Meet Me in St. Louis (A or 4/4 stars)
For me, 'Meet Me in St. Louis' (directed by the great Vincente Minnelli) is one of the best movie musicals to ever grace the silver screen. It's a sweet, colorful, nostalgic valentine to the city of St. Louis, to youthful romance, to family, and to "home" -- in every sense of the word. Based on the short story memoirs of Sally Benson, the film covers the activities of the Smiths, an upper middle-class family living in a large Edwardian home in the suburbs of St. Louis during 1903. Right off the bat, we witness/hear how revved up about the arrival of the 1904 World's Fair they all are; they can't stop singing the title song, haha. The movie is divided into 4 chapters that represent the 4 seasons leading up to that World's Fair; telling of the changes in the family taking place during the year.
The joyful existence of the Smiths is threatened when the patriarch (Leon Ames) might uproot his family to NY because of a lucrative job offer. The Smith family consists of his loyal wife Anna (Mary Astor), college-aged son Lon (Henry Daniels Jr.), & four daughters, the old-fashioned 20 yr. old Rose (Lucille Bremer), the sweet 17 yr. old Esther (Judy Garland, actually 22), the pre-teen Agnes (Joan Carroll), & the "holy terror" 6 yr. old 'Tootie' (adorable Margaret O'Brien). The possible relocation greatly disturbs the entire family. But it is Esther & Rose who are the most traumatized. Esther is interested in the new "boy next door", John Truett (Tom Drake). And Rose is impatient for a proposal from her boyfriend. Even Tootie feels the trauma; not wanting to leave her idyllic childhood home.
'Meet Me in St. Louis' takes a loving, nostalgic look back at a time of optimism & innocence - where a long-distance call from a gentleman caller was as important as having the World's Fair come to town; where riding ice trucks in Summer, trick-or-treating in Fall, building snowmen in Winter, & looking for fresh starts in Spring was the way of life. Thematically, the changes among the various family members hint at the end of a rose-colored era (pre-WWI). Circa 1903-04, there was a hidden fear in Middle America (and America in general) about a more complex world that would eventually arrive to complicate everything; in other words, the good 'ole way of life was starting to vanish. That gives this good-natured film a somewhat darker edge than what might be perceived on the surface.
The performances are lovely; with each character treating each other with affection & tolerance. Leon Ames is stellar as the grumpy, but understanding patriarch. Mary Astor gives a subtle, affecting performance as a woman trying to understand/defend her husband, even when she laments the same as her children. Judy Garland is magical. Right from the get-go, her window-framed tune "The Boy Next Door" brought a smile to my face. All of the songs are just glorious. I enjoyed Garland's dance routine to "Skip To My Lou". I LOVED her romantic scene with John Truett when she asks him to accompany her as she turns down all the lights in the house. Her iconic "Trolley Song" sequence is toe-tapping terrific. And there's nothing greater than her melancholy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
I enjoyed loveable Marjorie Main as the unflappable maid. Harry Davenport is charming as the loony grandfather. And young Margaret O'Brien won a special juvenile Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as morbid Tootie. She talks about the dead a lot and, in one Halloween scene, throws flour in a scary neighbor's face on a dare. Later, upon hearing news of their move to NY, she ruins snowmen in the backyard. It's an alarming, yet sad moment which sets up the poignant "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" sequence. Lensed in rich Technicolor, the proceedings are warm & vibrant (best put to use in the World's Fair climax). The family house is the type that anyone anywhere would want to live in. The period details are perfect. Oh, I could go on & on. So if you love Hollywood movie musicals, this one offers amiable characters, great songs, beautiful visuals, and leaves us with the heartwarming sentiment that, really ... there's no place like home.
The joyful existence of the Smiths is threatened when the patriarch (Leon Ames) might uproot his family to NY because of a lucrative job offer. The Smith family consists of his loyal wife Anna (Mary Astor), college-aged son Lon (Henry Daniels Jr.), & four daughters, the old-fashioned 20 yr. old Rose (Lucille Bremer), the sweet 17 yr. old Esther (Judy Garland, actually 22), the pre-teen Agnes (Joan Carroll), & the "holy terror" 6 yr. old 'Tootie' (adorable Margaret O'Brien). The possible relocation greatly disturbs the entire family. But it is Esther & Rose who are the most traumatized. Esther is interested in the new "boy next door", John Truett (Tom Drake). And Rose is impatient for a proposal from her boyfriend. Even Tootie feels the trauma; not wanting to leave her idyllic childhood home.
'Meet Me in St. Louis' takes a loving, nostalgic look back at a time of optimism & innocence - where a long-distance call from a gentleman caller was as important as having the World's Fair come to town; where riding ice trucks in Summer, trick-or-treating in Fall, building snowmen in Winter, & looking for fresh starts in Spring was the way of life. Thematically, the changes among the various family members hint at the end of a rose-colored era (pre-WWI). Circa 1903-04, there was a hidden fear in Middle America (and America in general) about a more complex world that would eventually arrive to complicate everything; in other words, the good 'ole way of life was starting to vanish. That gives this good-natured film a somewhat darker edge than what might be perceived on the surface.
The performances are lovely; with each character treating each other with affection & tolerance. Leon Ames is stellar as the grumpy, but understanding patriarch. Mary Astor gives a subtle, affecting performance as a woman trying to understand/defend her husband, even when she laments the same as her children. Judy Garland is magical. Right from the get-go, her window-framed tune "The Boy Next Door" brought a smile to my face. All of the songs are just glorious. I enjoyed Garland's dance routine to "Skip To My Lou". I LOVED her romantic scene with John Truett when she asks him to accompany her as she turns down all the lights in the house. Her iconic "Trolley Song" sequence is toe-tapping terrific. And there's nothing greater than her melancholy "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas".
I enjoyed loveable Marjorie Main as the unflappable maid. Harry Davenport is charming as the loony grandfather. And young Margaret O'Brien won a special juvenile Oscar for her scene-stealing performance as morbid Tootie. She talks about the dead a lot and, in one Halloween scene, throws flour in a scary neighbor's face on a dare. Later, upon hearing news of their move to NY, she ruins snowmen in the backyard. It's an alarming, yet sad moment which sets up the poignant "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" sequence. Lensed in rich Technicolor, the proceedings are warm & vibrant (best put to use in the World's Fair climax). The family house is the type that anyone anywhere would want to live in. The period details are perfect. Oh, I could go on & on. So if you love Hollywood movie musicals, this one offers amiable characters, great songs, beautiful visuals, and leaves us with the heartwarming sentiment that, really ... there's no place like home.