Fans of classic films will certainly enjoy this new Blu-ray version of the popular musical Meet Me in St. Louis, starring Judy Garland and directed by Vincent Minnelli. Besides the hi-def version of the film, there are plenty of additional elements with this edition.
The Story of Meet Me in St. Louis
The story focuses on the Smith family in St. Louis. They are a close-knit clan. There is Esther (Judy Garland), little Tootie (Margaret O’Brien), Rose (Lucille Bremer), Lon (Henry H. Daniels, Jr.), Agnes (Joan Carroll), their parents, grandfather, and housekeeper. Add in the love interests of the older kids and you have a fun group of people. To make things even better, everyone is excited about the upcoming 1904 World’s Fair, which is being built right in their own city.
Everything seems to be going along all right until Mr. Smith informs everyone that he got a promotion and they will be relocating to New York. Talk about putting a damper on their happy lives.
The show has some very fun scenes and several notable songs. The title song, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” is very catchy. As a matter of fact, I can’t get it out of my head. Then there is “The Trolley Song,” “The Boy Next Door,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” which is an annual tune that resurfaces every December.
Bonus Features on the Blu-ray Set
Besides the fabulous film that is a classic and a favorite among many fans of musicals, this edition is filled with additional elements.
First, there is a booklet filled with photos, song lyrics, information about the movie and the cast. A CD Soundtrack Sampler includes the four main songs from the film.
The movie has an introduction by Liza Minnelli, whose parents (Judy Garland and Vincent Minnelli) made the film what it is. There is also a documentary called “Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic” which is narrated by Roddy McDowall. In this film plenty of interesting facts and trivia are disclosed, including the fact that the movie was based on a series of articles for the New Yorker by Sally Benson, who wrote them about her own family. Little Tootie was based on Sally, and the others in the cast are taken from Sally’s own family and friendships.
The movie is called “a true masterpiece” because it was the first musical to actually use music to further the storyline. It combined both the music and the dialogue to advance the story.
The origin of “The Trolley Song” is discussed, and it is an interesting story. It takes a great composer to take one little thing and create an entire song around it.
There is one song that was cut from the final film, presumably because of time constraints. It is “Boys and Girls Like You and Me” and is included, via reconstruction, on this disc. This poor little tune was not only dropped from this movie, but also from Oklahoma and Take Me Out to the Ball Game.”
There is another documentary about the history of Hollywood narrated by Dick Cavett. Hollywood: The Dream Factory won an Emmy in 1972.
Meet Me in St. Louis was so loved by fans that there was a TV pilot shot about the Smith family, based on the characters from the film. In this pilot that is included in this set, Shelley Fabares plays Esther, the part Judy Garland portrayed in the film.
There are plenty more great pieces of interesting tidbits included in this Blu-ray edition.
This is a great edition for this classic film. With the quirky character of Tootie, the good intentions of Esther, the charm of the period, and the wonderful songs, Meet Me in St. Louis is a fun, feel-good movie for the entire family.
Source:
- Meet Me in St. Louis. Dir. Vincente Minnelli. Perf. Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor. Warner Bros., 1944. Running Time: 113 minutes. Blu-ray Edition release date: December 13, 2011.
