BLU-RAY REVIEW

Miracle On 34th Street

Featured In Issue 145, December 2009

Picture2
Sound2.5
WSR Score4.5
Basic Information on new release titles is posted as soon as titles are announced. Once reviewed, additional data is added to the database.
(Studio/Distributor):
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
(Catalog Number):
2261784
(MPAA Rating):
G
(Rating Reason):
(Retail Price):
$34.99
(Disc Type):
Single Side, Single Layer (BD-25)
(Widescreen Edition):
Yes
(Full Screen Edition):
No
(Running Time In Minutes):
96
(Color Type):
Black & White
(Chaptered/Scene Access):
Yes
(Closed Captioned):
Yes
(Regional Coding):
A
(Theatrical Year):
1947
(Theatrical Release):
Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release):
No
(Disc Release Date):
10/06/09
(THX® Digitally Mastered):
No
(Director):
George Seaton
(Screenplay/Written By):
(Story):
(Music):
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer):
(Visual Effects):
(Costume Designer):
(Editor):
(Supervising Sound Editors):
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers):
(Co-Producers):
(Producers):
(Academy Awards):
(Principal Photography):
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio):
(Measured Disc Aspect Ratio):
(Disc Soundtrack):
Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, DTS HD Lossless 5.1
(Theatrical Sound):
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(DTS Bit Rate):
(Dolby Digital Bit Rate):
(Additional Languages):
(French Language):
(Spanish Language):
(Chinese Language):
(Subtitles):
(Cantonese Language):
(Mandarin Language):
(Japanese Language):
(Italian Language):
(German Language):
(Portuguese Language):

The holiday season is in full swing when a cultured gentleman with twinkling eyes, an ample belly, and a snowy beard (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 (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? The picture was nominated in 1947 for the Best Picture Academy Award®, winning three Oscars for Best Actor in a Supporting Role; Best Writing, Original Story; and Best Writing, Screenplay. (Tricia Spears)

Special features include commentary by Maureen O'Hara, an "AMC Backstory®: Miracle On 34th Street" (SD 22:06), "Fox Movietonews: Hollywood Spotlight" (SD 01:46), a promotional short (SD 05:08), the featurette Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: Floating In History (SD 15:32), and a poster gallery.

The 1.37:1 1080p AVC picture is mastered from original black-and-white print elements. The gray scale is nicely balanced with deep blacks and bright highlights, though, exhibiting a slight gray tinge and not purely white. The film exhibits a dated appearance, with a soft look. Unfortunately, edge enhancement is prevalent throughout, though, not terribly distracting. While this is not a truly remastered edition, with optimal gray scale and resolution, it is a classic story and film that should not be missed. (Gary Reber)

The 1947 soundtrack was originally produced in the monaural Western Recording System, which is available as an option. However, the repurposed DTS-HD Master Audio™ soundtrack is the preferred experience. The sound is an impressive improvement, compared to the original compressed soundtrack. Impressively, surround atmospheric effects are separated from the dialogue and music score, and are effective elements that provide a much more involving experience. The sound, while less compressed and less distorted compared to the original, is at times nicely spread across the soundstage. There is a strident and harsh quality to the dialogue and the music, but then the original elements are very old. This is definitely the best that this soundtrack has sounded and is a welcome remastering effort. (Gary Reber)