Meet Me in St. Louis [1945] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Amazon.co.uk Review

One of the finest American musicals, this 1944 film by Vincente Minnelli is an intentionally self-contained story set in 1903, in which a happy St Louis family is shaken to their roots by the prospect of moving to New York, where the father has a better job pending. Judy Garland heads the cast of Meet Me in St Louis in what amounts to a splendid, end-of-an-era story that nicely rhymes with the onset of the 20th century. The film is extraordinarily alive, the characters strong, and the musical numbers are so splendidly part of the storytelling that you don't feel the film has stopped for an interlude. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

Garland Shines Brighter Than Ever!.......2004-08-03

I myself am already a fan of Judy Garland and love all of her work. Meet Me In St. Louis shows off Garlands talent at it's best.
Whether you are young or old this film is one for all of the family and her singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" will have you weeping into your tissue.
I truly recommend this film. It's excellent!

A wonderful family musical about life 100 years ago!.......2004-05-06

This special edition of ‘Meet Me in St Louis’ will not disappoint those who have been eagerly awaiting its first release on DVD. The quality of the restoration is truly magnificent … and the extra disc of bonus material is a delight.

The first disc has a personal introduction by Liza Minelli; highly appropriate, as her mother was the film’s star and her father was the director. As soon as the film starts, you know you’re in for a treat. In 1944 Technicolor was in its infancy, so whenever a colour movie was filmed, every effort was made to make it as vibrant as possible. The rich jewel colours and sumptuous detail of both the interiors and costumes almost give the illusion of watching an oil painting come to life!

The film is set in the 12 months immediately prior to the opening of Louisiana Purchase Exposition (A.K.A. the World’s Fair) in 1904, and charts the life of the Smith family (Father, mother, 4 sisters, 1 brother, grandpa and Katie the maid). The script was initially based on a series of short stories by Sally Benson, telling the true story of her childhood at 5135 Kensington Avenue. The stories were so popular that Sally later added further chapters turning them into a novel, first published the same year as the film’s original theatrical release.

Sally Benson remained on hand throughout the preparation of the film’s interior sets, ensuring that every detail of her childhood home was faithfully recreated. As a result, the finished product is one of those rare instances when an adapted film truly reflects the author’s written work.

The plot is a simple one … and the better for it. Like the book, it is little more than a series of domestic family incidents with a romantic sub-plot (divided into 4 seasons rather than the 12 months of the original novel). It is a charming insight into the totally different world of exactly 100 years ago … a time when: telephones were a modern contrivance and a long distance call was a momentous event; nice girls didn’t let a man kiss them until after they were engaged; homes were lit by gas; and ‘Hell’ was swearing … polite people merely said ‘H’ instead!

For possibly the first time, the musical numbers fitted seamlessly into the plot … rather than everything stopping for a contrived song and dance. It seems perfectly natural for Esther to sing to her distraught younger sister in an attempt to comfort her, or for them to perform an impromptu cakewalk for their guests at a supper party. Or, after a family rift, Mrs Smith plays the piano for her husband, and as he sings a sentimental old ballad, the family reunite, sensing that whatever their problems they still have each other. Add to these show-stoppers like ‘The Trolley Song’ and ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’ and the inevitable result is a family musical without equal.

Although this is arguably Judy Garland’s finest performance, ‘Meet Me in St Louis’ is a true ensemble piece … and every role is cast and played to perfection (if you can trace a rare copy of Benson’s original book, you’ll see what I mean). Six year-old Margaret O’Brien won an Oscar for her portrayal of Tootie, the Smith’s youngest yet most eccentric daughter; her heart-rending scene with the snow-people is perhaps the best child performance of all time. Hearing her own reminiscences of filming (on the director’s commentary) is one of the things that really makes this special edition so special!

The bonus material on the second disc is well worth having: a ‘behind the scenes making-of’ documentary; a pilot episode of a television spin-off; a 1946 radio broadcast of an abridged version of the film … and much, much more.

I cannot recommend this DVD enough! However, if you’re already a fan of this wonderful musical, I also recommend the BFI Film Classics book by Gerald Kaufman, also available from Amazon. It’s full of great photos, many more behind-the-scenes stories and explores in detail Vincent Minelli’s contribution as director.

Add this fantastic DVD to your collection now – you won’t be sorry!

Meet me at the fair.......2004-02-09

What a wonderful movie this is. It is magical, sparkling and funny.It is very easy to get caught up in the world of the family and the quality of the songs will be a delight to the uninitiated. The "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" scene still moves me to tears after many years of viewing!

A passport to a different era........2004-01-08

This is immediately apparent in two of the phrases used, 'Nice girls don't let boys kiss them until after they're engaged' and 'There'll be H to pay'. Yes in 1904 (when the film is set) and even in 1944 (when it was made and released), even the word 'hell' was considered unmentionable.
As ever, Garland's performance is fascinating and the wonderful optimism of the 'Trolley song' sequence cannot fail to enthrall.
Some good dialogue. Some classic songs. And what's more, it improves with a second viewing!

Garland at her most magical.......2003-10-03

... and thanks to the love and care by Vincente Minnelli(soon 2 be her second husband).
The film is a lavish tribute 2 the institution of family and friends and the images are dreamy thanks to the intelligence and creative power of Minnelli. In this, Garland is at her most beautiful and the talent is very much apparent...

When I first saw it I was dissapointed with "no plot", but just a series of incidents... Slowly I accepted the terms and love it. With THE WIZARD OF OZ and IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME; the best Garland you can enjoy at Christmas time.

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