Since I often talk about spiritual readiness and the role purpose and meaning play in cognitive performance, I wanted to take a moment to laude the excellence of the original Miracle on 34th Street in communicating some of these powerful ideas. I won’t spoil anything for you other than to say that the same things we struggle with today in terms of utilitarian consequentialism and materialism infringing upon our ability to pursue our higher order purposes are tackled in this 1947 classic with exceptional grace.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
If you really want to see something quite remarkable find “The Epic That Never War” on YouTube. 1937 Alexander Korda “I Claudius” about 20 minutes of the rushes survive; the senate scene with Claudius is one of the pinnacles of cinematic art with Charles Laughton as Claudius. Filming was abandoned when Merle Oberon had a “car accident” and Korda closed it down and pocketed the insurance money. The main reason to close it down was the massive overrun on budget, just look at the sets that were built on the rushes they really are Ancient Rome come back to life - quite staggering.
In both the 1947 and 1994 films Kris Kringle was played by English actors. Edmund Gwenn and Richard Attenborough. Just something I know! Also Clarence the third class Angel in Its a Wonderful life was also English - Henry Travers born in Berwick upon Tweed just in England on the Scottish border. Type casting perhaps!!