MEET ME IN ST LOUIS
US, 1944, 120 minutes, Colour.
Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Leon Ames, Tom Drake, Lucille Bremer, Marjorie Main, Harry Davenport, June Lockhart, Hugh Marlowe, Chill Wills.
Directed by Vincente Minnelli.
Meet Me In St Louis is many people’s favourite MGM musical. It was placed on a National Registry of Film in the 1990s.
The film was directed by Vincente Minnelli at the beginning of his career. Prior to this he had directed the African American musical, Cabin in the Sky, and a Red Skelton comedy, I Dood It. He was to go on to make Yolanda and the Thief and The Ziegfeld Follies and combined a career of melodramas with musicals: Undercurrent, Madame Bovary, The Bad and the Beautiful as well as An American in Paris, The Band Wagon, Brigadoon, Kismet and his Oscar-winning Gigi. He also made a number of light comedies with Father of the Bride, Father’s Little Dividend and The Long Long Trailer. He continued directing during the 1960s, principally big-budget melodramas. His last to films in the 1970s were the Barbra Streisand musical, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever and A Matter of Time with his daughter Liza.
Judy Garland was well established at MGM by this time, from The Wizard of Oz to the musicals with Mickey Rooney. She shines in this particular film, set in 1904 at the time of the World’s Fair. The family are preparing to move from St Louis to New York. Judy Garland appears with Lucille Bremmer and Margaret O’Brien? as her sisters with Tom Drake as the man courting her. Mary Astor and Leon Ames – as they were to do with Little Women – are the parents. Mary Astor (who had won the Oscar for The Great Lie three years earlier, in a sinister role) could do both sweet and charming as well as sinister.
The film is colourful, bright, has one of the most popular songs of all time, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas’. ‘The Trolley Song’ was nominated for an Oscar – but lost out to ‘Swinging on a Star’ from Going My Way.
The film sums up what was best in the Hollywood musicals.
1. How attractive and enjoyable an M.G.M. musical? The studio work of M.G.M. in the forties? The style. music, songs, stars?
2. The importance of the film in 1944 at the final stages of the war? Americana and its impact on Americans? The impact now? How different?
3. The quality of the film as a Judy Garland vehicle? Her performance, her star quality, her contribution to the film, her not dominating it and allowing Margaret O'Brien to succeed? Judy Garland's songs? Their becoming classics?
4. The use of the studio sets, the creation of St. Louis, the turn of the century, the richness of the colour? How does it stand now, artificial? The houses, the streets, ballrooms? The structure of the seasons and the coming alive of postcard, scenes - a symbol of the musical style?
5. The film as a piece of Americana: the middle-West heritage, St Louis as a symbol of the middle cities of America? The people of St Louis and their love for it? The type of work, the quality of family life, the ethos? The film as a comedy of American manners? How is America the same and yet changing?
6. The name Smith for this common family of America? Mother and her place in the household, her quiet wisdom, her influence on all the children, her control of father? Father and his rules, his work? The significance of the 'phone call from Rose and the family's reaction? His imposing the decision about New York and their reaction? Father having to change by pressure from the family and his understanding of the family?
7. Rose and the older daughter with her mind on marriage? Her love for Warren, the 'phone call and her disappointment? Her gradual success? Rose's place in the household and her relationship with Esther? The humorous scenes between the two sisters, their participation in family events? Esther as second to Pose? Yet the film's focus on her and seeing most of the events through her eyes? Agnes and Tootie and their childish behaviour? Agnes and her growing up? Observations on people? Tootie as the baby, Margaret O'Brien's attractive performance? A blending of cute and sentimentality with realism? Tootie and her humorous artificiality, way of speaking - with the ice man, at meals, revealing the truth, her not wanting to go to New York, at Christmas, the importance of her participation in the Halloween and her fright? The song about Christmas and her sadness in pushing down the snowmen? The humour of her song and dance act at the party with Esther? Lonnie Junior and his going away to college? The ordinary scenes of family occupations, love, meals, dresses, party, ball, Halloween? Grandpa and his place in the family, homely touch, the generations, sentiment, his concern for them all, his reaction against his son, his going to the ball with Esther? Katie and the Marjorie Main style of being part of the family and happily criticising it? All in all, what picture of an American family? class behaviour and preoccupations?
8. The romantic idealising of John Truitt as the boy next door? In himself, basket ball, the party, turning out the lights, love for Esther, the bonds between them, the possibility of his not proposing, the happy ending?
9. The romance between Lonnie and Lucille? The threat of the girl from the East and her turning out to be charming?
10. The importance of and length given to meal sequences, the 'phone call from New York, the teenage party and the Zulu song, the boy next door and its reprise throughout the film? The sequence of going to the fair site and the Trolley Song - and its relationship to Esther and her hoping for John to be there? The Halloween sequence and the atmosphere of superstition and fear and childishness? Esther's behaviour at the ball and its rebounding on herself - the humour of her dancing with the ugly boys? Grandpa and his presence?
11. The importance of 'Meet Me in St. Louis' as an opening song, introducing the family, the ethos of the World's Fair, the arrival at the fair and the happiness of Esther's final remarks of having the fair in their own hometown?
12. What major American values did the film extol? how justly? Are they still to be extolled?
