables (1952), Blackbeard the Pirate (1952), and The High and the Mighty (1954).

Jamaica Inn trivia:

• The first of three Hitchcock films based on the works of Daphne Du Maurier. The other two were Rebecca (1940) and The Birds (1963).
• Hitchcock did not make a cameo in the film; he made cameos in all future films.
• In interviews, Hitchcock said he was unhappy with the final results, even though the film was a big success at the box office.
• This was the last of Hitchcock’s British films.

To watch the film on YouTube click the link below.

To join the discussion of this film on April 27, 2021, at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom, click here. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email with an invitation and link to the meeting.

Why watch this film?

• It’s the last of director Alfred Hitchcock’s British films.
• It marks the movie debut of Maureen O’Hara.
• The film is considered a minor work by the director and is hardly ever screened or discussed.
• So-called second-rate Hitchcock is often better than first-rate anyone else.

Discussion questions:

1. What was your overall impression of the film?
2. If you didn't know beforehand, would you have suspected that this was a Hitchcock film?
3. What did you think of the performances of Laughton and O’Hara? Was this an impressive screen debut for the then nineteen-year-old female lead?
4. Why do you think this film is ignored when discussing Hitchcock’s films?

Maureen O’Hara and Robert Newton

Chicago Film Club Field Trip: "Miracle on 34th Street" December 20 at AMC East

Where: AMC East 21, 322 East Illinois, Chicago, IL
When: December 20, 2015
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald


Run Time: 1 hour 50 minutes (approximate)

Special Fathom Feature: Enjoy a specially produced introduction from Turner Classic Movies that will give insight into this celebrated holiday classic.

Fathom Events, Turner Classic Movies and Twentieth Century Fox will be bringing holiday cheer to the big screen with Miracle on 34th Street (1947), back in cinemas nationwide on Sunday, December 20.

Miracle on 34th Street is an irresistible fable that has, for many years, become synonymous with celebrating Christmas. The holiday season is in full swing when a cultured gentleman with twinkling eyes, an ample belly, and a snowy beard (Edmund Gwenn) is hired as Macy’s department store Santa. He claims his name is Kris Kringle, and soon fills everyone with Christmas spirit...except for his boss, Doris Walker (Maureen O’Hara), who’s raising her daughter (Natalie Wood) to not believe in Santa. But when Kringle is declared insane, and put on trial, everyone’s faith is put to the test as young and old alike face the age-old question: Do you believe in Santa Claus?

To purchase tickets in advance, click here. Tickets will also be available at the box office on the day of screening.

Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

I’ll be holding up a Meetup sign by the concessions on the top, theater, level. Let’s try and meet at 1:45 p.m.

Maureen O’Hara (Finally) Gets Her Oscar

Maureen O’Hara, the star of such classic films as The Hunchback of Notre Dame, How Green Was My Valley, Sentimental Journey, The Miracle on 34th Street, The Quiet Man, and The Parent Trap, received a special honorary Academy Award. Incredibly, O’Hara, 94, was never nominated for a competitive Oscar in a career that spanned 75 years.

From left to right: John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, and O’Hara In Miracle on 34th Street

In her acceptance speech, O’Hara paid tribute to the three men who helped her career: Charles Laughton, John Wayne, and John Ford. Laughton signed O’Hara to her first film contract and costarred with her in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jamaica Inn, and This Land Is Mine. O’Hara costarred with Wayne in five films, including Rio Grande, The Quiet Man, McClintock!, and Big Jake. Ford directed O’Hara in How Green Was My Valley, The Quiet Man, and The Long Gray Line.

If you were to award O’Hara for one of her film performances, what would it be?

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

We don't love Maureen O'Hara because she is Irish, but that doesn't hurt either!

"Miracle on 34th Street" Kicks off the Holiday Movie Season

Natalie Wood and Maureen O'Hara

Does Macy's tell Gimbels?
Miracle on 34th Street, starring Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood is a true holiday classic. Released in 1947, the movie boasts some terrific location shots of New York City during the late 1940s, including interior and exteriors of the landmark Macy's department store located near Times Square.

On Location in New York City
Twentieth Century Fox film studios actually filmed the real Macy's Day Parade to lend authenticity to the production. O'Hara and Gwenn are right in the middle of all the action along the parade route which starts at 77th St. and Central Park West to Columbus Circle (59th St.), continues up Broadway to 34th St., turning at Macy's Herald Square, and ending at Seventh Ave. The Macy's Day Parade is a New York tradition that started in 1924.

Prince Charming was a rat!
The story centers around Doris Walker (O'Hara) as a busy Macy's executive and single mother trying to raise her young daughter, Susan (Wood). O'Hara believes in always being truthful with her daughter and considers myths like Santa Claus harmful. She thinks that filling up her daughter's head with a bunch of fairy stories paints an unrealistic portrait of life and leads to disappointment and heartache in adulthood. What Doris doesn't realize is that it's her own bitterness and disappointment that is driving most of her parenting decisions.

John Payne, Wood, and Edmund Gwenn

Enter an eager, young lawyer, Fred Gailey (Payne), who challenges Susan first and then Doris to believe in something bigger than themselves. When Fred finds himself proclaiming a kind, old gentleman (Gwenn) as the one and only Santa Claus in a New York City courtroom, the city and its colorful inhabitants get swept up in the spectacle.

Honored Classic
Winner of three Academy Awards, including one for Best Writing, Screenplay (George Seaton), Best Writing, Original Story (Valentine Davies), and Best Supporting Actor (Gwenn), Miracle on 34th Street is a classic for all seasons.