Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

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 | Winter | Piano | Moving | Pipe Smoking

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:

Judy Garland missed 13 days of work causing the production taking 70 days to complete from the original budgeted 58 days.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The family sings "Meet Me In St.Louis" in 1903, but it wasn't published until 1904

Quotes:

Grandpa: You'll all be safe with me; I've got twelve guns in my room!

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Little Brown Jug

Judy Garland Is Unforgettable In Colorful Americana

Hollywood Americanas are usually too saccharine for their own good, but this film's excellent script and memorable characterizations make this production one of the best family movies that came out of the dream factory. It is also one of the few musicals that is not based on a Broadway show. Judy Garland heads the impressive cast, and she never looked more beautiful than she she does here. She is at her peak as a singer, and she is astonishingly good in both her funny and dramatic moments; she's probably the most well-rounded entertainer of the century. Every song in the film is a winner (I'm partial to the "Trolley Song", though), and the color cinematography, sets and costumes are extraordinary. In fact, this an amazingly beautiful film that the whole family could enjoy. I did find the film's message a little outdated (after all this is a 1940s film about life in 1903), but that is a silly complaint when one takes in consideration what a good film this is. Possibly, Minnelli's best musical and one of Garland's finest moments on the screen. Also, tiny Margaret O'Brien's finest 2-hours.