Meet Me in St. Louis.

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.

The Long, Long Trailer.

Review #878: The Long, Long Trailer.

Cast:
Lucille Ball (Tacy Bolton-Collini), Desi Arnaz (Nicholas 'Nicky' Collini), Marjorie Main (Mrs. Hittaway), Keenan Wynn (Policeman), Gladys Hurlbut (Mrs. Bolton), Moroni Olsen (Mr. Tewitt), Bert Freed (Foreman), and Madge Blake (Aunt Anastacia) Directed by Vincente Minnelli (#405 - The Reluctant Debutante, #510 - Father of the Bride, and #620 - Lust for Life)

Review:
Honestly, I'm not a big fan of I Love Lucy. If you've known me over the years I've done this show, you are aware that I tend to veer towards older movies (in fact, 510 (including this one) of the films reviewed by me were before 1990), but Lucy was never one of my go-to shows growing up, though I know of its reputation and of its long lasting length as reruns on television. The Long, Long Trailer was one of only three films released during the time it was on (with The Magic Carpet and Forever, Darling being the other films), and the story goes that MGM believed the film wouldn't be much of a success because of the fact audiences could see the duo on TV. However, the film turned out to be a success, in part due to the slapstick that is (somewhat) endearing to me and no doubt endearing to the audiences of the time as well. There is something about the movie that manages to feel so real, with location shots (such as Yosemite), and adequate enough timing without being too canned. The part with the rocks inside the trailer is one highlight for me, in part due to the timing of the right moment of when everything culminates. The other cast members are pretty decent, though it really is all about
Ball and Arnaz, whose chemistry helps the movie out. The trailer is an interesting set in it of itself, and it certainly is sizable enough to contribute to some fine gags. As a whole, it's a decent little movie that is endearing enough for at least one watch. It's not a hallmark of comedy by any means, but it is at least entertaining.

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.