Thursday, December 5, 2013

Meet Me in St. Louis [Blu-ray Book]



An American Classic In A Memorable DVD Package
Many critics consider MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS the single finest Hollywood musical of the 20th Century. Produced by Arthur Freed, directed by Vincent Minnelli, and sporting a flawless ensemble cast led by Judy Garland, the film was immediately hailed when it debuted in 1944--and time has only added luster to its name. Now, after several home market incarnations, it at last receives the edition it deserves on DVD.

Given its stature, it is ironic that both MGM and Judy Garland originally fought the project. Based on a collection of autobiographical stories by Sally Benson, the script is little more than a series of domestic adventures in the lives of the Smith family of 1903 St. Louis. But it became a thing of wonder: a careful balance of sly but gentle humor, a collection of memorable performances, an understated score shorn of the usual movie-musical affectations, and at the center of it all Judy Garland, one of Hollywood's most memorable talents.

The transfer is excellent,...

fantastic musical
Judy Garland gives one of her finest performances in the delightful period musical MEET ME IN ST LOUIS, still one of the best-loved movies of all time.

Esther Smith (Garland) is in love with "The Boy Next Door", and when she discovers that the Worlds Fair is coming to her town, everyone in St Louis is thrilled.

Her enchantment only grows when she discovers the feeling of love is mutual, but when her father announces that the family is moving to New York, the romance could be finished before it even began...

Margaret O'Brien steals every scene she's in as Esther's little sister Tootie, while the supporting cast, led by Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor and Leon Ames is first-rate.

Initially more popular at the box-office than THE WIZARD OF OZ, the evergreen MEET ME IN ST LOUIS continues to be loved by generations of movie-lovers.

A beautiful timeless movie loved by people of all ages.
Meet Me In St. Louis is a lovely film, based on episodes in the life of a large family living in early 20th Century St. Louis at the time of the World's Fair. Judy Garland and Margaret O'Brien are both amazing in this film and are very strongly supported by the rest of the cast.

My 6 year old daughter is hooked on it too now (and I guess that's about the age when I first saw it) and we often watch it together for a treat. I have watched it countless times and am always happy to watch it again.

Meet Me in St. Louis is essentially a "pastoral" musical that celebrates the values of small town America, a popular theme in MGM musicals, especially those directed by Minelli. The so-called delights of the big metropolis New York are exposed as undesirable and compared unfavorably with the simple "purer" family life of St. Louis - which is a big city too but "doesn't seem big, out here where we live".

But it is not just a chocolate box movie, in...

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