Niche for Edmund Gwenn

For almost 80 years, people across the globe have gotten into the Christmas spirit by watching the classic 1947 film, Miracle on 34th Street. The story of Kris Kringle working as a Macy's department store Santa trying to convince those around him that he is in fact the real Santa Claus leaves viewers with a sense of childhood wonder and to have a little faith in the seemingly unbelievable. One of the biggest reasons this film has remained a classic for all these years is due to the incredible performance of Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle. He became what some call the "original Santa," a face known to many, even if his real name is unknown to them. He is simply Santa.

Edmund Gwenn passed away in 1959, leaving behind a filmography of almost 100 films and countless stage and radio appearances. Upon his death, he was cremated at the Chapel of the Pines Crematory and placed in a beautiful bronze urn. However, his urn was not placed in a niche. Instead, for reasons unknown, the urn was placed in the vaults of the crematory, where it remained undiscovered for over 60 years. In March of 2023, while working on cataloging the vaults, we found his beautiful and pristine urn wrapped in paper. Not to sound cliché, but it was truly our miracle on Catalina Street.

Edmund's family was located, and their wish was that he should be in a place where fans can come and pay their respects. That is the aim of this campaign. Edmund will be placed in a niche at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in the Cathedral Mausoleum, alongside Helen Chandler, Rudolph Valentino and Barbara La Marr (to name a few). The amount raised will pay for the niche itself, inurnment and, down the road, a special unveiling event.

Please consider donating or helping spread the word so we can ensure that Edmund Gwenn has the final resting place he deserves.