Google Ads
Login | Sign Up

Meet Me in St. Louis Overview:

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) was a Family - Musical Film directed by Vincente Minnelli and produced by Arthur Freed and Roger Edens.

The film was based on the short stories 5135 Kensington written by Sally Benson published in The New Yorker and as a Novel (June 14, 1941 - May 23, 1942 (magazine) and 1942 (novel)).

SYNOPSIS

On nearly every list of the best Hollywood musicals of all time, Minnelli's slice of Americana set during the 1904 World's Fair was unusual for its failure to employ a "backstage" plot device to set up the songs More important, it served to reestablish Garland's career and established Minnelli (Garland's future husband) as a major American filmmaker. The story of the well-to-do Alonzo Smith (Ames) and his family is a nostalgic portrait an idealized happy American household, where the biggest worries concern the romantic futures of daughters Garland and Bremer and a possible move to New York. With songs like "The Boy Next Door," "Have Yourself a Merry Christmas," and the famous "Trolley Song," this soon became MGM's second most successful film, bested only by Gone With the Wind.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

Meet Me in St. Louis was inducted into the National Film Registry in 1994.

Academy Awards 1944 --- Ceremony Number 17 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best CinematographyGeorge FolseyNominated
Best Music - ScoringGeorgie StollNominated
Best Music - SongMusic and Lyrics by Ralph Blane and Hugh MartinNominated
Best WritingIrving Brecher, Fred F. FinklehoffeNominated
See More Oscar Winners

Meet Me in St. Louis BlogHub Articles:

Win Tickets to see “TCM Big Screen Classics: Meet Me in St. Louis” (Giveaway runs now through Nov 24)

By Annmarie Gatti on Nov 18, 2019 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Win tickets to see “TCM Big Screen Classics: Meet Me in St. Louis (75th Anniversary)” on the Big Screen!In Select Cinemas Nationwide Sun Dec 8 and Wed Dec 11 “But the main thing is, Tootie, that we’re all going to be together, just like we’ve always been. That’s what reall... Read full article

The Saint: Mary Astor in "Meet Me In St. Louis"

By Vanessa Buttino on May 2, 2013 From Stardust

The Saint: Mary Astor in "Meet Me In St. Louis" The Smith House at 5135 Kensington Ave, St. Louis When I was around the age of 13 or so, I desperately wanted to live in the Smith household. Full of jolly family members, a crotchety old maid, and lovely Victorian decor, the Smith house conj... Read full article

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) and Margaret O'Brien at the 2014 TCM Classic Film Festival

By Raquel Stecher on Nov 30, -0001 From Out of the Past - A Classic Film Blog

I had the pleasure of attending a very special screening of Meet Me in St. Louis (1944). It took place in the TCL Chinese Theatre (Grauman's Chinese) and actress Margaret O'Brien was in attendance. Seeing O'Brien at the TCM Classic Film Festival was an experience I'll never forget. In fact, I saw he... Read full article

See More Meet Me in St. Louis Articles

Meet Me in St. Louis Quotes:

Esther Smith: I can't believe it. Right here where we live - right here in St. Louis.
Mrs. Anna Smith: Sure, don't mind what happens to your family. At a time like this you think about the chickens.
Rose Smith: Money. I hate, loathe, despise and abominate money.
Mr. Alonzo Smith: You also spend it.
Agnes Smith: Katie, where's my cat?
Katie the Maid: I don't know... a little while ago, she got in my way and I kicked her down the cellar steps. I could hear her spine hitting on every step.
Agnes Smith: Oh, if you killed her, I'll kill you! I'll stab you to death in your sleep, then I'll tie your body to two wild horses until you're pulled apart.
Katie the Maid: Oh, won't that be terrible, now? There's your cat.
Esther Smith: I'm going to let John Truett kiss me tonight.
Rose Smith: Esther Smith.
Esther Smith: Well, if we're going to get married, I may as well start it.
Rose Smith: Nice girls don't let men kiss them until after they're engaged. Men don't want the bloom rubbed off.
Esther Smith: Personally, I think I have too much bloom. Maybe that's the trouble with me.
See More Quotes from Meet Me in St. Louis
Meet Me in St. Louis Facts
Judy Garland scoffed at the idea of portraying yet another teenager (she was 21 when filming began) and wanted nothing to do with the film. Her mother even went to MGM chief Louis B. Mayer on her behalf. However, Vincente Minnelli convinced her to play the part of Esther Smith, and Judy later fell in love with the story. In her later years she considered it one of her favorite roles.
The Broadway stage version of "Meet Me In St. Louis" opened at the George Gershwin Theater on November 2, 1989, ran for 252 performances and for nominated for the 1990 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score.
First intended as a duet for Alfred Drake and Joan Roberts in the Broadway production of "Oklahoma!", the Rodgers & Hammerstein song "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" had been discarded from that 1943 Broadway triumph and replaced with "People Will Say We're in Love". MGM producer Arthur Freed then purchased screen rights to the song, planning to interpolate it into the film score as a Judy Garland solo, but her rendition was cut from the picture. Miss Garland's Decca album of songs from the film included the song in an arrangement similar to her MGM prerecording. Later, the ballad was chosen to be crooned by Frank Sinatra to Betty Garrett in another Arthur Freed production, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, but again the tune was deleted. The footage of Judy singing the song to Tom Drake no longer exists, but on the Warner Home Video special-edition DVD, the original audio recording is played over Garland-Drake production stills. Only about two or three seconds of footage from this sequence may be seen on t
In "The Boy Next Door" Judy Garland sings that the Smith family lives at 5135 Kensington Avenue, which was also the title of Sally Benson's original stories. Kensington Avenue is still a residential street, though the lot at 5135 is now vacant.
"Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60 minute radio adaptation of the movie on December 2, 1946 with Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien and Tom Drake reprising their film roles.
See More Facts about Meet Me in St. Louis >>