Alright, not really but not having very much time to post during this busy season is frustrating. So, I’m playing it by ear and posting when I can.
In that light and the spirit of the season, I’ve run across this series on the 25 Greatest Christmas Films that I’ve been enjoying reading as they work their way up to #1. I don’t necessarily agree with the reviewer’s choices but that’s all part of the fun of revisiting them through the reviews and thinking about what makes them great. Or not. Today’s choice was #10 and a definite classic on any list:
Nominated for Best Best Picture of 1947, everything about Miracle On 34th Street works, but what makes it uniquely special is the on-location shooting, most especially for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade which opens the film. It was rare for a production from this era to lug cast, crew, and equipment across the country when it was so much cheaper and convenient to reproduce wherever and whatever was needed on a Southern California backlot where everything from litter to weather could be controlled. Thankfully, some studio exec was thinking outside the box and so there it is, forever encapsulated on celluloid – a big, beautiful New York City all decked out for Christmas in glorious black and white. And if that doesn’t spark your holiday spirit, well, you’re hopeless.
via Big Hollywood » Blog Archive » 25 Greatest Christmas Films: #10 — ‘Miracle on 34th Street’ (1947).