Types Of Actors In Miracle On 34th Street (1947)

Edmund Gwenn who plays Kris Kringle (Santa Clause) in Miracle On 34^th Street (1947) would fall into the category of an impersonator actor.  Gwenn does not create new character in this movie, instead he portrays a character that children everywhere grew up believing in. When we think of Santa Clause we think of a wise old man who sees all and knows all, who can make any wish come true and has a kind and gentle face and personality.  Gwenn impersonates this perfectly.  His physical appearance helps to create the perfect package.  His beard is real and he does not need the padding that often times makes the stomach look fake.  He pulls off the personality and look of Santa Clause in this film.

 

Maureen O’Hara, who played Doris Walker, would also be considered a personality actor.  After reading her biography on imdb.com it is clear that she was a strong willed woman and she often played them.  She had a reputation of playing “proud, strong-willing and temperamental Irish Lasses” (imdb.com).  Although it Miracle on 34^th Street is does not seem that she is Irish, she is very strong willed and sure that her believes of teacher her daughter nothing but the reality of things is the only way to do things.  While she plays these strong willed characters she also has a legacy of being “strong and courageous” (imdb.com).  Her personality clearly comes through in her acting.

The actor I would like to focus on is William Frawley as Charlie Halloran.  Though William Frawley has a small part I believe he would be categorized as a personality actor.  If you have ever seen I Love Lucy and paid attention to his mannerisms you will notice the similarities between the two characters.  In Miracle On 34^th Street and I Love Lucy he is very well spoken, intelligent and has a tendency to speak softly when giving advice or speaking of a plan.  He does this both then he is talking to the Judge in the film about how to handle being the man presiding over Kris Kringle’s trial and in I Love Lucy whenever he helps Lucy or Ricky plan a silly trick on the other one.  I think that no matter what film or TV show William had a part in his mannerisms and personality came out a little bit.

 

References

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000058/?ref_=tt_ov_st

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105×9625972

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0350324/

http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/maureen-ohara/

Sound Effects In Movies

Simply put dialogue is two or more actors or actresses speaking to each other (Goodykoontz & Jacobs, 2011).  The use of dialogue in today’s films makes it easier to follow what the true story of the movie is.  Without dialogue we are left wondering what the writer actually wanted us to get from the film.  In Miracle On 34^th Street dialogue is used to tell us the story of a Christmas fantasy we all probably had at one point in time, Santa Clause.  Without dialogue it is possible that we could think this was about a normal man who never once thought he was Santa Clause and was just helping out Macy’s for Christmas.  We could run through hundreds of different situations that could work with the different scenes simply because it lacks dialogue. 

Sound effects are used to emphasize or express the noises we would hear during a particular scene.  I think a perfect example of a sound effect in Miracle On 34^th Street is in the beginning when Kris Kringle is walking through the parade and he finds the drunk Santa.  He is lying on the float ringing his bells singing Jingle Bells.  If he was laying there simply singing the song without the bells it would not have the same effect.

Music has been used in films for a long time.  It was key for music to be played at specific times to show the emotion, severity or warmheartedness of a scene.   In Miracle On 34^th Street one of my favorite pieces of music played is at the end when Susan sees the house she wanted and screams for the car to stop.  The music in the background had a frantic tempo but the melodic tone was happy.  It helped us to see the concern that Doris and Fred had while showing how excited and happy Susan was.

I believe that the dialogue, sound effects and music were very effective in presenting us with a realistic film.  If we were to remove sound effects from this film I think that Christmas aspect would be a little lost and the film would probably be boring.   

References

Arcuri, L. F. (10-30-2009). The Miracle on 34^th Street house today {Photograph}. Retrieved from http://forum1.aimoo.com/theyulelog/HOLIDAY-MOVIES/The-Miracle-on-34th-Street-house-today-1-1652546.html

Gatti, A (2013, December 21). Christmas Movie Blogathon: Miracle on 34^th Street {Weblog post}. Retrieved from http://www.classicmoviehub.com/blog/christmas-movie-blogathon-miracle-on-34th-street/

 

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

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Miracle On 34th Street – Lighting

It incredible what the slightest change in lighting can do to a films mood.  High-key lighting is used in more light hearted movies such as comedies and in happier scenes (Goodykoontz&Jacobs, 2011).  To me it gives off the appearance that things are easy going and even if there is some kind of conflict that needs resolution, the resolution will come and we will have fun with it along the way. 

Miracle on 34^th Street uses high-key lighting throughout the movie to help show an overall happy tone in the film.  In the below scene you see Susan Walker meeting Kris Kringle for the first time.  Although Susan does not believe in him the use of high-key lighting helps to show us that even with skepticism this is a happy moment.  

 In the scene below I believe high-key lighting is very necessary for the over all look of the scene.  Susan sits inside and watches the parade from Fred Gailey’s apartment window.  The high-key lighting brightens what could be a low lit room and gives the feel of a bright Winters day.  

 

I think that low-key lighting was used it could give the movie a more serious under tone that is not fitting.  Sure there are moments where things look grim for Kris Kringle, however the high-key lighting gives us hope.  It is almost like saying to yourself, well if the movie is still bright and lively good events must be coming.  

 

 References

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. 
This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

Images retrieved from:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miracle On 24th Street

 

Writers:

Written for the screen by: George Seaton

Story by: Valentine Davies

Director: George Seaton

Major Actors: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, Natalie Wood, Gene Lockhart

Release Date: May 2^nd 1947

Miracle On 34^th Street is the story of hope, believe and holiday spirit.  It takes us on the journey of little Susan Walker and her mother Doris Walker.  Doris does not believe in teacher her daughter about make believe fairy tales and pretend because in the end it will only hurt or damage her.   This seems to be based on a past we are not sure of with Susan’s father.  Then here come Kris Kringle, a nice old man who truly believes he is Santa Clause.  He is hired last minute to play Santa Clause in the Macy’s Day Parade and at the store.  When he discovers how skeptical Susan and her mother are he is determined to win over Susan and her mother with the help of Fred Gailey, the neighbor who has taken a special liking to Doris and her daughter.  If he can win them over and make them believe Santa is real then there is hope for everyone.  Just as Doris and Susan are starting to break down, Kris Kringle is fired and admitted to a mental instituted, waiting to stand trial for mental competency.  Of course Mr. Gailey represents him and it seems all is lost when the judge demands he provide credible proof that Kris Kringle is the one and only Santa Clause.  The last day of court is here and closing arguments are being made when in walks a postal worker.  Though we cannot hear the conversation it seems as though he is telling Mr. Gailey that there are bags of mail in the hall for Kris.  Mr. Gailey leaves and returns to tell the judge that the Postal Service, which is a Government Authority has delivered mail addressed to Santa Clause to Kris Kringle.  Demanding to see ALL the evidence, what seems like thousands of letters are dumped in the judge’s lap.  It is then that Kris Kringle is declared without a doubt the one and only Santa Clause.  The movie ends with a Christmas party where little Susan is very upset she did not get the beautiful house she said Kris would get here if he was really Santa.  Susan, Doris and Fred leave the party taking a different way home that Santa had suggested.  Suddenly Susan screams to stop and jumps out of the car.  She runs into an empty house and proclaims that this is the house Santa promised her.  After much debate Fred sees Kris’s walking cane in the corner and it is then that they realize that maybe, just maybe, winning in court wasn’t just a nice thing to do for a nice old man who thinks he is Santa, that perhaps he really is Santa.

 

This movie is presented in chronological order.  Shooting the film this way helps us to keep track of what is going on.  We see day by day moment by moment what events are happening.  If the movie were to be non-linearly we may have learned why Susan father is not in the picture.   This knowledge could potentially complicate the story since it is not meant to be about the missing father figure.  Miracle On 34^th Street has some great examples of foreshadowing.  Perhaps my favorite was when Susan showed Kris the picture of the house she so desperately wanted for her and her mother.  She says that if Kris is really Santa then he will get it for her.  It gives us a clue that there is more to come in Susan and Kris’s story.  Since he so strongly believes he is Santa it leads you to assume that he will indeed find a way to get her that house.  In the end we see that when he asked to keep the picture, he was in a way saying, yes I am Santa and I’m going to get you this house.

 

Goodykoontz, B., & Jacobs, C. P. (2011). Film: From watching to seeing. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc. This text is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

Marillis, K {KelseyMarillis}. (2011, December 7). Miracle on 34^th Street (1947) {Video file}. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjmMMa5u5hA