June 11, 1947: "Miracle On 34th Street" Premieres

June 11, 1947: Miracle On 34th Street premieres, released by 20th Century Fox, directed by George Seaton, based on a story by Valentine Davies. Why a Christmas movie was released when Summer was just around the corner, perhaps only that era's Fox executives at the time knew.

A man known only as Kris Kringle (played by Edmund Gwenn) is hired to work as Santa Claus at the main Macy's store in New York's Herald Square, facing Broadway between 34th and 35th Streets. One thing leads to another, and he is committed, and his lawyer, Fred Gailey (John Payne), can find only one way to get this harmless, if apparently delusional, old man out of the psych ward: By proving to a court that, just as Kris claims, he really is Santa Claus.

It works, and Fred wins the heart of Doris Walker (Maureen O'Hara), who had hired Kris, and her daughter Susan (Natalie Wood, 8 years old at the time of filming, but playing 6).

Miracle On 34th Street was remade in 1973 and 1994. In those versions, Santa was played by Sebastian Cabot and Richard Attenborough, respectively; the lawyer by David Hartman and Dylan McDermott (by then starring as a lawyer on the ABC TV drama The Practice); Mrs. Walker by Jane Alexander and Elizabeth Perkins; and Susan by Suzanne Davidson and Mara Wilson.

For the 1973 version, the lawyer's name was changed to Bill Schafner, and Mrs. Walker's name was changed from Doris to Karen -- definitely not to be confused with the Karen Walker played by Megan Mullally on Will & Grace!

For the 1994 version, the lawyer is named Bryan Bedford, Mrs. Walker goes back to being named Doris (or, rather, "Dorey"), and, this time, fictional store names had to be used: Macy's had refused to give permission to use their name, and became "Cole's" (not to be confused with the real-life chain Kohl's); while Gimbel's had gone out of business in 1987, so the scriptwriters used "Shoppers Express."

And the scriptwriters decided to add the wrinkle of the U.S. military "proving" that there is no Santa Claus, citing their vast technological expertise which had proven that there's no Santa's Workshop at or near the North Pole, thus forcing Bedford to figure out a way around that.

The film's title has been adapted for sports purposes. When the New York Mets won the 1969 World Series, Shea Stadium's Queens address was invoked as "Miracle On 126th Street." When the New York Knicks won the 1970 NBA Championship, the address of Madison Square Garden, 1 block west of Macy's Herald Square, was invoked as "Miracle On 33rd Street." Baltimore's Memorial Stadium was also on a 33rd Street, and the title was used when the Baltimore Orioles won the 1966 World Series. And when the New York Yankees came from 14 games back to win the 1978 World Series, Yankee Stadium's Bronx address was invoked as "Miracle On 161st Street."

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June 11, 1947 was a Wednesday. These baseball games were played that day:

* The New York Yankees lost to the Chicago White Sox, 3-2 at Comiskey Park in Chicago. Don Kolloway led off the bottom of the 11th inning with a triple off Frank "Spec" Shea, and George Dickey, no relation to recently-retired Yankee catcher Bill, singled him home with the winning run. Shea and ChiSox pitcher Joe Haynes had both gone the distance. Joe DiMaggio went 1-for-4.

* The New York Giants lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-7 at the Polo Grounds. Billy Cox, whom the Dodgers would acquire the next season along with pitcher Preacher Roe, hit a home run. Ralph Kiner went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs, although neither hit was a home run. Hank Greenberg, in his last season, did not get into the game.

* The Brooklyn Dodgers lost to the Cincinnati Reds, 5-4 at Ebbets Field. Jackie Robinson went 4-for-4 with an RBI. Another rookie, Duke Snider, went 2-for-5 with 2 RBIs. And Johnny "Spider" Jorgensen went 3-for-5. But all that wasn't enough.

* The Chicago Cubs swept a doubleheader from the Boston Braves, 4-0 and 5-2 at Braves Field. Doyle Lade pitched a 7-hit shutout to beat Warren Spahn in the 1st game.

* The Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-4 at Shibe Park in Philadelphia. Stan Musial went 1-for-4.

* The Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians, 3-0 at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Mickey Harris went 7 innings, and 2 relievers completed the 6-hit shutout. Ted Williams went 1-for-4.

* A doubleheader was split at Briggs Stadium in Detroit. (It was renamed Tiger Stadium in 1961.) The Detroit Tigers won the opener, 7-1. The Philadelphia Athletics won the nightcap, 4-0. Carl Scheibe allowed 7 hits and walked 7 batters, but, somehow, still kept a shutout.

* And the Washington Senators beat the St. Louis Browns, 4-2 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis.