Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Vincente Minnelli

Writers:

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

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 | Coronet | Lip Cut | Americana | Spring

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sidney Barnes	...	Hugo Borvis (uncredited)
Joe Cobb	...	A clinton badger (uncredited)
Victor Cox	...	Driver (uncredited)
Donald Curtis	...	Dr. Terry (uncredited)
Kenneth Donner	...	A clinton badger (uncredited)
Mary Jo Ellis	...	Ida Boothby (uncredited)
Helen Gilbert	...	Girl on trolley (uncredited)
Buddy Gorman	...	A clinton badger (uncredited)
Gary Gray	...	Boy at pavilion (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Mr. March (uncredited)
Darryl Hickman	...	Johnny Tevis (uncredited)
Victor Kilian	...	Baggage man (uncredited)
Belle Mitchell	...	Mrs. Braukoff (uncredited)
Mayo Newhall	...	Mr. Braukoff (uncredited)
Sid Newman	...	(uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Motorman (uncredited)
John Phipps	...	Mailman (uncredited)
Dorothy Raye	...	Girl at Party (uncredited)
William Smith	...	(uncredited)
Myron Tobias	...	George (uncredited)
Dorothy Tuttle	...	Singing waitress (uncredited)
Leonard Walker	...	Conductor (uncredited)
Ken Wilson	...	Quentin (uncredited)

Directed by
Vincente Minnelli

Writing credits
Irving Brecher		(screenplay) and
Fred F. Finklehoffe		(screenplay)
Sally Benson		(book)

Produced by
Arthur Freed	....	producer
Roger Edens	....	associate producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Roger Edens		(uncredited)
Conrad Salinger		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
George J. Folsey		(as George Folsey)

Film Editing by
Albert Akst

Art Direction by
Lemuel Ayers
Cedric Gibbons
Jack Martin Smith

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Irene Sharaff		(as Sharaff)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer
Dorothy Ponedel	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Dave Friedman	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Wallace Worsley Jr.	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Paul Huldschinsky	....	associate set decorator

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Joe Edmondson	....	sound (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor

Music Department
Roger Edens	....	music adaptor
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator
George Stoll	....	musical director (as Georgie Stoll)
Sidney Cutner	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Robert Franklyn	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Lennie Hayton	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Wally Heglin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Calvin Jackson	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Joseph Nussbaum	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Stoll	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Robert Tucker	....	vocal arranger (uncredited)

Other crew
Henri Jaffa	....	associate technicolor color director
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color director
Charles Walters	....	dance director
Paul Jones	....	choreographer (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's (produced by) (as Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1944) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm and 16mm prints)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)

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:

The street on which the Smith home stood was built specifically for "Meet Me in St. Louis." Located on MGM's vast Backlot #3 that was at Jefferson and Overland Boulevards in Culver City,it was known at the studio as "St. Louis Street" and all of the houses that were on it were used in various film and television shows throughout the next 27 years, until Lot 3 was demolished to make way for an apartment and condominium project. Even in 1970, the last year of Lot 3's existence, the Smith home still looked like it did in 1944, minus the set dressings, of course.

Goofs:

Factual errors: During the Trolley Song the location of the Fair was mentioned as at Huntington Park. The actual location of the Worlds Fair was Forest Park.

Quotes:

Esther Smith: It's our last dance in St. Louis. I feel like I'm going to cry.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Cry-Baby (1990)

Soundtrack:

Auld Lang Syne

Judy Garland at her best!

This is one of my favorite movies with Judy Garland in it (the others being 'A Star Is Born' and 'Easter Parade'). She is so superb in it! Vincente Minnelli's direction is pristine and lushly beautiful. The supporting cast of the film also adds flair to the film. Little Margaret O'Brien plays Tootie, Judy's little sister in the film, who is a real standout. Lucille Bremer (a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette, who had a very short career at MGM), plays Judy's older sister who tries flirting with a colonel. The fabulous plot is very simple:

The year is 1903, the town, St. Louis.Tthe Smith family is anxiously awaiting to go to the World's Fair in their hometown. Esther (Judy Garland) has an endless crush on the boy next door Jon Truett (Tom Drake. Then, Mr. Smith (Leon Ames) breaks the news to the family that they are moving to New York City so he can get a job. Mrs. Smith (Mary Astor), Tootie (Margaret O'Brien), Agnes (Joan Caroll), and Esther (Judy), are extremely disappointed. But, on Christmas Eve, they decide not to move after all, and become one of the first visitors to the St. Louis World's Fair of 1904.

This movie is one of the greatest movie musicals of all time, and one of Judy Garland's BEST movies! (She sings the legendary "The Trolley Song", the heartwarming "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", the lovely "The Boy Next Door", and the cute duet with Margaret O'Brien, "Under The Bamboo Tree")

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS WHOEVER LIKES MUSICALS! 10/10