Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - film review

In 1903, St Louis is home to the Smith family, a typical middle-class American household which comprises successful business man Alonzo Smith, his wife Anna, their grown-up son Lon and four daughters, Rose, Esther, Agnes and Tootie.  Esther has developed a crush on the boy next door, John Truett, and wonders how she can contrive their first meeting.  Rose is disappointed when her boyfriend in New York fails to offer her the proposal of marriage she had been expecting.   Meanwhile, the youngest girls Agnes and Tootie are busy getting themselves into trouble, as little girls might, by trying to derail a trolley bus.  Alas, this halcyon existence is to come to an end when Mr Smith reveals that, owing to his promotion, he and his family must move to New York.  For Esther and her sisters, it is as if their father has announced the end of the world...

One of the brightest of the MGM musicals came out of the bleakest period in WWII, and no wonder it proved an enormous box office hit.   Meet Me in St. Louis is a magical film that has lost none of its charm, delighting with its uplifting musical numbers, Vincente Minnelli’s slick direction and the heart-warming contributions from its stars, Judy Garland and 7-year-old Margaret O’Brien.  It’s as light and fluffy as candyfloss, and just as sweet.

It was whilst making this film that Vincente Minnelli and Judy Garland first met and fell in love; they would marry the following year.  Make-up artist Dorothy Ponedel was responsible for Garland’s new look, transforming her from the adorable little girl of The Wizard of Oz into a stunning young woman.  Garland’s insecurities and emotional instability began to take their toll during the making of this film, although her performance is faultless and there is no hint of the personal crises that would lead to her nervous breakdown a few years later.

With its lavish sets and lush colour photography, Meet Me in St. Louis evokes a fairytale world that is about as far from the reality of 1900s America as it is possible to get, yet this is exactly what a war-weary audience wanted in 1944, a delightful pick-me-up that reminded them better days lay ahead.  Of the many songs the film offers, some have become popular classics, including: The Trolley Song, The Boy Next Door and Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.  It’s a terrific feel-good film that is sure to make you laugh and cry, although for maximum effect it has to be seen late on Christmas Eve.

© filmsdefrance.com 2009

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