UPDATE (Sunday, December 16): This story has been updated to reflect the offer by Ingersoll Auto of Danbury to cover the cost of today's movie tickets. All three shows will be free of charge, according to series organizer Jen Rogers.  

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The Someday Cinema Series will screen Miracle on 34th Street (1947), an award-winning Christmas classic, on Sunday, December 16. Screenings are planned for 1, 4, and 7 pm at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street; the first show will have captions for the benefit of the hearing impaired.

Admission is free, courtesy of Ingersoll Auto of Danbury. 

Audiences are encouraged to be in their seats on time for each screening to enjoy a special treat of holiday music, acoustically performed by Rock Elite Music Academy, this film’s sponsor, immediately followed by the film. The entire experience will last about two hours.

In this version of the Christmas film, Maureen O’Hara (The Quiet Man) plays Doris, a single mother trying to raise her precocious young daughter (Natalie Wood) to live entirely in reality. Doris has no use for imagination and lives by the code of common sense. Of course, as the organizer of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, she must indulge the fantasies of the masses and present “Santa Claus” as the symbol of Christmas goodwill.

When a man named Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) steps in to play that role and even claims to be the real Santa, everyone assumes he is delusional, which is fine as long as Macy’s makes a buck. Coming face-to-face with Mr Kringle causes Doris to question herself, and she and her daughter learn to have faith.

This family favorite has plenty of comic moments, including the film debut of Thelma Ritter (Rear Window) and the young surprise witness at Kris Kringle’s involuntary commitment hearing.

Edmund Gwenn won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe for his role as Kris Kringle, and no wonder, Maureen O’Hara said, “...by the time we were halfway through the shoot, we all believed Edmund really was Santa Claus. I’ve never seen an actor more naturally suited for a role.”

George Seaton also won both awards for Best Screenplay, while the Oscar for Best Writing, Original Story went to Valentine Davies.

Series update: The November screening of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers was interrupted by wintry weather, so it has been rescheduled for Sunday, April 7, 2019. Look for an upcoming announcement about the 2019 season for the Someday Cinema Series at fb.me/somedaycinemaseries and at newtownartscommission.org.