It has been many years since I saw either of the most familiar versions of this movie in their entirety. I did see a few minutes of the Edmund Gwenn version while rewinding a tape on Thanksgiving, and a clip from that movie in a TV special, but that's as close as I've come to remembering how good that movie was.There's not much point in comparing this movie to the others for that reason. I'm sure Edmund Gwenn's was better. But I saw this version because so many actors whose names I know appeared in it. Tom Bosley, David Doyle, Jim Backus, James Gregory, and Conrad Janis, to name a few. I enjoyed seeing these people and thought they all did a good job.Sebastian Cabot is familiar to me from the original "Family Affair", but I would never have known him. Giles French was such a curmudgeon, though over the years he probably came to love children. I just don't have a clear memory of that. And yet he just seemed so natural as the Macy's Santa Claus. Could Edmund Gwenn have done any better? Probably. And yet without comparing the two, I can say Sebastian Cabot WAS Kris Kringle. Such a loving, caring man, everything Christmas is supposed to be about. A man who truly cares about children. Yes, he could get angry. But for all the right reasons.The scenes involving the judge and the efforts to have Kris Kringle put away were really well-written. One would never know it was a kids' movie.Suzanne Davidson was so cute. I won't say she did a consistently good job, but she had some really good scenes.I can't remember his name now, but the other Santa Claus in the movie, the young store employee who was taught his craft by Kris, was really likable. Perhaps he could have been worthy of the job of Macy's Santa after some experience.I am aware David Hartman was an actor before "Good Morning America". And yet he came across like the "Good Morning America" co-host deciding to try acting. Still, he had some really good scenes, mostly in the courtroom.I genuinely despised Roddy McDowall's character. I can't even really say whether he did a good job, but the psychiatrist who wants Kris Kringle declared insane just didn't do anything for me, and I wonder if the character could have been written better.It was a real feel-good movie. I'm glad I saw this version.

I watched this when it first came on TV 35 years ago Dec.14,1973. I liked this one better than the 1947 and 1994 versions. Although,the 1947 and 1994 ones are on DVD and get the most advertised. This 1973 made for TV one is the one I grew up with as an 11 yr. old kid in the 70's.When at Christmas,kids wanted things like bicycles,roller skates, sleds,footballs,GI Joes,Barbie dolls,and the board games at that time. And before there were Ipods,there was the view master.This one stars Sebastian Cabot(Mr.French of Family Affair and Winston Essex of the Ghost Story series)as a man claiming to be Santa Claus. But Macy's store workers Karen Walker(Jane Alexander)and Dr.Sawyer(Roddy McDowall)have a hard time believing that but Karen's daughter Susan(Suzanne Walker(whatever came of her?)believes him. David Hartman(The Bold Ones:The New Doctors and Lucas Tanner)(the icon of 70's TV) plays Bill Schaffaer the lawyer who helps Kris Kringle prove who he is.This movie also stars Jim Backus(I Married Joan and Thurston Howell III of Gilligan's Island)as Horace Shellhammer. I liked it when Susan called him "Horace Belljammer". Conrad Janis(Mork and Mindy),Tom Bosley(Mr.C of Happy Days),and David Doyle(Bosley of Charlie's Angels)This movie should also set the record straight of a rumor that was going around of Tom Bosley and David Doyle being the same person. There is a scene were you see both actors together at an angle. So that rumor is false.I got this movie taped and watch it every Christmas because it reminds me of the Christmases I grew up with in the 70's.In my opinion,the best version.

I watched this last night on television for the first time (I did not see it when it came out in 1973). It sticks to the basics of the story: a jolly, fat old man named Kris Kringle (now Sebastian Cabot) is hired by Karen Walker (now Jane Alexander) to replace a drunken Santa Clause at the Thanksgiving Day Parade that Macy's throws. Kringle proves such a wonderful Santa that Mr. Macy (David Doyle) hires him for the season. He soon becomes a fixture in the Department Store by his fresh honesty that brings in customers. He also becomes a fixture in the lives of Karen and her daughter Susan (Susan Davidson) and her neighbor Bill Schaffner (David Hartman), encouraging Susan to rid herself of the mother-imposed controls on her imagination and childhood spirit, and encouraging Bill and Karen to get together. The fly in the ointment is the skeptical reaction of Dr. Henry Sawyer (Roddy MacDonald here) who is certain that Kris must be a mental case, as he openly claims he is Santa Clause. Eventually all is led to an insanity hearing before a politically active Judge (here Tom Bosley) with the prosecution led by the District Attorney (James Gregory here). The results are the same as in the original film.Familiarity supposedly breeds contempt, but here it was accepted that the audience knew the story (most audiences are aware of all the best stories connected to Christmas that have been made into films). The results is the film is still good, even if some of the edge and drive of the 1947 version are lost. For example, a definite highpoint of the original was William Frawley's funny speech of warning to Judge Gene Lockhart to be extremely careful about handling the insanity hearing. Frawley looked and spoke like the old time political pro he is supposed to be, and delivers the speech with a chirping little smile that the audience appreciates and cheers on. That speech has been dropped here, and while Jason Wingreen (best recalled as "Harry" the bartender on ALL IN THE FAMILY and ARCHIE BUNKER'S PLACE) is fine he has no really good replacement speech. Certain characters seem wasted. Karen's assistant is played by Jim Backus, but he is never given any really memorable bit of business his comic and acting abilities deserve. The hearing is a closed one, and it lacks the noise and publicity the original film gave (which added to the pressures on Lockhart and the D.A. in that film, Jerome Cowan). Roland Winters is in this film as Mr. Gimble, and has one good scene besting his rival for publicity. But the character also ended up in the 1947 version testifying (as does Mr. Macy) at the hearing.The biggest change (and a flawed one) is Dr. Sawyer. In the original it was Porter Hall, who really had no right to call himself a doctor, as he was not a real therapist (he just fell into the job at Macy's). He is a spiteful, despicable little worm, who eventually finds that his own actions get out of hand and ruin him. Here MacDowell is shading the character a bit. He actually is a psychiatrist, and he does believe that Cabot is off the wall, but he is also angry at Cabot's contempt for him and humiliating him in public. Something could have been rewritten to allow him to come around to seeing Cabot was right (if rewriting was part of the plans of the production). Still for all these changes or deletions, as I said the film holds up well, and the cast gives it their all. So as far as remakes go it is a good one, and worth watching.

I have seen and liked all 3 versions of this movie (and let's pray no one else remakes it again)but this version I've only seen twice. I saw it in the early 90s one night in December on late night TV and then last night the MY-TV Network played the new DVD version. I could tell it was the DVD because it had those squares that interfere with the picture for a moment.It was better than I remember it but I do agree with some here that it's not the best version. That always will be the first one,with the 1994 one being fairly close to that version. This version however is really pretty good. It only suffers from 1970s sensibilities,fashion and although I hate to say it,former "Good Morning America" host David Hartman. He does well enough for a TV-movie and he did seem more into his role in the second half of the movie. Especially the very famous mailmen in the courtroom scene. The actress playing Susan's mother is nice and demonstrates the modern woman of that day admirably but it seems rushed in how she and Hartman fall in love and get together. I wont fault the girl who played Susan at all,a kid is a kid and maybe she's not Natalie Wood but I still think she did a good job. Sebastian Cabot was the perfect choice for Kris. Loved his song too and glad there was only one song in the movie. He brought just the right energy to the role. The film is filled with A-List (and B list) TV actors of the day and they all play their roles great and all were funny too. So,overall I can't find a tremendous amount of fault with the movie,I liked it too much to rate it less than a 9 out of ten. I'd say ten but the other two films truly outshine it. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! (END)