Der Weihnachtsmann des Volkes. Miracle on 34th Street und das populistische Kino Hollywoods

The 1940s is considered the great era of Hollywood Christmas films. However, classics such as IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (USA 1946, Frank Capra) and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET (USA 1947, George Seaton) are also political in nature, as they raise questions about community building, America's social crises, and the renewal of its political leadership. In this sense, they belong to the tradition of populist cinema, an explicitly political movement in Hollywood during the 1930s. This paper argues that the fusion of political and fantastical elements in Christmas films results in a politicization of fiction itself: Santa Claus becomes the embodiment of the imaginary dimension of politics, and the plot serves as an exploration of the significance of this dimension for America's political institutions.