"Now I know there's a Santa Claus"
won supporting actor
Was Santa in actual 1946 Macys Parade
His cousin was the first choice, Cecil Kellaway
The phrase "perfect casting choice" is casually thrown around including by me, but I wholeheartedly believe this is one of those cases. Edmund Gwenn is the personification of Santa Claus. His co-star, then 8-year-old Natalie Wood, actually believed him to be the bearded magical man until she saw him out of costume... at the wrap party. She went through the entire filming process believing in him. That's a convincing performance.
➡️ABOUT THE MAN: Edmund Gwenn was born in 1877 in the UK. It's crazy to think about him being born two centuries ago. He saw the beginning and continued growth of the film industry. His house in London was destroyed by the Nazi bombings during World War Two. Miracle on 34th Street debuted in 1947, so this would have been around the timing of filming. He won the Oscar for this incredible role, and he exclaimed "Now I know there's a Santa Claus".
➡️WHAT SEPARATES THE ROLE?: One crucial difference is how most actors would portray this character versus Gwenn. Most actors would have made him socially awkward and inept. While the character has some issues, Gwenn makes him a likable old man.
He smiles so often that when he frowns it's more impactful. You can feel his disappointment. For instance, his disdain for the drunken parade Santa is known. *Side note: Edmund Gwenn was the Macy's Santa Claus during the 1946 parade. Each camera shot was precisely placed to capture everything.
Sometimes a role is transformative even if it lacks the benefit of heavy makeup/clothing to disguise them. Gary Oldman looks and acts like Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour and nothing but respect for him, but he did have some help.
Edmund Gwenn is transformative as Kris Kringle. His performance represents an idea. An idea that seeing the world through a child's eyes can be beneficial. An idea that imagination must not go away. An idea that you need something to believe in. You might say it has some Christian undertones although it's never specifically mentioned.
➡️It's a magical role. Nobody has ever played Santa Claus better, and I'm not anyone ever will. ***This has been the ACTOR SPOTLIGHT of Edmund Gwenn in Miracle on 34th Street.
"Oh, Christmas isn't just a day. It's a frame of mind."
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