Meet Me In St. Louis

There is a feeling that I cannot truly put into words that I feel when watching an old "chestnut" such as this. It is a mixing of nostalgia and optimism, completely irrational, and if you think about it too long, even some guilt at being so blissfully ignorant, but the feeling, at least for me, is unmistakable. While watching "Meet Me In St. Louis", one of MGM's most heart warming musicals ever, I cannot help but experience this feeling overwhelm me. The movie is just so warm, literally. A gorgeous "slice-of-life" tale about an ordinary family in picture perfect St. Louis (a cynic would argue that no where, let alone St. Louis, was ever as beautiful and idyllic as it is portrayed here) at the turn of the last century, the film concerns the Smith family: passionate and idealistic Esther, her over bearing older sister Rose, her adorable younger sister 'Tootie', her caring mother, her workaholic father, and her cantankerous old grandfather, played with spirit by the legendary Harry Davenport. The movie is exceedindly simple, fitting every small time cliche you can think of, sort of, for example, in this, the girl falls for the guy next door, not the more conventional other way around. The main conflict of the film is the father, Alonzo's, decision to accept a job in New York and move the family there, causing them to miss the World's Fair exhibition in their own home town. How can a movie string out a problem like that over 100 some odd minutes and still end up endearing and entertaining? Perhaps it is the marvelous attention to detail, courtesy of the legendary Arthur Freed and the time and money he spent on his "Freed Unit" productions. Or maybe the fine cast he assembled, including Judy Garland singing her second most famous song ever, the aforementioned Harry Davenport, Mary Astor, and little Margaret O'Brien, who won a special Oscar for her charming work as 'Tootie'. My vote is because of the music; "The Trolley Song" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" are American standards now, thanks to this film, and the mood each of them sets helps give this film something other musicals of the time just did not have, that you were watching something special. That, above all, is the sentiment you get from watching this film.

The film begins with a shot of picaresque post card of St. Louis that comes to life, and we realize that it is the Smith's block. Everyone is excited about the coming World's Fair (an anomaly exclusive to essentially the fifty years from 1900 to 1950. A "World's Fair" today cannot be imagined in terms of the excitement, preparation, and wonder it inspired. St. Louis' of 1903 and Chicago's of the 1930's are the two most celebrated ones, and the last one of note was in New York in the 1960's, but by that point the wonder and excitement had long faded. However, it is to note that the sentiment of a World's Fair was Walt Disney's inspiration for Tomorrowland at his Disneyland theme park), particuarly the Smith family. Everything with the world is seemingly at ease, and the Smith family is a microcosm of that. However, trouble is brewing, in the name of New York. Successful banker/father Alonzo thinks he will be pleasing his family by telling them of his promotion to the New York office, instead the entire family is devastated by the news. Oldest sister Rose is in a tumultuous relationship in town and cannot simply bear to leave. Middle sister Esther too is interested in John Truett, their new neighbor, and youngest daughter Tootie possesses all the wonder and exuberance a World's Fair would bring on in a young child. Even the girl's mother is sad ot hear the news, knowing how much the children love St. Louis and are looking forward to the Fair. Arthur Freed went on record in subsequent interviews as saying that the real villain in this fim is the name "New York". Just the sense of having to uproot and leave fills the Smith girls with dread and anxiety. Alonzo, being the stubborn father these type movies always employ, initially refuses to budge, failing to see how much the Fair, and home, means to his family. He also fails to notice Esther's blossoming romance with John, a feat not lost on the viewer. Vincente Minnelli was a brilliant artist and his sets and shots were composed as an artist would fill a canvas. He too was clearly enamored with his young star and thus it comes as no surprise that Judy Garland never looks as beautiful as she does in this film thanks to Minnelli's eye for flattering angles and lenses.

The family's objections aside, as Christmas rolls around the plan is still to move, which puts everyone in a semi state of depression. Tootie goes around knocking over snowmen she is so upset, and even Esther, who is the optimist in the family, can only manage as depressing a song as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to cheer up Tootie. Now of course the viewer derives enormous pleasure from this song due mainly to its legacy as a Christmas staple. Second only to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", this song is also one of Judy Garland's standards, and she sings it beautifully. But listening to the lyrics, you realize just how well it fits both the plot of the film, as well as the mood the characters are all in at the time. It is a song of reluctant optimism, of taking comfort in your few remaining joys (not surprisingly, the song was a huge hit during the War, as it connected with millions of families who were disjointed due to combat). Finally, as spring comes, Alonzo's frosty demeanor melts with the snow and he decides St. Louis is the place for his family, and the film ends with the family taking in the Fair, the great event they had spent the past year waiting in anticipation for. If the ending sounds a little familiar, the family so grateful to be "at home", it should come as no surprise that Arthur Freed also produced "The Wizard of Oz", which coined the phrase "there's no place like home". While today this film can be seen as incredibly corny and slight, the film's strong points are still there; Arthur Freed's famous generosity in regards to his productions, which resulted in collaborations with the finest crasftmen, is in full employ here, as Cedric Gibbons' gorgeous art direction and the fine score clearly set this apart from other musicals of the era. Freed was very proud of his films and his pride was also on display on screen. He was also, they say, a very kind, compassionate man, who favored his pool of talent, both in front of and behind the camera, and thus it is not surprising that his films always have such a fine polish about them. "Meet Me in St. Louis" is no exception.