Walt's calculations were correct, Snow White and Seven Dwarfs was a hit throughout entire world in 1938 and for many years beyond, keeping audiences riveted. The only down side for Walt was that maybe peddler woman was a little too horrifying, he was disturbed by reports from Radio City Music Hall in New York where film was setting box office records. It turned out that every few days theater management had to replace seats. . . due to excessive wetness.

Stephen Schochet is the author and narrator of the audiobooks "Fascinating Walt Disney" and "Tales Of Hollywood". The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says," these two elaborate productions are exceptionally entertaining." Hear realaudio samples of these great, unique gifts at www.hollywoodstories.com.

Overcoming his initial reluctance Daryl Zanuck who was famous for his memos, made suggestions to improve film's story. The mother Doris, played by Maureen O'Hara was too cold, she would scare a man like Fred (John Payne) off, she had to be made warmer to audience by explaining that she had been burned by an earlier relationship and that's why she didn't want her daughter believing in Santa Claus. Zanuck also felt that they shouldn't overdo scenes where Macy's employees recommend that their customers go shopping at Gimbels, just some simple dialogue was enough to get point across. But despite loud cheering by preview audiences when Santa Claus was declared sane in courtroom scene, Zanuck never had full confidence in film. He put it in theaters in July, busiest time of year for moviegoers, and told his marketing staff to hide from public that film was about Christmas.

One reference in Miracle script that's now dated was when Kris Kringle's psychiatrist mentioned a man in Hollywood who passed himself off as Russian Prince and owned a restaurant. It was a dig at Mike Romanoff, a colorful fraud whose Rodeo Drive eatery was a fun sanctuary for Hollywood's most notorious figures. One night FBI head J. Edgar Hoover was dining at Romanoffs when he was approached by an actual jewel thief named Swifty Morgan. "Like to buy these gold cuff links?" Amused, Hoover offered $200. "Oh come on John reward is more than that!"