Meet Me in St. Louis Family amazon Online Free youtube Full Length 
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William Ludwig, Irving Brecher
Meet Me in St. Louis is a movie starring Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, and Mary Astor. In the year leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a
USA
runtime 1h 53 minutes
Audience Score 19297 vote
Sucks that they're all dead.Everyone there will have moved here is the best line in this song! Also, who are the fools who thumbs-downed this? Plus, that dress on Rita Moreno was the reason she was one of my first girl crushes. One of my Favorite Judy Garland songs. I loved this movie but I wished they showcased their romance in the movie more.
If the movie was about a St. Louis that never was, and a family that never was, I don't care- it still makes me feel really good about life.? 'mission accomplished. I'm going to cry listening to this it's so sad and loving. I'm crying my eyes out now.Blocked in the USA. Sorry, guys. I love this movie! So funny! Thank you for making it available.
I've got sixpence Jolly. jolly sixpence I've got sixpence to last me all my life I've got twopence to spend And twopence to lend And twopence to send home to my wife-poor wife. Chorus: No cares have I to grieve me No pretty little girls to deceive me I'm happy as a king believe me As we go rolling, rolling home Rolling home (rolling home) Rolling home (rolling home) By the light of the silvery moo-oo-on Happy is the day when the solider get His pay As we go rolling, rolling home. I've been working on the railroad All the live-long day. I've been working on the railroad Just to pass the time away. Can't you hear the whistle blowing, Rise up so early in the morn; Can't you hear the captain shouting, Dinah, blow your horn! Dinah, won't you blow, Dinah, won't you blow, Dinah, won't you blow your horn? Dinah, won't you blow, Dinah, won't you blow, Dinah, won't you blow your horn? Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah Someone's in the kitchen I know Someone's in the kitchen with Dinah Strummin' on the old banjo! Singin' fee, fie, fiddly-i-o Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o-o-o-o Fee, fie, fiddly-i-o Strummin' on the old banjo. That's where my money goes to buy my baby clothes; I buy her everything to keep her in style. Well well well She worth her wait in gold My lovely lady Say, boys, that's where my money goes goes goes She's got a pair of hips just like two battleships. I by her everything to keep here in style well well well She wears silk underwear, I wear my Las tics pair Say, boys, that's where my money goes goes goes. I've got no pence Jolly. jolly no pence I've got no pence to last me all my life I've got no pence to spend And no pence to lend And no pence to send home to my wife-poor wife. Chorus: No cares have I to grieve me No pretty little girls to deceive me I'm happy as a king believe me As we go rolling, rolling home Rolling home (rolling home) Rolling home (rolling home) By the light of the silvery moo-oo-on Happy is the day when we line up for our pay As we go rolling, rolling home.
Apparently, I heard the Shall we Skate was based off of this. I recommend Yuri on Ice. Anyone else thinks this is creepy and and weird but cool! The scratches make it sound old this song was made so long ago my teacher played this song in class. ME AND MY CLASS WERE SO CREEPED OUT BY THE SCRATCHES AND SOUND. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2018 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase MGM set the basis for modern musicals, and Meet Me in St. Louis is one of its most important classics in this regard. A screenplay that could very well be only a banal sequence of scenes was transformed into an eloquent speech for family values and happiness, somewhat utopic achievements for many people. The restoration of this picture, alongside many other MGM musicals, was well done in an HD scanning, which shows its technical merits. Sound is remastered from audio elements of the period and "enhanced" for 5. 1 playback. Reviewed in the United States on October 27, 2018 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase Our world can be ugly at times. I couldn't escape on regular TV, so I treated myself to one of my ALL TIME FAVORITES. This is one of those classics that will take you away from clutter & noise. This movie lets you go to that protected part of yourself to relax and let the bad stuff fade away. I will watch again because it is worth it!!! Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2017 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase Meet Me In St. Louis is warm, engaging, fun and a classic in every way. MGM was determined to make one of their best films ever in 1944 and assigned all of their top talent to it. A musical, it was given to Arthur Freed's unit which specialized in musicals. Freed gave it to Vicente Minnelli who he had recently hired in 1940. He had made only four films so far but he had had a great career on Broadway before this. The music was overseen by Roger Edens who adapted much of the period music used in the film. He also became a friend of Garland's and wrote special material for her like Dear Mr. Gable and Born In a Trunk. New songs were written by experienced team Hugh Martin and Hal Blane. Because of the wealth of period music, including the title song, only four new songs made it into the movie, two of them becoming classics (at first The trolley Song was the big hit but the perennial nature of Christmas music has now made Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas the most well-known song). A fifth song, by Rodgers and Hammerstein had to be cut. No expense was spared in the settings which are lush and detailed and filmed in a warm and vibrant Technicolor. The studio went to great extremes to be accurate in every way. The screenplay was adapted from a series of New Yorker stories later put out in book form based on author Sally Benson's memories of growing up (her real nickname had been "Tootie"). Benson gave Minnelli many details about just how her family home had been decorated. Many of the costumes were made from illustrations that appeared in the Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogs of the day. What you see is as accurate a material representation of the period as they could create and not just some production department's fantasies or generic period props. Then there is the cast. The cast is mostly filled with MGM's experienced character actors, plus, being centered on family life, some newcomers. Of course it's Garland's picture but everyone else gets lots of time and it isn't a star vehicle. Leon Ames and Mary Astor are Mr. and Mrs. Smith (Mary Astor in a rare nice mother role; though she had also been Judy Garland's mother in Listen Darling). Old Harry Davenport, 78 when the film was made, is an ideal Grandpa and Marjorie Main is her usual comic, down to earth self as the family's housekeeper and cook, Katie. Among the younger players Tom Drake is as fresh-faced and amiable a boy-next-door as one could wish for, and Lucille Bremer is good as big sister Rose. But the two outstanding performers are Judy Garland who is relaxed and natural as Esther Smith and seven-year-old Margaret O'Brien who is amazing in the complex role of youngest child Tootie. Admittedly this is a sentimental, idealized portrait of turn-of-the-century life. After the war (in fact after two World Wars and a Depression) Hollywood became very nostalgic about that era putting out films like Life With Father, In the Good Old Summertime, I Remember Mama and others. The public was in the same mood because all of these films were hits. So the Smith's are a very well to do upper middle class family (Mr. Smith is with a prestigious law firm) and live in an enormous Victorian house in a lovely neighborhood. The neighboring sons all attend or plan to attend noted Eastern Universities. Everyone here is good-natured and healthy, well dressed and fairly happy. At first the big issues are Whether Rose's boyfriend Warren is going to propose to her soon and whether Esther will be noticed by John Truitt, the neighbor boy she's got a crush on. The big issue of the film comes when Father announces he's being promoted to head the firm's New Your office and the whole family will be moving next year. Other than that it's all house parties, Christmas Eve Balls and the coming Fair. It would be easy for something like this too get too idealized and saccharine but the film avoids this, mostly in the character of Tootie, who is anything but the idealized Victorian child. The Halloween sequence is positively scary in the context of this film, especially when Tootie must set out alone to do what no other child will dare do: go to the Braukoff house and throw flour in Mr. Braukoff's face. Her scene just after Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas is positively traumatic. Tootie brings a less than perfectly sweet presence into the film that balances it. Of course I know it's really a Valentine to an era that seemed so innocent from the viewpoint of 1945, but I fall for it every time. It's a beautiful film, well done. MGM exceeded their goals with this film. Not only was it popular but it was their biggest grossing film after Gone With the Wind. It was nominated for four Oscars. It placed in the Top 10 of the AFI's movie musicals, gets a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Don't miss it! Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2018 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase This is a good movie which is Judy Garlands best. My favorite scene is where she sings Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas to MMargaret OBrien whopllays her sad little sister. As I said this is a very good should get it. Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2018 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase Sometimes it is nice to just step back from everything, and relax with a film that doesn't require anything from you other then to just enjoy it. From the perfect 1900's homes, and amazing costumes, to Judy Garland's beautiful, timeless voice, this film is wonderful. Not just for Christmas but for any time a person just needs a break from our modern day "muddles". Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2019 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase Judy Garland is in top form in this classic movie musical - looking fresh and lovely. For once, her hair style and gowns are worthy of the leading lady she is. Margaret O'Brien is annoying as the bratty younger sister. The plot is conventional (girls looking for husbands), but satisfying. I enjoyed the dance scenes, in particular. Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2017 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase Although a classic, this is one I've never seen until now. It was great fun and beautiful to watch. Judy is beautiful and Margaret O'Brien is a riot!!! Great cast all around. And did everyone recognize grandpa (Harry Davenport) as Dr. Mead from GWTW! This might be one we watch every year during the holidays! Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2019 Format: Prime Video Verified Purchase I had never seen this movie before, so I bought it on Christmas. I was engrossed the whole time. What a fun movie. Top international reviews 5. 0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended. Reviewed in Canada on January 22, 2017 Verified Purchase This is one of my favourite films. I could watch it every week and never tire of it. I now know the plot by heart so I focus on the costumes and props used in the film. I find myself wishing I could go back in time and experience life as it was then. One person found this helpful Sending feedback... Thank you for your feedback. Sorry, we failed to record your vote. Please try again Report abuse meet me in en blu-ray. Reviewed in Spain on June 11, 2018 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase Es una película musical y para todos los públicos. Una de las mejores películas de Vincente Minnelli, en color. Aconsejable para todo el mejor en su idioma original. Una joya. Report abuse 5. 0 out of 5 stars Loved it!! Reviewed in Canada on January 1, 2020 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase I can’t say I Loved it enough! Arrived fast and perfect. Musical is memorable and a new Christmas Viewing tradition. Me encantó encontrarla en ese precio; busqué en otras páginas y es la diferencia enorme Reviewed in Mexico on February 14, 2020 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase Aún no la he visto ya que la adquirí para un regalo, aaaawww nostalgia Reviewed in Canada on February 1, 2019 Verified Purchase My wife and I love the old standards. Good quality reproduction. fast delivery Love musicals! Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2019 Verified Purchase Love that Judy Garland. Great voice. Great movie! 3. 0 out of 5 stars Bored Reviewed in Canada on July 21, 2019 Verified Purchase Romance Reviewed in Canada on December 23, 2018 Format: Blu-ray Verified Purchase Made A Blu-Ray & DVD Combo Judy at her best... Reviewed in Canada on December 4, 2012 Verified Pur
Merry Christmas everyone. a Happy New Year 2017
Is it just me, or is it kinda sad.
The only other star to do this delightful song was Eartha Kitt, who got more out of it
You won't forget me, will you? Please don't. A great family film that's always a pleasure to watch especially during the holidays.
Who els is here from that one commercial with a little girl arranging Pineneedles. Click here to read about author Sally Benson and the origins of the story. MGM purchased the screen rights to Sally Benson's "Kensington Stories" for $25, 000. 00 on March 1, 1942. Right away, the story went through the screen writing process at MGM. Several screen writers and authors took a stab at it. Sally Benson herself worked on what became a 198 page treatment written with Doris Gilbert between March 30 and May 9, 1942. Between April and October 1942, other writers worked on the project, including the husband-and-wife team of Victor Heerman & Sarah Y. Mason (Oscar winners for their 1933 adaptation of Little Women) and William Ludwig, who had written for the Andy Hardy series and also Margaret O'Brien's Journey For Margaret (1943). None of these treatments seemed to work, and finally Irving Brecher & Fred Finklehoffe were given the assignment. Finklehoffe had written for several Judy Garland musicals, and Brecher had written for the Marx Brothers, which seemed at first an odd choice to write a delicate family story. Finklehoffe and Brecher wisely decided that the bulk of the story should take place in the Smith family home and it's surrounding area of St. Louis. It was Finklehoffe and Brecher who expanded the "Warren Sheffield telephone call from New York" scene by making Mr. Smith ignorant to the goings on and having him hang up the phone when it first rings. They also took out scenes at Princeton University and a Smith family visit to their grandparents in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Some other changes made were: Moving Mr. Smith's decision NOT to move the family to New York from immediately after the family's objections to the night before the planned move(Christmas Eve) heightening the tension; Removing a romance between Rose and Colonel Andrews (renamed Darly in the final film) -only a small scene remains that hints of Rose's attraction to him;Removing an announcement by Tootie that she did not want to go to the fair; Changing the hair color of Rose and Esther from blonde and black to both being auburn; Removing a blackmail subplot involving Esther and finally, they divided the film into four segments representing the four seasons of the year (Sally Benson's book had been 12 chapters, one for each month of the year). Name changes were made too, sometimes for legal reasons. Sally Benson wanted Lucille Ballard's name to be either Picard or Dorsey. John Truett began life as John "Bluett, " then for legal reasons became Collins, then Truett (Ms. Benson objected to "Truett"). "Bluett" stayed as the reference name of the house on MGM's "St. Louis Street" even after the backlot was torn down. Warren Sheffield originally was named Warren Sheppard, and for legal reasons the Waughops became the Braukoffs. The real life name of the maid was indeed Katie, and the real-life Katie was alive and well and provided a signed release to the MGM legal department, giving the "ok" to use her name. Finally, here are some interesting additions, changes, and/or deletions from the original book: The ketchup tasting scene that opens the film is an very expanded version of a simple paragraph in the book; In the book Rose gets mixed up with a middle-aged man; Mrs. Smith loses her temper; Tootie's ride on the ice wagon was originally a ride on a water-sprinkler; The cakewalk scene is danced in the book by Agnes, in a man's hat (Sally Benson based the Agnes character on herself); The Halloween sequence is in the book although it's Agnes who takes on the Braukoffs (or Waughops); A slight reference in the March segment of the book to a trolley gave birth to the entire "Trolley Song" sequence; The scene of Tootie and Agnes coming down the stairs during Lon's farewell party and Tootie singing "I Was Drunk Last Night" also comes from the book; Mr. Smith's decision to move the family to New York, and the subsequent tension it creates for the final half of the film, is from a small three-page episode in the book; and finally, it's Agnes who ends the book by saying "I can't believe it. right here where we live. Right here in St. Louis". With the script in place, producer Arthur Freed turned to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane to compose the original songs for the film. At the time, Martin and Blane had enjoyed moderate success with their successful Broadway show "Best Foot Forward" property was bought by MGM, so Martin and Blane, along with stars Nancy Walker, Tommy Dix and Gil Stratton, were brought out to MGM to adapt the show for the screen. Martin and Blane also contributed to other films including "Three Cheers For The Yanks" to For Me And My Gal (1942) starring Judy Garland. Still, they hadn't obtained the success they wanted so Meet Me In St. Louis was their big chance. Freed felt strongly enough about their abilities to ask them to write new songs for Meet Me In St. Louis, to help complement the use standards of the day. They would end up providing four songs for the film, three of which would be the best of their careers and have since become classic standards ("The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"). Freed also took a chance on hiring Vincente Minnelli to direct. At first Minnelli seemed like an odd choice to helm such a costly and risky project. Although to Freed, it probably seemed like the logical choice. Known for his use of composition and his unusual flair for design, Minnelli was an inspired choice. Minnelli had directed I Dood It (1942) starring Red Skelton, and most notably Cabin In The Sky (1943) starring Ethel Waters and Lena Horne. Click here for a biography of Vincente Minnelli. Many at the studio felt the story had not plot and that the film would be a flop. It was even referred to by some as "Freed's Folly". But Freed stood by his choices and went about the tasks of pre-production on the film, including the casting of the major roles. When Judy Garland first discovered that MGM was going to cast her in their new musical film entitled Meet Me In St. Louis she was not happy. She feared, and with good reason, that the film would set her career back. She had finally been allowed to grow up on the screen. In For Me And My Gal (1942) she was given a real romantic lead in newcomer Gene Kelly, and she was the undisputed star of the film, with her name alone above the title for the first time. After that she appeared in Presenting Lily Mars which was the first time the studio made a real effort to make her look glamorous, even if it was mainly for the finale at the end of the picture. She was seen for the first time with her hair up and looking quite beautiful. True, she had also just completed Girl Crazy (1943) as well, but even in that, her final complete film with Mickey Rooney, she was a completely different character than in all of the other Garland/Rooney pictures. In this film, Mickey chased Judy rather than the other way around, and she was portrayed not as a teenager deep in puppy love, but as a lovely young woman. Now, after reading the St. Louis script, it appeared as though the studio wanted her to revert back to playing a high school girl with a crush on the boy next door. Judy was dating Joe Mankiewicz at the time, and he was also instrumental in allowing her to see herself as not just a little girl with a big voice, but a desirable woman. At 22 years of age, Mankiewicz reasoned, Judy Garland had the talent and ability to graduate to more adult roles. And Judy not only agreed with it, but with Mankiewicz in her corner, for the first time she summoned up the strength to actually resist the studio for her own benefit. Judy went to L. B. Mayer and complained, and for once he sided with her. He went to producer Arthur Freed to discuss the matter, but was effectively swayed in the other direction by Freed, director Vincent Minnelli, and most importantly the reigning studio storyteller Lillie Messinger. Once Lillie got a hold of a story, no one was immune. She was able to effectively point out the charms and magic of the story. Mr. Mayer loved a good sentimental "all-American" story and this had everything he loved. Next Judy went to see Minnelli on her own, thinking that she might be able to persuade him, since she was one of MGM's biggest stars, and he was a novice director. Minnelli had directed only two films before, neither was a big financial success. The best of the two, Cabin In The Sky, although a beautiful film that critics liked, was an all-black film and in 1943 that meant a limited audience. Judy was sure that not only would St. Louis be a mistake but that she could persuade Minnelli that it really wasn't very good! In his memoirs, Minnelli reports what happened when Judy came to see him about the film: "She looked at me as if we were planning an armed robbery against the American public. She later told me that she'd come to see me thinking I would see it her way. " Per Minnelli, Garland says "It's not very good, is it? " to which Minnelli responded with "I think it's fine. I see a lot of great things in it. In fact, it's magical. "Whether years later the exact words of the conversation are remember by Minnelli is immaterial. Judy may have been going on an early draft of the screenplay which was, according to most accounts, not very good. But it was shaped up by the time rehearsals began. And since Mayer switched and sided with Freed, and Freed stood behind Minnelli, Judy had no choice but to acquiesce. Rehearsals began on November 11, 1943 and Judy did not exactly throw herself into the role. She was used to the more contemporary, "wise cracking" dialog. When filming began almost a month later on December 7, 1943 things weren't much better. In fact, it's reported that when Minnelli was away from the set, Judy would sometimes entertain the cast and crew with a devilishly satire of Minnelli centered around his "perfectionism. " This skit would entail her acting out the part of
Here from family guy. So glad you enjoyed this classic film, a brilliant cast. I love you Judy. I fell in love with your voice when I was two and Im still in love. Thank you so much for bringing your beautiful voice to the world.
From the cast to the costumes and sets, director Vincente Minnelli took great pains to make this film as true to life as possible. There are just some films you don't tire of seeing. Released in 1944, it stands the test of time and brings home a sense of nostalgia when viewed more than 60 years later. I'm a classics fan and most films today don't even begin to compare with the sincerity, the warmth, and class this film delivers. It was filmed when the Hollywood musical was king of the box office. I recommend it to anyone who wants a diversion from the extreme in-your-face forms of entertainment like Family Guy and Beavis and Butthead reruns.Love gifted singers with real talented musicians. Never gets old. I am only 14, however I am very well versed in older movies. One of my favorites is "Meet Me In. Judy Garland's presence is amazing in this feature. She can steal a scene from almost everybody. One person where her presence was equaled, if not surpassed, was Margaret O'Brien. Miss O'Brien won a Juvenile Academy Award for her part as 'Tootie. I found the love story between Esther and John quite believable, and the songs "Meet Me In The Cake Walk" and "The Trolley Song" very enjoyable. It was wonderfully acted, and is one of those movies that just makes you feel good, and you can forget about your problems because of watching it. I liked the representation of the year, and I liked the Halloween scenes with Margarget O'Brien and how she was so proud of herself throwing the flour in oakoff's (that may be spelled incorrectly) face. I also liked the sister relationships between Agnes and Tootie, and Rose and Esther. Katie the maid, played by Marjorie Main, was a riot, however I didn't like how she disappeared after the "Snowman Scene. Overall a wonderful '10 out of 10' movie.
Who els is here from that one commercial with a little girl arranging Pineneedles. Click here to read about author Sally Benson and the origins of the story. MGM purchased the screen rights to Sally Benson's "Kensington Stories" for $25, 000. 00 on March 1, 1942. Right away, the story went through the screen writing process at MGM. Several screen writers and authors took a stab at it. Sally Benson herself worked on what became a 198 page treatment written with Doris Gilbert between March 30 and May 9, 1942. Between April and October 1942, other writers worked on the project, including the husband-and-wife team of Victor Heerman & Sarah Y. Mason (Oscar winners for their 1933 adaptation of Little Women) and William Ludwig, who had written for the Andy Hardy series and also Margaret O'Brien's Journey For Margaret (1943). None of these treatments seemed to work, and finally Irving Brecher & Fred Finklehoffe were given the assignment. Finklehoffe had written for several Judy Garland musicals, and Brecher had written for the Marx Brothers, which seemed at first an odd choice to write a delicate family story. Finklehoffe and Brecher wisely decided that the bulk of the story should take place in the Smith family home and it's surrounding area of St. Louis. It was Finklehoffe and Brecher who expanded the "Warren Sheffield telephone call from New York" scene by making Mr. Smith ignorant to the goings on and having him hang up the phone when it first rings. They also took out scenes at Princeton University and a Smith family visit to their grandparents in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Some other changes made were: Moving Mr. Smith's decision NOT to move the family to New York from immediately after the family's objections to the night before the planned move(Christmas Eve) heightening the tension; Removing a romance between Rose and Colonel Andrews (renamed Darly in the final film) -only a small scene remains that hints of Rose's attraction to him;Removing an announcement by Tootie that she did not want to go to the fair; Changing the hair color of Rose and Esther from blonde and black to both being auburn; Removing a blackmail subplot involving Esther and finally, they divided the film into four segments representing the four seasons of the year (Sally Benson's book had been 12 chapters, one for each month of the year). Name changes were made too, sometimes for legal reasons. Sally Benson wanted Lucille Ballard's name to be either Picard or Dorsey. John Truett began life as John "Bluett, " then for legal reasons became Collins, then Truett (Ms. Benson objected to "Truett"). "Bluett" stayed as the reference name of the house on MGM's "St. Louis Street" even after the backlot was torn down. Warren Sheffield originally was named Warren Sheppard, and for legal reasons the Waughops became the Braukoffs. The real life name of the maid was indeed Katie, and the real-life Katie was alive and well and provided a signed release to the MGM legal department, giving the "ok" to use her name. Finally, here are some interesting additions, changes, and/or deletions from the original book: The ketchup tasting scene that opens the film is an very expanded version of a simple paragraph in the book; In the book Rose gets mixed up with a middle-aged man; Mrs. Smith loses her temper; Tootie's ride on the ice wagon was originally a ride on a water-sprinkler; The cakewalk scene is danced in the book by Agnes, in a man's hat (Sally Benson based the Agnes character on herself); The Halloween sequence is in the book although it's Agnes who takes on the Braukoffs (or Waughops); A slight reference in the March segment of the book to a trolley gave birth to the entire "Trolley Song" sequence; The scene of Tootie and Agnes coming down the stairs during Lon's farewell party and Tootie singing "I Was Drunk Last Night" also comes from the book; Mr. Smith's decision to move the family to New York, and the subsequent tension it creates for the final half of the film, is from a small three-page episode in the book; and finally, it's Agnes who ends the book by saying "I can't believe it. right here where we live. Right here in St. Louis". With the script in place, producer Arthur Freed turned to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane to compose the original songs for the film. At the time, Martin and Blane had enjoyed moderate success with their successful Broadway show "Best Foot Forward" property was bought by MGM, so Martin and Blane, along with stars Nancy Walker, Tommy Dix and Gil Stratton, were brought out to MGM to adapt the show for the screen. Martin and Blane also contributed to other films including "Three Cheers For The Yanks" to For Me And My Gal (1942) starring Judy Garland. Still, they hadn't obtained the success they wanted so Meet Me In St. Louis was their big chance. Freed felt strongly enough about their abilities to ask them to write new songs for Meet Me In St. Louis, to help complement the use standards of the day. They would end up providing four songs for the film, three of which would be the best of their careers and have since become classic standards ("The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"). Freed also took a chance on hiring Vincente Minnelli to direct. At first Minnelli seemed like an odd choice to helm such a costly and risky project. Although to Freed, it probably seemed like the logical choice. Known for his use of composition and his unusual flair for design, Minnelli was an inspired choice. Minnelli had directed I Dood It (1942) starring Red Skelton, and most notably Cabin In The Sky (1943) starring Ethel Waters and Lena Horne. Click here for a biography of Vincente Minnelli. Many at the studio felt the story had not plot and that the film would be a flop. It was even referred to by some as "Freed's Folly". But Freed stood by his choices and went about the tasks of pre-production on the film, including the casting of the major roles. When Judy Garland first discovered that MGM was going to cast her in their new musical film entitled Meet Me In St. Louis she was not happy. She feared, and with good reason, that the film would set her career back. She had finally been allowed to grow up on the screen. In For Me And My Gal (1942) she was given a real romantic lead in newcomer Gene Kelly, and she was the undisputed star of the film, with her name alone above the title for the first time. After that she appeared in Presenting Lily Mars which was the first time the studio made a real effort to make her look glamorous, even if it was mainly for the finale at the end of the picture. She was seen for the first time with her hair up and looking quite beautiful. True, she had also just completed Girl Crazy (1943) as well, but even in that, her final complete film with Mickey Rooney, she was a completely different character than in all of the other Garland/Rooney pictures. In this film, Mickey chased Judy rather than the other way around, and she was portrayed not as a teenager deep in puppy love, but as a lovely young woman. Now, after reading the St. Louis script, it appeared as though the studio wanted her to revert back to playing a high school girl with a crush on the boy next door. Judy was dating Joe Mankiewicz at the time, and he was also instrumental in allowing her to see herself as not just a little girl with a big voice, but a desirable woman. At 22 years of age, Mankiewicz reasoned, Judy Garland had the talent and ability to graduate to more adult roles. And Judy not only agreed with it, but with Mankiewicz in her corner, for the first time she summoned up the strength to actually resist the studio for her own benefit. Judy went to L. B. Mayer and complained, and for once he sided with her. He went to producer Arthur Freed to discuss the matter, but was effectively swayed in the other direction by Freed, director Vincent Minnelli, and most importantly the reigning studio storyteller Lillie Messinger. Once Lillie got a hold of a story, no one was immune. She was able to effectively point out the charms and magic of the story. Mr. Mayer loved a good sentimental "all-American" story and this had everything he loved. Next Judy went to see Minnelli on her own, thinking that she might be able to persuade him, since she was one of MGM's biggest stars, and he was a novice director. Minnelli had directed only two films before, neither was a big financial success. The best of the two, Cabin In The Sky, although a beautiful film that critics liked, was an all-black film and in 1943 that meant a limited audience. Judy was sure that not only would St. Louis be a mistake but that she could persuade Minnelli that it really wasn't very good! In his memoirs, Minnelli reports what happened when Judy came to see him about the film: "She looked at me as if we were planning an armed robbery against the American public. She later told me that she'd come to see me thinking I would see it her way. " Per Minnelli, Garland says "It's not very good, is it? " to which Minnelli responded with "I think it's fine. I see a lot of great things in it. In fact, it's magical. "Whether years later the exact words of the conversation are remember by Minnelli is immaterial. Judy may have been going on an early draft of the screenplay which was, according to most accounts, not very good. But it was shaped up by the time rehearsals began. And since Mayer switched and sided with Freed, and Freed stood behind Minnelli, Judy had no choice but to acquiesce. Rehearsals began on November 11, 1943 and Judy did not exactly throw herself into the role. She was used to the more contemporary, "wise cracking" dialog. When filming began almost a month later on December 7, 1943 things weren't much better. In fact, it's reported that when Minnelli was away from the set, Judy would sometimes entertain the cast and crew with a devilishly satire of Minnelli centered around his "perfectionism. " This skit would entail her acting out the part of
Here from family guy. So glad you enjoyed this classic film, a brilliant cast. I love you Judy. I fell in love with your voice when I was two and Im still in love. Thank you so much for bringing your beautiful voice to the world.
- Writer Lindsay Nicole
- Biography: Classic film lover since 2006. Will mostly tweet old movie stuff here so you're welcome to follow me if that interests you :)
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