Year of Release: 1944Country of Origin: USA
Director: Vincente Minnelli
Cast: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames, Tom Drake
Plot outline: 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 (IMDb).
Adapted from a series of short stories by Sally Benson, originally published in The New Yorker magazine and later in the novel 5135 Kensington, this movie is one of Judy Garland's most successful movies for MGM. When you feel a bit down and need to lift up your spirits, this movie is definitely the antidote you should take. The Smith family is a perfect picture of a perfect family: the father is industrious, the mother is devoted, the children are playful yet impeccably proper, the housemaid is true-hearted, even the grandpa is healthy and happy. The neighbourhood is also a perfect picture of a perfect community. It's like a fairytale (!) And this fairytale exerts our emotions far stronger than any real story could command. I found many funny, beautiful, charming and touching moments in this musical classic: e.g. the telephone-call-from-New-York scene, the switching-off-the-lights scene, the trolley scene (Ms. Garland debuted "The Trolley Song" which became a hit even before the movie was released), the Halloween scene, the moving-to-New-York scene (the resistance by the family and subsequently the make-up between the father and mother at the piano are believable and beautiful) and of course the window scene (Ms. Garland debuted "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" which became popular among American soldiers serving in World War II); she wholeheartedly sings the song to her little sister Tootie when she is upset to learn that she has to leave all her snowmen behind ... it's very touching. While Judy Garland's Esther is certainly the star of the show, seven-year-old Margaret O'Brien's Tootie is also the centre of most of the fun ... she sometimes steals the show (!), for which she won a special juvenile Oscar. All in all, Meet Me in St. Louis is a sheer delight from start to finish.
My judgement: *** out of 4 stars
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