Kris Kringle

movie character

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Last updated

July 20, 2026

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Kris Kringle is a character in the 1947 American comedy film Miracle on 34th Street. In the movie, Kris Kringle is an elderly man hired to play Santa Claus at Macy's department store. A young girl named Susan Walker begins to believe he might be the real Santa. After being framed and placed in a mental hospital, Kris and his lawyer must prove his identity as Santa Claus in court. The film became a holiday classic, inspiring remakes and influencing Christmas traditions. Kris Kringle is an alternate name for Santa Claus, derived from the German "Christkindl," meaning "Christmas gift" or "Christ child".12

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Miracle on 34th Street
…lives intersect with that of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), an elderly man hired to play Santa at New York City’s famous Macy’s department store, Susan begins to suspect he may be the real St. Nick. After a jealous fellow employee frames him for an assault, Kringle is placed in a…
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…lives intersect with that of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn), an elderly man hired to play Santa at New York City’s famous Macy’s department store, Susan begins to suspect he may be the real St. Nick. After a jealous fellow employee frames him for an assault, Kringle is placed in a…
Read More