By today's standards Meet Me In St Louis may be considered quaint and old fashioned. But cinema history has designated it a place as a landmark film in the development in the movie musical. Meet Me In St Louis marks the point when the musical went out into the real world and explored the lives of every day people with song.
The film starred Judy garland in one of her most triumphant performances and is notable for introducing to popular songs that have become classics, The Trolley Song and Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.
The movie follows the Smith family and gives us a slice of life into small town America in 1903. Since there was no radio, phonograph or television, singing and musical instruments were a natural part of socializing and entertaining, so the music flows naturally with the story and propels the plot.
The film opens in the summer of 1903 and everyone is excited about the World's Fair coming to St. Louis in 1904. In the Smith household romance is in the air as the two older sisters and their brother pursue various love interests. Rose Smith (Rose Smith) is in love with a college boy, Warren Sheffield (Robert Sully), who is away in NY. Esther (Garland) has her eye on the boy next door, John Truett (Tom Drake) and "Lon" Smith is interested in a college girl named Lucille Ballard (June Lockheart).
The younger Smith girls Agnes (Joan Carroll) and "Tootie" (Margaret O'Brien) have other pursuits and get in trouble when ever they can. The family is overseen by Mrs. Anna Smith (Mary Astor) and Mr. Alonzo Smith ( Leon Ames) with humorous interference by Katie the maid (Marjorie Main) and Grandpa (Harry Davenport).
Throughout the summer and fall everything in the Smith household hums along in anticipation of the opening of the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition, until Mr. Smith comes home and announces that he has received a huge promotion and the entire family is being moved to New York City the week after Christmas. Instead of being met with joy, the family is dismayed. They love their life in St. Louis and are sad to leave.
Their sadness and melancholy at leaving are perfectly expressed when Judy sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. The song by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane as become a holiday standard and expresses both longing and hope for togetherness at Christmas time.
Garland has never looked lovelier in a film and that's because novice director Vincent Minnelli was falling in love with his star while he was directing the film and it shows in every shot.
Meet Me In St. Louis is one of the greatest pictures ever produced at MGM studios and is a perfect slice of Americana.
At the Movie House rating **** stars.
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