Meet Me in St. Louis [DigiBook] [Blu-ray]

Director: Vincente Minnelli

Overview

Vincente Minnelli directed this classic MGM musical, which features outstanding performances by Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien. The film takes a nostalgic look at a charming family living in St. Louis around 1903. Memorable songs include Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Trolley Song, and The Boy Next Door.

Product Details

Release Date:	12/13/2011
UPC:	0883929189717
Original Release:	1944
Rating:	NR
Source:	Warner Home Video
Sound:	[Dolby Digital Mono]
Language:	English
Time:	1:53:00
Sales rank:	9,078

Special Features

"Introduction by Liza Minelli","Audio commentary by Garland Biographer John Fricke with Margaret O'Brien, Composer Hugh Martin, Screenwriter Irving Brecher and Barbara Freed-Saltzman","Lux radio theater broadcast (Audio only)","Music-only audio track"

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Judy Garland	Esther Smith
Margaret O'Brien	Tootie Smith
Lucille Bremer	Rose Smith
Mary Astor	Mrs. Smith
Leon Ames	Alonzo Smith
Joan Caroll	Agnes Smith
Tom Drake	John Truett
June Lockhart	Lucille Ballard
Marjorie Main	Katie
Henry Daniels Jr.	Lon Smith Jr.,Lon Smith Jr.
Chill Wills	Mr. Neely
Hugh Marlowe	Col. Darby
Harry Davenport	Grandpa
Robert Sully	Warren Sheffield
Donald Curtis	Dr. Terry
Mary Jo Ellis	Ida Boothby
Ken Wilson	Quentin,Quentin
Robert Emmett O'Connor	Motorman,Conductor
Darryl Hickman	Johnny Tevis
Leonard Walker	Conductor
Victor Kilian	Baggage Man
John Phipps	Mailman
Major Sam Harris	Mr. March
Mayo Newhall	Mr. Braukoff
Belle Mitchell	Mrs. Braukoff
Sidney Barnes	Hugo Borvis
Myron Tobias	George
Victor Cox	Driver
Kenneth Donner	Clinton Badger
Buddy Gorman	Clinton Badger
Joe Cobbs	Clinton Badger
Helen Gilbert	Girl on Trolley
Gary Gray	Boy at Pavilion
Joan Carroll	Agnes Smith
Sid Newman	Boy on Trolley
Dorothy Tuttle	Girl on Trolley
Roger Edens	Composer
Conrad Salinger	Composer
Ralph Blane	Composer
Hugh Martin	Composer
George Stoll	Composer

Technical Credits

Irving Brecher

Fred Finklehoffe

Victor Heerman

William Ludwig

Sarah Y. Mason

Irving Brecher	Screenwriter
Fred Finklehoffe	Screenwriter
Arthur Freed	Producer
Victor Heerman	Screenwriter
William Ludwig	Screenwriter
Sarah Y. Mason	Screenwriter
Douglas Shearer	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

Meet Me in St. Louis is a "family values" exercise in traditional Americana, following the life of a midwest family as the World's Fair comes to early 20th century St. Louis. There are songs, family crises, more songs, more crises, and more songs. The highlight of the film is Judy Garland's singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."" Meet Me in St. Louis was the first team-up for Garland and director Vincente Minnelli, whom Garland would go on to marry, producing their daughter Liza Minnelli, though they would divorce six years later, in 1951. Minnelli's talent for handling complex set pieces works well in this film, as does the lively Technicolor cinematography of George Folsey. At least some of the credit should go to songwriter turned producer Arthur Freed for his excellent work in bringing together the proper talent. Freed also doubled as the singing voice of actor Leon Ames. One piece of Hollywood backstage lore -- that this was the film for which the director (Minnelli) resorted to telling a child actress (Margaret O'Brien) that her dog had been run over and killed, in order to get her to cry properly in the next scene to be shot -- has since been denied by O'Brien. The actress recently told Turner Classic Movies' Robert Osborne that her impetus for crying in the scene was hearing (from her mother) that actress Jane Powell wouldn't have any problem drumming up tears. O'Brien - fiercely competitive with Powell -- then wept on camera without any problem. She cried at full volume, and she later received a special Oscar for her performance.