Miracle on 34th Street

This lovely thick slice of Hollywood fantasy from 1947 won Edmund Gwenn an Oscar for his performance as a lovable department-store Santa Claus who is very convincing in the role.

This lovely thick slice of Hollywood fantasy from 1947 won Edmund Gwenn an Oscar for his performance as a lovable department-store Santa Claus who is very convincing in the role.

The child whose suspicions he has to conquer is an eight-year-old Natalie Wood, while store supervisor Maureen O’Hara perfectly complements Gwenn.

The 1994 version with Richard Attenborough is also worth a watch (Christmas Eve on Film4, 11.00am), but the original is still the best.