Miracle on 34th Street | Hollywood Yesterday

Publicity Stills from Miracle on 34th Street (One of the Best Movies Ever Made)

December 12, 2022 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara, Edmund Gwenn, and Natalie Wood

Ironically, two of the films that made me fall so deeply in love with old movies are both Christmas movies (Miracle on 34th Street and It’s a Wonderful Life). Ironically, three of the stars involved – Maureen O’Hara, James Stewart, and Lionel Barrymore – are three of my top 10 favorite stars of all time. It’s as though they befriended me as a child and have been with me all these… let’s not count how many!… years.

Both movies are as magical and beautiful to me now as they were then.

My only regret is that, somehow, Miracle on 34th Street doesn’t get the same attention It’s a Wonderful Life does and, frankly, I have no idea why. It’s every bit as wonderful – in every possible way.

If you’ve never seen this beautiful “feel GREAT” movie, I hope you’ll find it this Christmas season and lose yourself in the magic. If you have seen it… well, who couldn’t just a little more Christmas magic??

I watch it every year and have since I was a little girl. In fact, I believe I’ll pour a big mug of hot chocolate and go watch it now!

You can find the iconic 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (Amazon link) on dvd on Amazon or watch the iconic movie on Prime Video.

It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street Coffee Mugs (Plus a Bonus One that Sums it ALL UP!)

December 10, 2022 By Joi

As quite possibly the world’s biggest It’s a Wonderful Life fan, I have zero idea how I don’t already have this gorgeous It’s a Wonderful Life Coffee Mug (Amazon link) in my coffee mug collection.

What a travesty of justice and sensibility!

I am, however, on the cusp of righting this wrong even as we speak.

Right after I saw the great It’s a Wonderful Life mug, I spied another one that makes me feel so very, very, VERY seen. The I Just Want to Drink Coffee and Watch Christmas Movies mug (Amazon link) pictured below.

I mean, does this one sum it all up or what?!

But, wait… I’m not through (neither is my Amazon shopping cart, unfortunately), when you click through and visit the It’s a Wonderful Life mug’s page (link above), you’ll also find they have another CLASSIC and ICONIC Christmas movie (and another of my personal favorites), Miracle on 34th Street. I don’t have a picture to share with you, but it features the movie poster pictured below. It’s gorgeous and I have every intention of drinking from it and the It’s a Wonderful Life mugs all year long for years to come!

Miracle on 34th Street Movie Poster

Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, and John Payne in the Wonderful Miracle on 34th Street

December 16, 2021 By Joi

Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, and John Payne

There are presents to wrap, presents to buy, candy to make, and candy to eat… so I am literally sharing today’s picture of the day and running back to the kitchen! This is a wonderful publicity photo for one of the best movies ever made, Miracle on 34th Street. Directed to perfection by George Seaton, this is one of my favorite viewings of the Christmas season.

I hope you’re enjoying every last drop of the holiday season this year and (even when busy) smiling and maybe even humming a Christmas carol or two!

You can find the iconic 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (Amazon link) on Amazon… and you really, really should!

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara – Miracle on 34th Street

December 13, 2021 By Joi

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara

As I said yesterday, one of the films that launched me into a lifetime of being obsessed with classic movies was It’s a Wonderful Life. Another film and another star that participated in this launch was Miracle on 34th Street (1947) and Maureen O’Hara. I’ve loved the film AND the actress for what seems like my entire life.

George Seaton directed the wonderful Christmas classic and was given a first rate cast to work with: Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood, Edmund Gwenn, William Frawley, and Gene Lockhart.

I love Maureen’s sweet, natural chemistry with John Payne in this film and the magic between Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn is palpable. It’s just a beautiful, beautiful story very beautifully told.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara

You can find the wonderful 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (Amazon link) on Amazon.

Adorable Natalie Wood Pictures, Behind the Scenes of Miracle on 34th Street

November 23, 2021 By Joi

Natalie Wood and John Payne, Behind the Scenes of Miracle on 34th Street

These behind the scenes pictures of one of my absolute favorite movies (Miracle on 34th Street) kind of take my breath away. The adorable Natalie Wood and the wonderful John Payne (entertaining her!) give me so much happiness.

The photo below is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen!

Natalie Wood, Behind the Scenes of Miracle on 34th Street

You can find the wonderful 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (Amazon link) on Amazon.

BOTD in Ireland in 1920, the Extraordinary Maureen O’Hara

August 17, 2021 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara

The beautiful, talented, charismatic, colorful, and (in every way as far as I’m concerned) Maureen O’Hara was born on this date in 1920 in Ireland.

Maureen FitzSimons would go on to become…

One of Hollywood’s first female action stars
Half of a legendary screen couple (with her friend John Wayne)
Part of an iconic Christmas film seen and loved for generations
The Queen of Technicolor!

What’s more, she did it all with class, style, pride, and very, very, very much on her own terms.

My love for old Hollywood…. its films and its stars… is one of the things that most defines me today. Oddly enough, it pretty much has always been that way. Even as a little girl (and then teenager), I MUCH preferred watching old movies with my mom, dad, and/or our cat and dog. It was Maureen O’Hara (in Miracle on 34th Street and The Hunchback of Notre Dame), Westerns, Shirley Temple, Abbott and Costello, Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin, and James Stewart (It’s a Wonderful Life) that hooked me as a child and… if we’re being honest… I love them all just as much today as I did then. Possibly more.

I plan to spend Maureen O’Hara Day reading from her autobiography (after all, I’ve only read it, like 50 times by now) and settling in to rewatch one of her movies later. I’m in the mood for a swashbuckler, so I’ve narrowed it down to one of these great films:

The Spanish Main
The Black Swan
At Sword’s Point

The good thing about collecting her films, is I have all of them to choose from!

Happiest of Heavenly birthdays, lovely Maureen.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara, Miracle on 34th Street

Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood in the Wonderful Classic, Miracle on 34th Street

November 3, 2020 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood in Miracle on 34th Street

Halloween has come and gone, so my heart and eyes are fully on Thanksgiving and Christmas! Actually, I’ll let you in on a little secret… my eyes and heart are on them year-round. I experiment with recipes I’ll use at Thanksgiving and Christmas throughout the year and buy gifts and decorations 12 months a year and keep them safely hidden in totes until it’s time to wrap them.

When you have a large family, it might just be the only way from having a mental breakdown when December 1st rolls around!

Since I can finally own up to my all-consuming love of Christmas now, without looking like a complete fruitcake, I decided to go with a scene from one of my absolute favorite movies ever – Miracle on 34th Street. I’ll soon be in my den… visiting Susan, Fred, Doris, and of course Kris Kringle for the first time in 2020.

For as long as I can remember, I kick off the “official” Christmas season with this film, followed by It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I’m so anal about it all that I also “end” the official season with the same three.

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do know that I’m as mad as a hatter… but I see no reason to change at this stage of the game!

You can find the wonderful, black and white 1947 Miracle on 34th Street (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon for less than $10. Much easier than waiting for it to show up on television.

Natalie Wood: Behind the Scenes Photo from West Side Story

February 21, 2020 By Joi

Natalie Wood and Director Jerome Robbins Behind the Scenes, West Side Story (1961)

A while back, I watched four Natalie Wood movies within the span of two weeks. I was blown away, not only by her tremendous talent, but by the fact that she went from one of the most adorable child stars of all time to one of the most beautiful actresses of all time.

Many child stars retain a certain “child-like” look that stays with them – so much so that you tend to “see” them as children, even when they’re adults.

Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood, Miracle on 34th Street (1947)

Not so with Natalie Wood! She magically and effortlessly transitioned from adorable to gorgeous. It’s obvious, simply by looking at her photos, but it’s downright jaw-dropping if you watch a films like Miracle on 34th Street, Father Was a Fullback, The Searchers, and West Side Story back to back to back to back.

Natalie Wood, The Searchers (1956)

Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood Miracle on 34th Street

December 25, 2019 By Joi

Maureen O’Hara and Natalie Wood, Miracle on 34th Street

One of my greatest obsessions in this world is Christmas – so, naturally I love Christmas movies as much as one can possibly love anything! Miracle on 34th Street (Amazon link to the Black and White version… the best version in my opinion), It’s a Wonderful Life, Christmas in Connecticut, and all classic animated Christmas films make the season EVEN sweeter. As a Christian, I certainty realize that there is only One who is worth celebrating (it’s His birthday we’re remembering after all!), but all of these films are very dear to my heart.

I want to wish you and your loved ones a beautiful, happy, peaceful, and joy-filled Christmas. Thank you for visiting Hollywood Yesterday – you absolutely honor me with your presence. ~ Joi (“Joy”)

Miracle on 34th Street: Fun Lobby Cards (Love These!)

December 10, 2019 By Joi

Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, and John Payne

Maureen O’Hara is one of my VERY favorite actresses, so you can bet I’ve seen Miracle on 34th Street more times than the average movie fan. Honestly… I couldn’t even begin to count the number of times, because I watch it multiple times each year.

John Payne and Maureen O’Hara

Heck, I’ve been known to watch in in the middle of July!

Each time I watch it, I love it even more. The cast was simply perfect – from Maureen, Natalie Wood, John Payne, and Edmund Gwenn to William Frawley, Porter Hall, Jerome Cowan, and Gene Lockhart. Each was spectacular and (obviously) knew they were part of something extra EXTRA special.

Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O’Hara, and John Payne

A few things in particular strike me with each viewing:

Natalie Wood was a very, very special actress – whether she was a child, teen, or adult… she was spectacular and obviously born to do what she did so beautifully.
Maureen O’Hara was as talented as she was stunningly beautiful – and that’s saying something!
John Payne and Edmund Gwenn were exceptional actors and should be household names! How more front and center roles in popular movies eluded them is beyond me – but I’m forever thankful that they’re in this personal favorite film.
Finally, this is a perfect movie – perfect in every way!