FOUR FILM LOCATIONS FEATURED IN THE 1947 VERSION OF MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET

In June, 1947, 20th Century-Fox released a fantastic film about an elderly gentleman who believes he's the real Santa Claus. Entitled, 'Miracle on 34th Street', the film was directed by George Seaton and stars Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, and John Payne. Today, we're going to take a look at some of the locations featured in the aforementioned film, which includes an interactive map for each one. Please enjoy.

Madison Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
(Madison Avenue)

When the film begins, we see a well-dressed elderly gentleman with a kind face, a pot belly, and a white beard walking along an avenue in New York City in order to go and see the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But when he arrives there, the man in question, Kris Kringle (as played by Edmund Gwenn), notices that the person hired to portray Santa Claus in the parade (as played by Percy Helton) is drunk. So, to rectify this situation, he quickly informs the event director, Doris Walker (as played by Maureen O'Hara), who then hires Kris to take his place. The avenue Kris walks along at the start of this sequence is known as Madison Avenue, which can also be seen in many other films, such as 'The French Connection' (1971), 'The Fisher King' (1991), and 'American Gangster' (2007).

Macy's, 151 West 34th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
(Macy's)

Doris and her colleagues are so happy with Kris's portrayal of Santa Claus, that he's subsequently hired to portray Santa again for Macy's flagship store in New York City. The real Macy's flagship store can be seen in numerous scenes throughout the film, both internally and externally. It was established in 1902, and since then, it has expanded through new construction and currently occupies almost the entire block bounded by 7th Avenue on the west, Broadway on the east, 34th Street on the south, and 35th Street on the north.

24 Derby Road, Port Washington, Long Island, New York, USA
(Susan's Dream House)

After a while, though, a number of people become concerned for Kris's sanity as he keeps telling them that he's the real Santa Claus. Well, except for Doris's daughter, Susan Walker (as played by Natalie Wood), who's captivated by Kris's charm and charisma, especially when he promises to try and get Susan her dream house, which she shows him in a magazine. The aforementioned dream house is actually a 1,703-square-foot family home built in 1943 and located at 24 Derby Road, Port Washington, Long Island, New York. Although, only the exterior can be seen in the film, whereas its interior was shot on a stage at 20th Century-Fox Studios.

Black-Foxe Military Institute, 1234 Wilcox Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Brooks' Memorial Home for the Aged)

Following a couple of assessments and a bizarre court hearing, Kris decides to invite Susan, Doris, and their friend, Fred Gailey (as played by John Payne), to a Christmas Day celebration at the facility where he resides. In the film, this facility is called the Brooks' Memorial Home for the Aged, while in reality, it was once the home of the Black-Foxe Military Institute. Similar to Susan's dream house, only the exterior can be seen in the film, whereas its interior was shot on a stage at 20th Century-Fox Studios. But unlike Susan's dream house, this facility was a private military school for boys living in the surrounding areas until it closed down in 1986. Some of the pupils who attended this school include the actors Harry Carey Jr., Charles Chaplin Jr., Larry Hagman, Robert Wagner, and Gene Wilder.

So, there you have it, folks, four film locations featured in the 1947 classic, 'Miracle on 34th Street'. More articles featuring famous film locations will be coming soon, but before then, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.