Here’s some more of the classic Christmas movie theme today. And this one is the “Miracle on 34th Street.” The main stars were Maureen O’hara, John Payne, Edmund Gwenn, and a very young Natalie Wood. In case you’ve never seen the movie, it’s about a guy named Kris Kringle who claims to be the real Santa Claus.
And it’s almost a miracle how the movie was produced and released.
According to interviews, memoirs, and other recorded documents, they had to overcome a lot of challenges. Because they wanted to release the movie in May. And that’s because the head of Fox Studios, Darryl F. Zanuck said that’s when more people go to the movies. And the Christmas theme was supposed to be a secret.
Challenges included getting Maureen O’hara to come back to United States to be in the movie. Apparently she had recently moved back home to her native Ireland just after the end of World War II. And then, they had to market the movie to not look like a Christmas movie. So, the promo posters they used made it look like more of a love story with O’hara and Payne in the forefront.
Then, there were all the logistics. It’s not easy to film a major movie without drawing attention to the theme.
I read how Arthur Jacobson, the assistant director, used nine cameras at the same time to film the Macy’s Parade on Thanksgiving morning.
And Maureen O’hara, in her memoir, talked about those outside shots during the actual 1946 parade. She said, “It was a mad scramble to get all the shots we needed, and we got to do each scene only once. It was bitterly cold that day, and Edmund and I envied Natalie (Wood) and John Payne, who watched the parade from a window.”
And they used real crowds to speed up production.
Besides the Macy’s Parade, they also filmed Edmund Gwenn and Natalie Wood in a scene where they were in the actual Macy’s Department store cafeteria line. During a weekday lunch rush no less. Plus, they filmed Maureen O’hara during a shopping spree with “real” people around. Seems like that wouldn’t be easy.
Then, for promos of the movie, they used a “fake” producer who walked around the studio backlot. And he’d casually and “accidentally” bump into stars who were at work. And, of course, they said wonderful things about the upcoming Miracle on 34th Street movie.
When you consider all those planning details, behind the scenes, it’s almost a miracle things went so well.
I read where even the house, at the end of the movie, is a real house that’s still around. Not just one of those fake Hollywood facades. So, think about it. Somebody had to find the “right house” and figure out the best time to go by and film those scenes.
But you know why all those details worked out and the movie was a big success? Because the people in charge had their famous Hollywood system for production. They knew what they needed. And they knew how to delegate to the right people.
And it’s no different now. I mean have you seen how many people it takes to make a superhero movie?
So, maybe you think, “Sure. That’s Hollywood. They’ve got the big bucks to hire anyone they need.” But that’s not the point. Because even with big bucks, you gotta have a system to find, contact, and hiring “anyone they need.”
And, if you own a business, so do you.
Good news is…you don’t need a Hollywood blockbuster budget. Because you can get my RondaReady system. I won’t tell you it’s a real Santa Claus. But I WILL tell you that when you plug your business into it, and do the work, it’s almost like a miracle on your own street.
Yeah. Get my system, and Get Ready to Be Ready and be the highly organized CEO of your business.
Because I truly do wanna help you…
Stay Ready,
Ronda