This Judy Garland musical might be most famous for either 'The Trolley Song' (to this day I see comedians reference it. Spouse saying something that the comedian doesn't want to hear? Hands over the ears and they start yelling 'CLANG CLANG CLANG WENT THE TROLLEY!'), or perhaps for 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,' perhaps for the very beautiful title song, or perhaps as the musical where Judy Garland and Vincente Minnelli fell in love. Whatever reason for its fame, 'Meet Me In St.Louis' is a wonderful musical that sits in the upper ranks of the genre.
The story is about a St.Louis family and one year in their lives. Their dramas range from the daughters trying to meet boys, to pranking the 'meanest' neighbor on Halloween, to the more serious drama of whether the family should move to New York in order to pursue a much higher profile and higher paying job for the father. The story moves at a leisurely but not unenjoyable pace through each of the four seasons and ends with winter and the convenient resolution of all these dramas.
I have a hard time not loving Judy Garland on screen and she's very good here. She headlined the film, although she did receive reliable and strong support from Leon Ames, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Chill Wills and Harry Davenport. Judy Garland had some misgivings about being in this film. She was 21 and didn't want to play teenagers anymore but had also been advised by Joesph Mankiewicz that the best part in the film would belong to youngest sister 'Tootie.' Although MGM did ultimately convince Garland to be part of the film, Mankiewicz's prediction came true -- 'Meet Me in St. Louis' gave 7 year old Margaret O'Brien an honourary Academy Award in the Juvenille category and solidified her position as a major child star for the 1940's.
Great songs, Judy Garland, strong performances, a sweet and charming story line; these things make 'Meet Me In St. Louis' well worth your time.
The story is about a St.Louis family and one year in their lives. Their dramas range from the daughters trying to meet boys, to pranking the 'meanest' neighbor on Halloween, to the more serious drama of whether the family should move to New York in order to pursue a much higher profile and higher paying job for the father. The story moves at a leisurely but not unenjoyable pace through each of the four seasons and ends with winter and the convenient resolution of all these dramas.
I have a hard time not loving Judy Garland on screen and she's very good here. She headlined the film, although she did receive reliable and strong support from Leon Ames, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Chill Wills and Harry Davenport. Judy Garland had some misgivings about being in this film. She was 21 and didn't want to play teenagers anymore but had also been advised by Joesph Mankiewicz that the best part in the film would belong to youngest sister 'Tootie.' Although MGM did ultimately convince Garland to be part of the film, Mankiewicz's prediction came true -- 'Meet Me in St. Louis' gave 7 year old Margaret O'Brien an honourary Academy Award in the Juvenille category and solidified her position as a major child star for the 1940's.
Great songs, Judy Garland, strong performances, a sweet and charming story line; these things make 'Meet Me In St. Louis' well worth your time.