To audiences in 1947, the little Dutch girl "who had just come over" would clearly be seen as an orphan who had lost her entire family in the war (which was why she was being adopted). After the trauma in her homeland from what she probably had seen, she had whisked off to a foreign land, with strangers who spoke in a foreign tongue and had foreign traditions. Hence Kris talking to her in Dutch must have been extraordinary (since few people in the US spoke Dutch). By the way, "Santa Claus" is obviously a corruption of St. Nicholas. In the Germanic countries in Europe, they had a tradition of a similar person, representing the Christ child in handing out gifts. From a corruption of "Christkindl", we get "Kris Kringle."
In Dutch he is known as Sinterklaas. Dutch New Yorkers kept the name alive, and it eventually was morphed into Santa Claus. Thank New Yorkers for their contribution to our culture. (In England he was/is called "Father Christmas")
When the scene of them pulling up to the house was filmed on Long Island (the house is still there) it was so cold the cameras were frozen and couldn't function. The woman who lived in the house across the street waved for the cast and crew to come in and warm up. That enabled the crew to get the cameras working and film the scene. Maureen O"Hara was so grateful to the woman that she invited her and her husband to dinner at 21 in Manhattan.
Natalie Wood made a successful transition from child actress to adult actress. Two of her famous early young adult roles were "Rebel Without A Cause, " (1955) with James Dean, "West Side Story," (1961) as Maria. She was a major movie star up until her accidental death in 1981. Kris Kringle" was performed by actor Edmund Gwenn, who starred in many popular films of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Gwenn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role. He also starred in "Life with Father," (1947), co-starring William Powell (highly recommended), "Bewitched, " (1945), "Apartment for Peggy, "(1948).
This is my personal favorite of all Christmas movies and I consider Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Santa Claus to be gold standard. I'm delighted you two enjoyed this. Other necessary movies to watch are It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, A Christmas Story Christmas (the Sequel) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Edmund Gwenn died in 1959, and for years, his urn had been hidden away in Chapel of the Pines in Los Angeles. It was uncovered in March of 2023. His family gave their blessing, and on December 3, 2023, and he was inurned in the Cathedral Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, where his fans and admirers can pay their respects.
Aww hell you took the words right out of my mouth, that's what I was gonna say!!!!!!! I watched the documentary on UA-cam and I absolutely loved what they did with those vaults, that was amazing!!!!!!!
The only other movie I have seen with him was Life with Father (1947) as a minister. Also starring William Powell and a very young Liz Taylor. Well worth watching.
After watching the movie I've never heard anyone question if Kris is really Santa Claus! Of course he is. If you're looking for special effects like in The Santa Claus you've got to consider when the movie was made. Wasn't the moment with the Dutch girl magical enough? But great reaction from you both, that was fun. Oh and by the way the whip is not used to actually strike the reindeer (or horses) but to spur them on with the sound of the "crack of the whip".
Excellent reaction! The woman with the son who wanted a fire truck was Thelma Ritter, in her first (uncredited) movie role. She so impressed the producers that this launched her career as a character actress, most notably in “All About Ever” and “Rear Window.” I think I read that she got six nominations for best supporting actress Oscars over the years. Additional great Christmas movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Shop Around the Corner,” and “A Christmas Carol” (all three versions, 1938, 1951, and TV version with George S. Scott). Great, non-Christmas, winter movies: “The Red Tent,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fargo.”
Edmund Gwenn was a veteran Welsh character actor who appeared in several movies, including the syfy classic THEM and Alfred Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT where he played (believe it or not) an assassin. He won an Academy Award for his performance in this movie. His acceptance speech: "Now I know there's a Santa Claus!"
My very favorite movie since forever !! I am 55! We were so excited to watch this once a year every year on TV when it was played. It was very magical to me as a child and still. So Happy you liked it so much🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄
Edmung Gwenn, who played Kris Kringle, was in my favorite scifi monster movie, "Them!" (1954), a tale of ants mutated into giants by radioactivity from atom bomb tests. He played an entomologist who specialized in ants. One of the stars of Them! was James Arness who played Marshal Matt Dillon in the TV series Gunsmoke for over 20 years
"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it." Merry Christmas! ✝️ 🙏 🎄 🎁 Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Thelma Ritter and Marlene Lyden. Historical Fact: The Post Office Department was a Cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government from 1829 until 1971. Lost In Translation Fact: In the untranslated dialogue with the Dutch girl (Marlene Lyden), Kris (Edmund Gwenn) asks her what she wants for Christmas. She says she wants nothing, telling him she got her gift by being adopted by her new mother. When Worlds Collide Fact: Both Macy's and Gimbel's were approached by the producers for permission to have them depicted in the film. Both wanted to see the finished film first before they gave approval. If either had refused, the film would have had to be extensively edited and re-shot to eliminate the references. Fortunately, at the test viewing both were pleased with the film and gave their permission. Method Actor Fact: Unbeknownst to most parade watchers, Edmund Gwenn played Santa Claus in the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held on November 28, 1946. Cameras were set up to capture some of this performance. He fulfilled the duties of most parade Santas, including addressing the crowd from Macy's marquee after it was over. He was introduced to the crowd by Philip Tonge, who played Mr. Shellhammer, and later unveiled the mechanical Christmas display windows to the accompaniment of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (1892). This gesture symbolized the opening of the Christmas season there.
What a wonderful reaction!!!!! I am smiling ear to ear that you loved it as we do! (i knew you would!). Little natalie Wood kept acting, and in lots of iconic movies (West Side Story, Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean) until her tragic death in the 80s. hope you get to see the other essential Xmas film of the late 40s, "It's A Wonderful Life", you will LOVE it!!! If not this year, then next year! A must!!! (Thanks!!)
When I worked in NYC office buildings in the late 80s and early 90s, a lot of them still had those old mail chutes on the walls. There was something so strangely comforting about watching the mail from floors above you just slide down past you....
Canadian Content: Gene Lockhart was a Canadian actor. He had a long stage and movie career. He was also a song writer and in 1908 wrote the lyrics to "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise," which became a hit a second time in the 1950's. He was in another movie that was traditionally shown at Christmas: "Going My Way," and in 1939 played Bob Cratchit in "A Christmas Carol."
I'm so happy to see both enjoy this movie that has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I was born in 1953, just 6 years after this film came out, and watched on black & white commercial TV for years (my family didn't get color TV until the late 60's.) So, seeing it being enjoyed & appreciated by new, young viewers makes my heart leap! Also, at the end of the movie, the cane resting on the fireplace hearth tells us "of course he was Santa Claus"! He had to come down the chimney so he could unlock the front door so Suzie could just run into her house/home he found for her. And it still had to be purchased. As with God, just because you want, wish or pray for something, you get what you need not always what you desire.
HELLO! I am a year late reacting to your channel, but happened to land on the 666th "Like". :LOL I had fun watching you experience this classic for the first time. I also loved "A Christmas Story", another Holiday Classic.
This is becoming such a fun thing for me, I love watching people discover my favorite Christmas movie. My love for this movie goes way back!! I’m closer to 60 than 50 now… but when I was a teen my baby sister (13 yrs younger) had some doubts (sooner than I was ready for 😉)So I asked her to watch this movie with me, told her nothing. As it ended, she turned to me with awe and said he is real!!! We got a few more years of magic and a memory I’ll cherish forever. It’s not the Christmas season for me until I watch this movie (usually the day after Thanksgiving) I’m so happy this gem brought you some joy!🧡🖤🧡.
Undoubtedly the best movie version of Santa to this day. The ambiguity of the ending and if he was Santa or not plays wonderfully into the film's message of having faith. Truly a joy to see you both enjoy this classic so much. This is a must watch every season, right up there with A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life. A non-Christmas, winter film suggestion is Michael, starring John Travolta.
This is my favorite Christmas movie! The story is charming, the acting is so good, and the laughs are real! It is heartwarming but not overly sappy like most Christmas movies!! That is young Natalie Wood playing little Susan--so gifted, making her death even more tragic.
A movie that’s rarely recommended as a Christmas/winter movie to reactors (but that falls from Christmas Day to right after New Year’s Day and has a whole gift exchange scene) and that has an awesome extended quirky cast of characters is While You Were Sleeping (1995).
Edmund Gwenn was a very well-known character actor back in the day; Maureen O'Hara and John Payne were big names back then, too. Then there's the beautiful but tragic Natalie Wood. She was a very talented and successful child star back then - but she also managed to do what a lot of Hollywood child actors could not back then: she transitioned into adult roles and became a very well-respected, award-winning actress. She married Robert Wagner (Hollywood heartthrob) and they were the "it' couple for quite a while - her story could be a Hollywood movie in of itself. Anyway - I was actually forced to sit down to watch this when I was about nine by my parents and was captivated. It is a much-loved Christmas movie staple and still makes me cry to this day. So happy you enjoyed it! And treat yourself to some other wonderful "classic" films of the 30s, 40s and 50s - you're missing so much great story-telling if you don't!
Fun reaction guys! 👍 This movie is an absolute classic and our family watches it every year around this time. Don't bother with any of the remakes... This IS the definitive version.
This is one of the movies I make sure to watch every Christmas. It’s absolutely delightful. A quintessential Christmas movie, with all of the sentimentality and cheer (without excessive violence) that is necessary to be a Christmas movie. I’m so glad you liked it, and your reactions were just perfect. The fact that it is in black and white is exactly why it is so successful. The lack of color forces the viewer to focus on the actors and the dialogue. There’s no distraction that occurs from the addition of colors. There’s the real magic. In a bit of irony, the studio released the film in the summer but filmed in the fall and winter of the previous year. The promotion kept the Christmas setting a secret. That was footage of the actual parade. Be sure to watch White Christmas this year if you haven’t already seen it. It’s wonderful.
😊 this one of my GO TO reaction channel Tests. You’ve passed with flying colors … adorable reaction. 🤔 perhaps you two should do more old films … there’s an audience just waiting to see those beautiful smiles for their favorite old movies.
Arguably a Christmas movie but definitely one that takes place around the holiday is The Shop Around The Corner with James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan and Frank Morgan, best known as The Wizard of Oz. Based on a Hungarian stage play called Parfumerie, later remade as the stage musical She Loves Me and then more recently as You've Got Mail. The original film is brilliant and utterly charming.
I'm unsure if these are already on a list for you two or not, but I highly recommend White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. Both wonderful Christmas movies!😊
I'm happy to see a reaction channel take on a movie classic, and I hope you venture to react to others. Your reactions seem genuinely honest, interesting, and entertaining. You two have good chemistry you seem to have found the perfect balance in providing commentary without breaking the flow of the movie. I periodically check YT reaction channels to see what's currently online, and I find your channel to one of my top 3. Keep up the good work
4:00 Fun Fact: This sweet girl is none other than the late great Natalie Wood who unfortunately drowned in 1981. She played a great role in "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955...another film you fellow Canadians should check out on your channel.
My favorite Christmas movie of all time. Simple and such a good message. Now that you've started down the path of older movies you absolutely have to check out Casablanca....it's in the running for one of the greatest movies ever made
People today rarely get the double-meaning of the title - America's two biggest department store chains were Macy's and Gimbels. Both had their flagship store on 34th St., a mere block away. Their rivalry was so legendary that there was a common phrase for any feud "would Macy's tell Gimbels? So the first "miracle" is when the two CEO's hold a joint press conference with Kris and shake hands!" I used to think they had gotten the real head of Macy's to play himself, but the actual founder, R.H. Macy, started his store in the 1870's. And likewise the Gimbel brothers did so a few decades earlier. By the time of the movie, neither family owned an interest in the store.
The actor who played Kringle, Edmund Gwenn, was in a very different movie called, "The Trouble with Harry" (1955). It's a dark comedy/mystery directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
Thank You for your reaction. Another black and white movie that is regarded by many to be one of the finest movies ever made is called, Casa Blanca. If you get a chance please do a reaction to it
Maureen O'Hara is one of favorites actresses. Her other great pictures include Hunchback of Notre Dame [made in 1939, the greatest year in Hollywood history], How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man, among many others. Please react to them. I enjoy your reactions so much.
He disappeared Christmas Eve, he was not at the Home, he did not go spend it with My Gailey, he had nowhere else to go but the North Pole to get his Sled & Reindeer and deliver the presents. The Little girl was Natalie Wood he grew up into one of the most Famous & most Beautiful actresses ever.
The parade is filmed on Central Park West on 72nd Street from the infamous Dakota Apartment building (residence of Roberta Flack, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, et other notables).
Hi Chandra & Jordan, I`m glad you reacted to this Xmas classic & enjoyed it so much. For me, the idea of getting the children`s gift`s from where ever you have to & not towing the normal corporate line, is the 1st sign. Being able to converse with the Dutch war orphan is the 2nd. But, the clincher is his walking stick in the corner of the room, of the house that Susan wished for. :) Another good choice of Trad. Xmas film from the same year 1947, is (The Bishop`s Wife). If not this year, perhaps you will put it on a list to react to for next Xmas.
@@Emma-3010 I have the DVD, so I like to watch it on Xmas Eve, if I can. My only regret is I didn`t discover it until about 12 yrs ago. I could have had the pleasure of watching it & enjoying it with my parents, if only I had found it sooner.
At some point, Edmund Gwynn won the Academy Award..probably for this role..and Natalie Wood..was one of the biggest in demand actress in the 60’s..Maureen O’Hara ended up making some movies with John Wayne..such as the perfect…The Quiet Man..studio was taking a chance releasing this in July..but it is considered a classic by every metric..
Christmas themed or concurrent movies you would enjoy are: A Christmas Carol / Scrooge 1951 It's A Wonderful Life, 1946 The Bishop's Wife, 1947 Come to the Stable, 1949 We're No Angels, 1955 Three Godfathers, 1948 March of the Wooden Soldiers, 1934
I'm new here .. Have you guy's done a reaction of the Christmas movie ( It's a Wonderful Life ) that is another older black & white 1947 movie a very good one 😃😍😊🇺🇸🙏😇👍
maureen o'hara is absolutely gorgeous. and such a fine actor. you should see her in the oscar winning "how green was my valley" (1941) directed by john ford and co-starring a 13 year old roddy mcdowall and "the quiet man" (1952) co-starring john wayne in a rare non-western role. she had a long career in film. natalie wood grew up to star in "rebel without a cause" (1955) co-starring james dean and sal mineo and the musicals "west side story" (1961) and "gypsy" (1962) about the life of stripper gypsy rose lee. she made films until her untimely death in 1980. thanks for the video.
there's no magic? the guy found a house that looked exactly like the one in the picture the girl had. and it was for sale. if that's not "magic" i don't know what is. the letters from the post office was the "grounded" conclusion. the house was the magical confirmation. its not called "miracle on 34th street" for nothing.
Of course he is Santa. One of the bits of magic is the right postal workers seeing the right letter at that precise right moment. Now, for other examples of movie perfection that are in black & white: _'It's a Wonderful Life,'_ _'Casablanca'_ and _'12 Angry Men.'_
Macy's policy as in this film is like that to this day. My wife and I looked at wedding bands in Macy's but not within our price range and were directed to a competitor jeweler
Classic Black & White films to check out...The Thin Man (1934) which is a murder mystery that takes place over Christmas and Abbott and Costello in Hit the ice, a winter based film with a musical sleigh ride at the end.
Edmund Gwen (Santa) is also in what I think is one of the other most delightful movies ever, The Trouble With Harry. A charming weird romcom by Alfred Hitchcock, oddly enough.
The little girl who plays Susan, Natalie Wood, actually thought Edmund Gwen was the real Santa Claus (pretending to be someone who may or may not have been Santa Claus) until the wrap party. Boy was she mad when she found out the truth!
Two great winter movies that both just so happen to be amazing Canadian movies too: Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner(2001) The Snow Walker (2003) Both are fantastic and set (and filmed) in the snow and cold. (A Simple Plan from 1998 is also very good -- one of the rare adaptations that I think is better than the book it's based on)
Me & My Girlfriend Katy,Just Watched This Movie Last Night & We Had The Same Reaction 😊,We Love You Guy's,See You At The Next One & Happy Holidays 🎄,Otis & Katy,You Guy's Made Are Day
I hope you see a bunch of older movies, so you don't think only new stuff is good. In terms of old books, we have the 1900 Wonderful Wizard of Oz (I certainly hope you have seen 1939 MGM movie or will react to it here), 19th century Sherlock Holmes, Dickens (particularly A Christmas Carol), Alice in Wonderland, Jane Austen (such as Pride & Prejudice c. 1800), and going further back, Shakespeare and the bible. Written text comes to life on the stage, where they learned how to tell a story in a format different than in novel. And the movies began by simply filming them - and sometimes still do. Despite certain technical limitations, even some of the earliest movies are great. For incredible stuntwork and comedy, there are the silent films like Harold Lloyd's Safety Last and Buster Keaton's The General. (One stunt by Lloyd, him hanging onto the giant hands of a clock stories above main street - is probably one of the most famous ever, even if most people don't know where it comes from.) There is the 1930's Shirley Temple in Heidi. And if you don't see anything else this season, I hope you see or have seen It's a Wonderful Life.
It's all about faith. My top 3 older traditional Christmas movies are: It's A Wonderful Life Miracle On 34th Street White Christmas Not much of a cold season in my part if Texas but I love movies. Lethal Weapon 1-4 The Cowboys (John Wayne) McLintock (John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara the mom from this movie) Demolition Man
This is the only version of this movie I watch every year. The remake is OK but it doesn’t beat the original and never will. This is and always will be the superior version of movie.
If you enjoyed this movie, I’d recommend The Parent Trap w/Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith & Hayley Mills. Or The Quiet Man w/Maureen O’Hara & John Wayne. I’m a big fan of Maureen O’Hara if you couldn’t tell, lol.
I mean, it's left ambiguous for a reason. It doesn't matter whether he is or isn't Santa Claus. If you really like Natalie Wood (Susan), she has many other roles, such as starring as Maria and _West Side Story._ Oh, yes, Edmund Gwenn has other movie roles. _Pride and Prejudice_ (1940), for one. Would love to see more reactions to his films and Wood's.
That little girl was Natalie Wood, who turned out to be one of the hottest actresses in the 1960s-70s. She was a very beautiful woman. Can you believe this movie got a "Condemned" rating by the Legion of Catholic Decency simply because the mother in the movie was divorced?
When people speculate on things - in this case thr rate of divorce in 1947 - I like to look them up to see what is correct. So, as late as 1940 the divorce rate in the US was, in fact, very low. But with the onset of WWII, it started to rise dramatically. And by 1947, it had spiked, probably due to the disruptions brought about by the war. So, actually not so uncommon at all.
To audiences in 1947, the little Dutch girl "who had just come over" would clearly be seen as an orphan who had lost her entire family in the war (which was why she was being adopted). After the trauma in her homeland from what she probably had seen, she had whisked off to a foreign land, with strangers who spoke in a foreign tongue and had foreign traditions. Hence Kris talking to her in Dutch must have been extraordinary (since few people in the US spoke Dutch).
By the way, "Santa Claus" is obviously a corruption of St. Nicholas. In the Germanic countries in Europe, they had a tradition of a similar person, representing the Christ child in handing out gifts. From a corruption of "Christkindl", we get "Kris Kringle."
A little behind the scenes info. The little Dutch girl didn't actually speak Dutch. She learned her lines phonetically.
And when Santa Claus asks her, in Dutch, what she wants for Christmas, she says she only wants to be with this sweet lady, her adoptive mother. . ❤❤
Sinterklaas
In Dutch he is known as Sinterklaas. Dutch New Yorkers kept the name alive, and it eventually was morphed into Santa Claus. Thank New Yorkers for their contribution to our culture. (In England he was/is called "Father Christmas")
When the scene of them pulling up to the house was filmed on Long Island (the house is still there) it was so cold the cameras were frozen and couldn't function. The woman who lived in the house across the street waved for the cast and crew to come in and warm up. That enabled the crew to get the cameras working and film the scene. Maureen O"Hara was so grateful to the woman that she invited her and her husband to dinner at 21 in Manhattan.
Natalie Wood made a successful transition from child actress to adult actress. Two of her famous early young adult roles were "Rebel Without A Cause, " (1955) with James Dean, "West Side Story," (1961) as Maria. She was a major movie star up until her accidental death in 1981.
Kris Kringle" was performed by actor Edmund Gwenn, who starred in many popular films of the 30's, 40's, and 50's. Gwenn won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role. He also starred in "Life with Father," (1947), co-starring William Powell (highly recommended), "Bewitched, " (1945), "Apartment for Peggy, "(1948).
Ms. Wood also nominated for 3 oscars as an adult. But, oh, what a tragic personal life! So sad!
Edmund Gwenn also played the antagonist in the excellent comedy -The Devil and Miss Jones (1941) with Charles Coburn and Jean Arthur 😊😊😊
Yeah her death wasn't accidental, she was 100% murdered!!!!!!!
In Life With Father he plays a minister with no head for figures
Natalie Wood also appeared in a small but important part in the greatest western never made, imho, The Searchers.
This is my personal favorite of all Christmas movies and I consider Edmund Gwenn's portrayal of Santa Claus to be gold standard. I'm delighted you two enjoyed this. Other necessary movies to watch are It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, A Christmas Story Christmas (the Sequel) and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
Edmund Gwenn died in 1959, and for years, his urn had been hidden away in Chapel of the Pines in Los Angeles. It was uncovered in March of 2023. His family gave their blessing, and on December 3, 2023, and he was inurned in the Cathedral Mausoleum at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, where his fans and admirers can pay their respects.
Aww hell you took the words right out of my mouth, that's what I was gonna say!!!!!!! I watched the documentary on UA-cam and I absolutely loved what they did with those vaults, that was amazing!!!!!!!
The only other movie I have seen with him was Life with Father (1947) as a minister. Also starring William Powell and a very young Liz Taylor. Well worth watching.
After watching the movie I've never heard anyone question if Kris is really Santa Claus! Of course he is. If you're looking for special effects like in The Santa Claus you've got to consider when the movie was made. Wasn't the moment with the Dutch girl magical enough? But great reaction from you both, that was fun. Oh and by the way the whip is not used to actually strike the reindeer (or horses) but to spur them on with the sound of the "crack of the whip".
Edmund Gwen who portrayed Kris Kringle in this film won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.
He was also great in “Them”
And “Lassie Come Home”
He was in a lot of great films.
Excellent reaction! The woman with the son who wanted a fire truck was Thelma Ritter, in her first (uncredited) movie role. She so impressed the producers that this launched her career as a character actress, most notably in “All About Ever” and “Rear Window.” I think I read that she got six nominations for best supporting actress Oscars over the years.
Additional great Christmas movies: “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “The Shop Around the Corner,” and “A Christmas Carol” (all three versions, 1938, 1951, and TV version with George S. Scott).
Great, non-Christmas, winter movies: “The Red Tent,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fargo.”
Edmund Gwenn was a veteran Welsh character actor who appeared in several movies, including the syfy classic THEM and Alfred Hitchcock's FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT where he played (believe it or not) an assassin. He won an Academy Award for his performance in this movie. His acceptance speech: "Now I know there's a Santa Claus!"
I LOVE Foreign Correspondent.....my very favorite Hitchcock movie
My very favorite movie since forever !! I am 55! We were so excited to watch this once a year every year on TV when it was played. It was very magical to me as a child and still. So Happy you liked it so much🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄🌠🎄
Edmung Gwenn, who played Kris Kringle, was in my favorite scifi monster movie, "Them!" (1954), a tale of ants mutated into giants by radioactivity from atom bomb tests. He played an entomologist who specialized in ants.
One of the stars of Them! was James Arness who played Marshal Matt Dillon in the TV series Gunsmoke for over 20 years
"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind... and that's what's been changing. That's why I'm glad I'm here, maybe I can do something about it."
Merry Christmas! ✝️ 🙏 🎄 🎁
Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debut of Thelma Ritter and Marlene Lyden.
Historical Fact: The Post Office Department was a Cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the U.S. Federal Government from 1829 until 1971.
Lost In Translation Fact: In the untranslated dialogue with the Dutch girl (Marlene Lyden), Kris (Edmund Gwenn) asks her what she wants for Christmas. She says she wants nothing, telling him she got her gift by being adopted by her new mother.
When Worlds Collide Fact: Both Macy's and Gimbel's were approached by the producers for permission to have them depicted in the film. Both wanted to see the finished film first before they gave approval. If either had refused, the film would have had to be extensively edited and re-shot to eliminate the references. Fortunately, at the test viewing both were pleased with the film and gave their permission.
Method Actor Fact: Unbeknownst to most parade watchers, Edmund Gwenn played Santa Claus in the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade held on November 28, 1946. Cameras were set up to capture some of this performance. He fulfilled the duties of most parade Santas, including addressing the crowd from Macy's marquee after it was over. He was introduced to the crowd by Philip Tonge, who played Mr. Shellhammer, and later unveiled the mechanical Christmas display windows to the accompaniment of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker (1892). This gesture symbolized the opening of the Christmas season there.
What a wonderful reaction!!!!! I am smiling ear to ear that you loved it as we do! (i knew you would!). Little natalie Wood kept acting, and in lots of iconic movies (West Side Story, Rebel Without A Cause with James Dean) until her tragic death in the 80s. hope you get to see the other essential Xmas film of the late 40s, "It's A Wonderful Life", you will LOVE it!!! If not this year, then next year! A must!!! (Thanks!!)
When I worked in NYC office buildings in the late 80s and early 90s, a lot of them still had those old mail chutes on the walls. There was something so strangely comforting about watching the mail from floors above you just slide down past you....
Canadian Content: Gene Lockhart was a Canadian actor. He had a long stage and movie career. He was also a song writer and in 1908 wrote the lyrics to "The World is Waiting for the Sunrise," which became a hit a second time in the 1950's. He was in another movie that was traditionally shown at Christmas: "Going My Way," and in 1939 played Bob Cratchit in "A Christmas Carol."
I'm so happy to see both enjoy this movie that has been one of my favorites since I was a kid. I was born in 1953, just 6 years after this film came out, and watched on black & white commercial TV for years (my family didn't get color TV until the late 60's.) So, seeing it being enjoyed & appreciated by new, young viewers makes my heart leap! Also, at the end of the movie, the cane resting on the fireplace hearth tells us "of course he was Santa Claus"! He had to come down the chimney so he could unlock the front door so Suzie could just run into her house/home he found for her. And it still had to be purchased. As with God, just because you want, wish or pray for something, you get what you need not always what you desire.
One of my absolute favorite Christmas movies ever. I watch it every year around Christmas time.
HELLO! I am a year late reacting to your channel, but happened to land on the 666th "Like". :LOL I had fun watching you experience this classic for the first time. I also loved "A Christmas Story", another Holiday Classic.
This is becoming such a fun thing for me, I love watching people discover my favorite Christmas movie. My love for this movie goes way back!! I’m closer to 60 than 50 now… but when I was a teen my baby sister (13 yrs younger) had some doubts (sooner than I was ready for 😉)So I asked her to watch this movie with me, told her nothing. As it ended, she turned to me with awe and said he is real!!! We got a few more years of magic and a memory I’ll cherish forever. It’s not the Christmas season for me until I watch this movie (usually the day after Thanksgiving) I’m so happy this gem brought you some joy!🧡🖤🧡.
Undoubtedly the best movie version of Santa to this day. The ambiguity of the ending and if he was Santa or not plays wonderfully into the film's message of having faith.
Truly a joy to see you both enjoy this classic so much. This is a must watch every season, right up there with A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life.
A non-Christmas, winter film suggestion is Michael, starring John Travolta.
That's so well put! I really loved that the ending was so mysterious and playful.
Not the best version of santa in a movie.
Great reaction! This is what I watch every Christmas. 😃
Before the movie was released they had to get the approval of Macy's and Gimbals as neither one had initially agreed to have them use their names.
This is my favorite Christmas movie! The story is charming, the acting is so good, and the laughs are real! It is heartwarming but not overly sappy like most Christmas movies!! That is young Natalie Wood playing little Susan--so gifted, making her death even more tragic.
A movie that’s rarely recommended as a Christmas/winter movie to reactors (but that falls from Christmas Day to right after New Year’s Day and has a whole gift exchange scene) and that has an awesome extended quirky cast of characters is While You Were Sleeping (1995).
Edmund Gwenn was a very well-known character actor back in the day; Maureen O'Hara and John Payne were big names back then, too. Then there's the beautiful but tragic Natalie Wood. She was a very talented and successful child star back then - but she also managed to do what a lot of Hollywood child actors could not back then: she transitioned into adult roles and became a very well-respected, award-winning actress. She married Robert Wagner (Hollywood heartthrob) and they were the "it' couple for quite a while - her story could be a Hollywood movie in of itself. Anyway - I was actually forced to sit down to watch this when I was about nine by my parents and was captivated. It is a much-loved Christmas movie staple and still makes me cry to this day. So happy you enjoyed it! And treat yourself to some other wonderful "classic" films of the 30s, 40s and 50s - you're missing so much great story-telling if you don't!
Fun reaction guys! 👍 This movie is an absolute classic and our family watches it every year around this time. Don't bother with any of the remakes... This IS the definitive version.
Fun fact: “Alfred” says he’s 17 but you guys say he looks to be in his mid-20’s. Well, he actually was 17 at the time of filming.
This is one of the movies I make sure to watch every Christmas. It’s absolutely delightful. A quintessential Christmas movie, with all of the sentimentality and cheer (without excessive violence) that is necessary to be a Christmas movie. I’m so glad you liked it, and your reactions were just perfect.
The fact that it is in black and white is exactly why it is so successful. The lack of color forces the viewer to focus on the actors and the dialogue. There’s no distraction that occurs from the addition of colors. There’s the real magic.
In a bit of irony, the studio released the film in the summer but filmed in the fall and winter of the previous year. The promotion kept the Christmas setting a secret. That was footage of the actual parade.
Be sure to watch White Christmas this year if you haven’t already seen it. It’s wonderful.
😊 this one of my GO TO reaction channel Tests.
You’ve passed with flying colors … adorable reaction.
🤔 perhaps you two should do more old films … there’s an audience just waiting to see those beautiful smiles for their favorite old movies.
Great reaction a good winter non-Christmas movie would be Groundhog Day
Arguably a Christmas movie but definitely one that takes place around the holiday is The Shop Around The Corner with James Stewart, Margaret Sullavan and Frank Morgan, best known as The Wizard of Oz. Based on a Hungarian stage play called Parfumerie, later remade as the stage musical She Loves Me and then more recently as You've Got Mail. The original film is brilliant and utterly charming.
I'm unsure if these are already on a list for you two or not, but I highly recommend White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life. Both wonderful Christmas movies!😊
I'm happy to see a reaction channel take on a movie classic, and I hope you venture to react to others. Your reactions seem genuinely honest, interesting, and entertaining. You two have good chemistry you seem to have found the perfect balance in providing commentary without breaking the flow of the movie. I periodically check YT reaction channels to see what's currently online, and I find your channel to one of my top 3. Keep up the good work
Thanks!
That amazing little girl is Natalie Wood who went on to a stellar career.
What is even more amazing is that, while Natalie Wood was making this film, she was also performing in "The Ghost and Mrs Muir."
4:00 Fun Fact: This sweet girl is none other than the late great Natalie Wood who unfortunately drowned in 1981. She played a great role in "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955...another film you fellow Canadians should check out on your channel.
My favorite Christmas movie of all time. Simple and such a good message. Now that you've started down the path of older movies you absolutely have to check out Casablanca....it's in the running for one of the greatest movies ever made
21:52 The holiday edition of frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn moment. This rejection knocked some sense into the mother in the end.
People today rarely get the double-meaning of the title - America's two biggest department store chains were Macy's and Gimbels. Both had their flagship store on 34th St., a mere block away. Their rivalry was so legendary that there was a common phrase for any feud "would Macy's tell Gimbels? So the first "miracle" is when the two CEO's hold a joint press conference with Kris and shake hands!"
I used to think they had gotten the real head of Macy's to play himself, but the actual founder, R.H. Macy, started his store in the 1870's. And likewise the Gimbel brothers did so a few decades earlier. By the time of the movie, neither family owned an interest in the store.
You can see the judge in the musical Carousel. It's a tear-jerker so keep your handkerchiefs close by.
Hope you two are having an great and awesome day ❤
Merry Christmas from Nashville!
See ya!
✌️🎅❤️
The actor who played Kringle, Edmund Gwenn, was in a very different movie called, "The Trouble with Harry" (1955). It's a dark comedy/mystery directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
One of my favorite Christmas comedies is “We’re No Angels” (1955)
One of my fave xmas films! dbl ♥
Thank You for your reaction. Another black and white movie that is regarded by many to be one of the finest movies ever made is called, Casa Blanca. If you get a chance please do a reaction to it
You two were charming to watch 🧑🏻🎄, one of the Best Christmas films ever
Maureen O'Hara is one of favorites actresses. Her other great pictures include Hunchback of Notre Dame [made in 1939, the greatest year in Hollywood history], How Green Was My Valley and The Quiet Man, among many others. Please react to them. I enjoy your reactions so much.
He disappeared Christmas Eve, he was not at the Home, he did not go spend it with My Gailey, he had nowhere else to go but the North Pole to get his Sled & Reindeer and deliver the presents. The Little girl was Natalie Wood he grew up into one of the most Famous & most Beautiful actresses ever.
The parade is filmed on Central Park West on 72nd Street from the infamous Dakota Apartment building (residence of Roberta Flack, Yoko Ono, John Lennon, Leonard Bernstein, et other notables).
Hi Chandra & Jordan, I`m glad you reacted to this Xmas classic & enjoyed it so much. For me, the idea of getting the children`s gift`s from where ever you have to & not towing the normal corporate line, is the 1st sign. Being able to converse with the Dutch war orphan is the 2nd. But, the clincher is his walking stick in the corner of the room, of the house that Susan wished for. :)
Another good choice of Trad. Xmas film from the same year 1947, is (The Bishop`s Wife). If not this year, perhaps you will put it on a list to react to for next Xmas.
Seconding "The Bishop's Wife." In fact, we're watching it right now! One of our annual holiday collection that we watch every Christmas....
@@Emma-3010 I have the DVD, so I like to watch it on Xmas Eve, if I can. My only regret is I didn`t discover it until about 12 yrs ago. I could have had the pleasure of watching it & enjoying it with my parents, if only I had found it sooner.
"Kris" is in a great Alfred Hitchcock film "The Trouble With Harry".
At some point, Edmund Gwynn won the Academy Award..probably for this role..and Natalie Wood..was one of the biggest in demand actress in the 60’s..Maureen O’Hara ended up making some movies with John Wayne..such as the perfect…The Quiet Man..studio was taking a chance releasing this in July..but it is considered a classic by every metric..
Let the Right One In (2008) would be a great winter watch. Perfect for Janurary or February. It is a dramatic horror film. Love the reaction.
Christmas themed or concurrent movies you would enjoy are:
A Christmas Carol / Scrooge 1951
It's A Wonderful Life, 1946
The Bishop's Wife, 1947
Come to the Stable, 1949
We're No Angels, 1955
Three Godfathers, 1948
March of the Wooden Soldiers, 1934
One of THE BEST Christmas movies ever. It doesn’t suffer from being over the top or laying it on to thick.
This was one of my fave xmas movies before the age of responsibility, back when the earth was cooling. ❤😂
You guys need to watch Christmas vacation you two will love it
I recall reading that young Natalie Wood also believed Edmund Gwen was Santa
I'm new here .. Have you guy's done a reaction of the Christmas movie ( It's a Wonderful Life ) that is another older black & white 1947 movie a very good one 😃😍😊🇺🇸🙏😇👍
One of the greatest Christmas movies is Scrooge (1951) with the incomparable Alistair Sim 😊😊😊
"Grumpy old men"
maureen o'hara is absolutely gorgeous. and such a fine actor. you should see her in the oscar winning "how green was my valley" (1941) directed by john ford and co-starring a 13 year old roddy mcdowall and "the quiet man" (1952) co-starring john wayne in a rare non-western role. she had a long career in film.
natalie wood grew up to star in "rebel without a cause" (1955) co-starring james dean and sal mineo and the musicals "west side story" (1961) and "gypsy" (1962) about the life of stripper gypsy rose lee. she made films until her untimely death in 1980. thanks for the video.
there's no magic? the guy found a house that looked exactly like the one in the picture the girl had. and it was for sale. if that's not "magic" i don't know what is. the letters from the post office was the "grounded" conclusion. the house was the magical confirmation. its not called "miracle on 34th street" for nothing.
This is the movie that helped making the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade so famous.
Of course he is Santa.
One of the bits of magic is the right postal workers seeing the right letter at that precise right moment.
Now, for other examples of movie perfection that are in black & white: _'It's a Wonderful Life,'_ _'Casablanca'_ and _'12 Angry Men.'_
This and THE RIGHT STUFF are my all-time favorite movies.
You can't beat the older classics.
Macy's policy as in this film is like that to this day. My wife and I looked at wedding bands in Macy's but not within our price range and were directed to a competitor jeweler
The strength of the movie is that it leaves it up to the viewer whether or not Chris was Santa Claus.
Classic Black & White films to check out...The Thin Man (1934) which is a murder mystery that takes place over Christmas and Abbott and Costello in Hit the ice, a winter based film with a musical sleigh ride at the end.
Edmund Gwen (Santa) is also in what I think is one of the other most delightful movies ever, The Trouble With Harry. A charming weird romcom by Alfred Hitchcock, oddly enough.
The little girl who plays Susan, Natalie Wood, actually thought Edmund Gwen was the real Santa Claus (pretending to be someone who may or may not have been Santa Claus) until the wrap party. Boy was she mad when she found out the truth!
On set for this movie Natalie Wood was known as One Take Natalie, as that is all she needed to shoot her scenes.
Jordan: ok the question on my mind and everyone else was he really Santa Claus?
Get him shadra!
Two great winter movies that both just so happen to be amazing Canadian movies too:
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner(2001)
The Snow Walker (2003)
Both are fantastic and set (and filmed) in the snow and cold. (A Simple Plan from 1998 is also very good -- one of the rare adaptations that I think is better than the book it's based on)
I recommend 1958's "Bell, Book, and Candle," about a book publisher who falls in love with a beautiful witch on Christmas Eve.
It’s A Wonderful Life is the best Christmas movie ever, but this is right up there.
Me & My Girlfriend Katy,Just Watched This Movie Last Night & We Had The Same Reaction 😊,We Love You Guy's,See You At The Next One & Happy Holidays 🎄,Otis & Katy,You Guy's Made Are Day
Awww yaay! Happy Holidays you two ❤❤❤
@@maplenutsreact 🤗🤗🤗🤗
I hope you see a bunch of older movies, so you don't think only new stuff is good. In terms of old books, we have the 1900 Wonderful Wizard of Oz (I certainly hope you have seen 1939 MGM movie or will react to it here), 19th century Sherlock Holmes, Dickens (particularly A Christmas Carol), Alice in Wonderland, Jane Austen (such as Pride & Prejudice c. 1800), and going further back, Shakespeare and the bible.
Written text comes to life on the stage, where they learned how to tell a story in a format different than in novel. And the movies began by simply filming them - and sometimes still do.
Despite certain technical limitations, even some of the earliest movies are great. For incredible stuntwork and comedy, there are the silent films like Harold Lloyd's Safety Last and Buster Keaton's The General. (One stunt by Lloyd, him hanging onto the giant hands of a clock stories above main street - is probably one of the most famous ever, even if most people don't know where it comes from.)
There is the 1930's Shirley Temple in Heidi. And if you don't see anything else this season, I hope you see or have seen It's a Wonderful Life.
This is also a Thanksgiving movie -- it starts on Thanksgiving, of course.
And now for ....It Happened On 5th Avenue
It's all about faith.
My top 3 older traditional Christmas movies are:
It's A Wonderful Life
Miracle On 34th Street
White Christmas
Not much of a cold season in my part if Texas but I love movies.
Lethal Weapon 1-4
The Cowboys (John Wayne)
McLintock (John Wayne & Maureen O'Hara the mom from this movie)
Demolition Man
Great reaction! Now that you've done one previous century Christmas B+W movie, you NEED to now react to "Its's A Wonderful Life".
I think you would like It Happened On 5th Avenue It's also a B/W movie with some charm and humour.
I think they "kept it grounded" instead of showing Christmas magick was so that we could make up our own minds if he was really Santa.
Groundhog Day
Edmund Gwenn, Sanat was in many movies
nothing I recognize
you might concider checking out miss woods films , some great stuff
Hi Guy's My Movie Recommendation is ( A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN ) Awesome True Story Womans Baseball 😍😊🇺🇸🙏😇👍
This is the only version of this movie I watch every year. The remake is OK but it doesn’t beat the original and never will. This is and always will be the superior version of movie.
If you enjoyed the little girl here, you'll love NatWood as a teen in RebelWithoutACause, and in WestsideStory! Cheers
🎅 👍
You should watch the night they saved christmas
Wishlist:
Defiance(Based on a true story)
Demolition Man
Tommy Boy
Major Payne
Speed
If you enjoyed this movie, I’d recommend The Parent Trap w/Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith & Hayley Mills. Or The Quiet Man w/Maureen O’Hara & John Wayne. I’m a big fan of Maureen O’Hara if you couldn’t tell, lol.
I mean, it's left ambiguous for a reason. It doesn't matter whether he is or isn't Santa Claus. If you really like Natalie Wood (Susan), she has many other roles, such as starring as Maria and _West Side Story._ Oh, yes, Edmund Gwenn has other movie roles. _Pride and Prejudice_ (1940), for one. Would love to see more reactions to his films and Wood's.
I hope you decide to watch the remake starring Mara Wilson taking over the Natalie Wood Role.
There is still time to watch, It's a Wonderful Life". The original, non colorized.
"Like painters, or cat people."
That little girl was Natalie Wood, who turned out to be one of the hottest actresses in the 1960s-70s. She was a very beautiful woman. Can you believe this movie got a "Condemned" rating by the Legion of Catholic Decency simply because the mother in the movie was divorced?
When people speculate on things - in this case thr rate of divorce in 1947 - I like to look them up to see what is correct. So, as late as 1940 the divorce rate in the US was, in fact, very low. But with the onset of WWII, it started to rise dramatically. And by 1947, it had spiked, probably due to the disruptions brought about by the war. So, actually not so uncommon at all.