Meet Me in St Louis (1944)

Ok, I'm gonna put up another post only because I was spurred on by my father. So I'm going to do a post on a move that is not from the 30's but the 40's! Plus the movie is based in my birthstate so I salute you father!


Judy Garland is my least favorite classic actress. Something about her eyes seemed glazed and her movements puppet like. Until she opens that mouth and gushes out melodies that make songbirds weep in shame.

Only two movies have garnered my attention for Garland. One is the pinnacle of fantasy adaptation movies, "Wizard of Oz."The second is a family movie that threatens to make you vomit up sap but doesn't. That is "Meet Me in St. Louis".

I would love to say I had a horrible day and was easy emotionally manipulated into this feel good movie. Truth be told, I was really relunctant to watch this movie. I had just been visually scarred from seeing Mickey Rooney pimp himself out to her in "Babe's in Arms" (how was Mickey Rooney considered cute?....shudder). I also tend to shy away from family movies. All that familial cheer and blah blah tends to have me punk myself out in defiance. The family unit is practically extinct now. It's weird to have such a bustling family like that. I grew up with dysfunctional family guidelines that has now defined normal urban society. Yet I had somehow grit my teeth and forced myself to pop that DVD.


Damn it. I loved it.


The story is of a family who is going to move. That's it. That's the freaking story. I wouldn't be surprised if you were laughing and checking out another website right now. No joke. The only conflict in this story is that they're moving and that just suuuuucks for the girls. The movie centers around the two elder daughters who have their eyes on boys. July Garland's character is the second eldest and has her eyes on the boy next door.

Oh yeah and it's a musical. Lots of nonsense songs. Lots of damn catchy nonsense songs. Really catchy nonsense songs.


On the surface, this movie doesn't seem to present much. After watching this movie though, I couldn't help but come away with a light and hopeful feeling in my heart. I also had the sudden urge to hug my brother. Something about this movie is so simple and sweet. It doesn't force any ideals down your throat or present a way that is correct or anything. It is a simple movie about a family that has their own problems. It's more like a micro-universe movie. That pretty much rings true even for todays families. Internal family problems will always hold more weight and sway. I vaguely remember something is Sociology about about the family unit being the important structure or something of that sort.

Judy Garland was beautiful in this movie. She fit this character way more than others. Have you ever notice how her grimaced expression in other roles? Almost as if she's wearing the wrong size?Not in this movie. She was comfortable and played her character. She was that young girl who's only world is the boy and how to get him.

Just a plainly sweet movie.

It's also worth it to see Garland beat the hell out of the boy.I mean she really swung her fists! Awesome! Never try to hurt a sibling. Your just asking asking for grande-mocha-lotta-hurta.


"clang, clang, clang went the trolley....ding, ding, ding went the bell....zing, zing, zing went my heartstrings as we started for huntington dell...."

DAMMIT. Now the song is stuck in my head.