Meet Me in St. Louis is a movie that hearkens back to a time when life was simpler, technology was emerging (think: going from gas lights to electric), Halloween really did involve tricks, and the World’s Fair was about to open in St. Louis.
Released in 1944 and set in St. Louis in 1904, this movie stars Judy Garland as a young woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, sings through everything, loves her family, and explores young love … all at the same time.
You may recall from an earlier post, that the St. Louis Zoo began with the bird exhibit from the World’s Fair in 1904. That World’s Fair is the concluding scenes from the movie. All the excitement that came at the turn of the century, from automobiles to telephones in every home, are highlighted within.
in Meet Me In St. Louis
Two songs emerged as unforgettable from this movie, “The Trolley Song,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” (A little trivia, in The Trolley Song, at about 2:40, you can hear a man yell “Hi Judy!” thinking it was a dress rehearsal. It was left in the movie, thinking no one would notice.)
According to Wikipedia, The American Film Institute ranked the film 10th on AFI’s Greatest Movie Musicals; two songs from the film made AFI’s 100 Years…100 Songs (“The Trolley Song” at #26 and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” at #76).
If you want to watch this movie, it’s available on Amazon.