It’s is 1903 and the Smith family, like everyone else in St. Louis, is breathlessly excited about the coming World’s Fair slated to open towards the end of the year. But when family patriarch Alonzo (Leon Ames) announces he has been transferred to New York and that they will all be moving to the great big city just after Christmas, the entire clan goes into something of an uproar, none of them altogether certain they want to leave the only town they’ve ever known and the place they all happily call home. Starring Judy Garland, Mary Astor, Lucille Brenner, Marjoria Main and the unforgettable Margaret O’Brien, who would win a special Academy Award for a performance by a child as he precocious Tootie.

CRITIQUE

It took director Vincente Minnelli a long time to ultimately convince Judy Garland to appear in Meet Me in St. Louis, ultimately assuring the young actress she would look beautiful and that starring in the film would be good for her. It was on multiple levels, not the least of which was that doing so led to her brief, tumultuous marriage to the director itself. But more than that, it led to a creative relationship between the two that would produce a couple more classics, not the least of which is Garland’s pairing with star Gene Kelly in the swashbuckling musical The Pirate.

But back to Meet Me in St. Louis, it is impossible to imagine this lyrical, emotionally forthright musical without the presence of Garland. Sure little O’Brien steals a number of scenes, is a memorable presence in her own right, but without the charming Wizard of Oz starlet it is doubtful we’d be talking about this timeless treasure in as waxingly poetic terms as we do. It is the most beautiful she has ever appeared on film, hands down, and many of the songs she sings have entered the public lexicon becoming melodious favorites – most notably the melancholic, intimately rendered “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” – still sung today.

So the plot is slight, and as most everyone who is anyone (including Liza Minnelli in her opening introduction) as noted over the decades it’s not like anything actually happens dramatically here as there really isn’t any arc to speak of, per se. But that’s fine, and if anything only adds to the picture’s overall charm, allowing the Smith family to take center stage in a way that clearly resonates with even the youngest viewer. We know these people, understand what it is they want out of life, their dreams, their passions, their wants and their pleasures, making their story of whether or not to remain in St. Louis or head off to the bright lights of New York all the more intimate and affecting.

Minnelli shoots it all vignette style, moving things from the summer months to Halloween to Christmas to New Year’s with surprising subtlety. All the little things are here, their honesty undeniable as the truth of each Smith family member to them rings with complete and utter authenticity. Whether it be a moonlit house party to a big dynamic Ball at the Town Hall in the center of the city each event, each moment, is given its own stage to blossom, its own moment to shine. Each important tale of the Smith family transitions from one to the other like pages on the calendar, one month folding into the other, giving the picture a universality that is as true today as it was back in 1944 when the film was originally released.

Then there are the songs themselves. Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane wrote three new tunes for the picture, the rest of the soundtrack filled with music from the turn of the century era in which the film takes place. Many of them, as already noted, have become standards still sung today. But from “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” to “The Boy Next Door,” to “The Trolley Song,” it is somewhat impossible to imagine anyone but Judy singing each and every one of them. Minnelli lived up to his promise Garland, and not only is the actress physically gorgeous inside the movie he also gives her the musical spotlight as well, showcasing her to such a high degree it could be safely stated that start to finish no motion picture showcased her quite so luminously. Sure the Wizard of Oz and A Star is Born might always be held in a bit higher esteem (if only slightly), but it is Meet Me in St. Louis that cemented her as a star bright enough to shimmer into the new millennium and beyond, and anyone interested in discovering just what all the fuss is about in regards to Garland would be doing themselves a favor if they started their cinematic love affair with her performance here. 

THE VIDEO

Meet Me in St. Louis is presented on a dual-layer 50GB Blu-ray with MPEG-4 AVC Video sporting 1.37:1/1080p transfer.

THE AUDIO

The movie sings onto Blu-ray with an English 5.1 DTS Master Audio track along with dueling French and Spanish Dolby Digital Mono tracks and features optional English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.

THE EXTRAS

Extras here are ported over from the previous DVD special edition and include:

·         Commentary with John Fricke, Margaret O’Brien, Irving Brecher, Hugh Martin and Barbara Freed-Saltzman – Hosted by Fricke, this is one of the best of its kind, each person offering up tidbits of information that only add to one’s enjoyment and appreciation of the movie itself. Martin, in particular, has some of the most fascinating things to say, his recollections working with Ralph Blane not exactly what you’d expect them to be.

·         Introduction by Liza Minnelli (4:59) – Heartfelt intro by the daughter of Vincente and Judy that is the perfect opening statement to a film that, in all honesty, doesn’t really need one. Wonderful.

·         Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic (30:47) – Fine retrospective doc that gets the job done. Won’t blow anyone away, by any means, but is entertaining and informative nonetheless.

·         Hollywood: The Dream Factory (50:31) – 1972 vintage doc from MGM narrated by Dick Cavett.

·         Becoming Attractions: Judy Garland (46:10) – Robert Osborne hosts this wonderful TCM retrospective on the starlet featuring clips and trailers from some of her most memorable - as well as some of her not-so-memorable – films.

·         TV Pilot: Meet Me in St. Louis (26:35) – Failed 1966 pilot for potential television series inspired by the classic 1944 motion picture.

·         Bubbles (7:54) – Inspired 1930vcomedy short staring Garland made during her days as one of the Gumm Sisters.

·         Skip to My Lou – 1941 short with Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane.

·         Audio Vault – Three items of interest, most notably the music-only audio track. There’s also the 1946 Lux radio version of the story as well as the excised tune “Boys and Girls Like You and Me.”

·         Theatrical Reissue Trailer (1:42)

The film comes in Warner Bros. patented DigiBook packaging which includes numerous archival photographs from the motion picture. Also included with the set is a CD sampler of some of the more iconic tunes from the movie, including Garland’s timeless original take on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”

FINAL THOUGHTS

Meet Me in St. Louis is a timeless family tale that gets better and better with each passing year. Few films are as perfectly realized as this one, while even fewer Blu-rays do this type of justice to a classic Technicolor marvel made during Hollywood’s golden age. Bravo.