Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

Irving Brecher (screenplay) and
Fred F. Finklehoffe (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

January 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Musical | Romance

Tagline:

A cast of favorites in the Charming . . . Romantic . . . Tuneful Love Story of the Early 1900s !

Plot:

In the year before the 1904 St Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Spring | Flour | Teenager | Disappointment

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Judy Garland	...	Esther Smith
Margaret O'Brien	...	'Tootie' Smith
Mary Astor	...	Mrs. Anna Smith
Lucille Bremer	...	Rose Smith
Leon Ames	...	Mr. Alonzo Smith
Tom Drake	...	John Truett
Marjorie Main	...	Katie - Maid
Harry Davenport	...	Grandpa
June Lockhart	...	Lucille Ballard
Henry H. Daniels Jr.	...	Lon Smith Jr.
Joan Carroll	...	Agnes Smith
Hugh Marlowe	...	Colonel Darly
Robert Sully	...	Warren Sheffield
Chill Wills	...	Mr. Neely

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Canada:G (Ontario) | UK:U | USA:Approved (certificate #10050) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", Judy Garland refused to sing the grim original line, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas, it may be your last" to little Margaret O'Brien. The line was dropped from the final version of the song.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Esther and Tootie perform "Under the Bamboo Tree", Tootie's bedroom slippers are pink at the beginning of the number...but change to blue in the "cake walk" finale.

Quotes:

Grandpa: That doctor must be walking!
Rose Smith: Should I call Papa at his office?
Mrs. Anna Smith: Oh, heavens no, don't call your father! What could he do? There, there, Tootie, darling.
'Tootie' Smith: He tried to kill me...
Mrs. Anna Smith: Now tell Mommy what happened.
Esther Smith: It was the streetcar. I think it hit her.
Rose Smith: It must have knocked her onto the sidewalk, didn't it, Tootie?
'Tootie' Smith: No, it wasn't a streetcar. It was John Truett. He tried to kill me.
Mrs. Anna Smith: John Truett hit you?
'Tootie' Smith: He tried to kill me, and when I screamed, he ran away.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Featured in Glorious Technicolor (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Down at the Old Bull and Bush

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

This is Judy Garlands second best film, next to the Wizard of Oz. It has the nostalgic feeling of fantasy for a different time & place. Feeling good & no place like home come into play too.

Vincent Minelli directs this Garland starring vehicle & then marries her after the film. Arther Freed, the MGM musical genius produces it. The supporting cast is strong from character actors Marjorie Main & Chill Wills, to Mary Astor & even a 19 year old June Lockhart.

The story is basically about St. Louis & a family living there in 1903. During the first half hour Judy sings several songs. Then there is a musical break for a while before the songs come back as we go from summer to fall. Then in the winter in the last 15 minutes, Judy finally gets to that tune "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas." Besides Over The Rainbow, this is her next most famous song.

This Technicolor musical is a good film. Some of the tunes are now dated, but Judys Christmas song is as timeless as any she ever sang & she is in excellent voice. The film features the mandatory happy ending which most films of the period have.

It runs a little short of 2 hours so it doesn't get bogged down which makes it quite watchable & even though it has Christmas in it, it is not broadcast as often as other Christmas films, but is as good as many of the films which are broadcast every year.