Review #1031: Meet Me in St. Louis.
Cast:
Judy Garland (Esther Smith), Margaret O'Brien ('Tootie' Smith), Mary Astor (Mrs. Anna Smith), Leon Ames (Mr. Alonzo Smith), Lucille Bremer (Rose Smith), Tom Drake (John Truett), Marjorie Main (Katie the maid), Harry Davenport (Grandpa), Henry H. Daniels Jr. (Alonzo "Lon" Smith Jr.), Joan Carroll (Agnes Smith), and June Lockhart (Lucille Ballard) Directed by Vincente Minnelli (#405 - The Reluctant Debutante, #510 - Father of the Bride, #620 - Lust for Life, #878 - The Long, Long Trailer, and #986 - An American in Paris)
Review:
Admittedly, musical films can tend to feel a bit familiar, particularly if the setting or the characters aren't too interesting to go with the songs. Meet Me in St. Louis manages to be an interesting musical in part due to its charm along with its performances that make for a relatively engaging movie. The movie basks itself in nostalgia with its setting, but it definitely doesn't feel too off-putting, coming off as fairly welcome. Each member in the family of Smiths have their own moment to shine or make an impact, and no one does it better than Garland, who radiates charm and a wholesomeness that also extends to her songs, with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" being a particular standout, having a tone that is moving along with effective due to her way of singing it. She manages to have fine chemistry with the others, such as O'Brien and Drake as well. O'Brien also does a fine job as well, being a fine child actress; in fact, she won an Academy Juvenile Award for her work for her films of 1944 (this award was given eleven other times from 1935 to 1961, with Garland herself winning one for her work in 1939). Astor and Ames prove to be fairly useful parents for the household, with Main and Davenport also proving themselves well. It should be mentioned that the songs in the film are charming, from the opening song of "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis" to "The Trolley Song", with the movie keeping itself with enough steam and energy to make for a riveting experience. The film runs finely enough at 113 minutes, with numerous story-lines that surround the movie revolving around the family that work alright, with the end featuring the St. Louis World's Fair (also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition) that is a brief but fitting treat, with nothing in the film that comes off as condescending nor too ridiculous for the movie. Musicals may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm sure that this one will work wonders for people looking for a fun time.
Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.
