Posted by Larry Gleeson
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
“Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.” – IMDb
Seeing and hearing Judy Garland sing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” puts MGM’s Meet Me in St. Louis on my list of holiday films for 2024. This classic film was set, as the title indicates, in St. Louis, Missouri. The film takes place in and around 1904 when St. Louis was the fourth largest city in the United States behind Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, 1904 was a very special time in St. Louis. The 1904 World’s Fair was held in St. Louis, as were the 1904 Olympic Games.
Made and produced in 1944 during the Golden Age of Hollywood and at the heyday of the Studio System, this period film’s production values are excellent as our the costuming. and casting. In addition to Judy Garland (Esther), the film cast boasted, Margaret O’Brien (as show-stopper, Tuttie), Mary Astor (Mrs. Smith), Lucille Bremmer (Rose) and Leon Ames (Mr. Smith) Last but not least, the film was directed by Vicente Minnelli, and has some remarkable tunes like “Skip to my Lou,” “The Trolley Song,” “Under the Bamboo Tree,” “Over the Bannister,” “Meet me in E. St Louis,” and “Say Goodnight.” to name several.
The film closes at the (this post’s featured photo) Grand Basin in Forest Park.I enjoyed the colorful ending for several reasons including the genesis of out door electricity and the farris wheel on display., However, in reality, the Grand Basin at the 1904 World’s Fair looked more like the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy, and even more like Lido’s vaparetta docks, only on a grander scale.
Stay tuned for more 2024 Holiday films!
