This is about the film, For the stage musical, see Meet Me in St. Louis (musical)
Meet Me in St. Louis.
Meet Me In St Louis is a 1944 musical film.
Cast[]
Singing Cast[]
- Judy Garland - Esther Smith
- Lucille Bremer - Rose Smith
- Denny Markas - Mrs. Anna Smith (singing voice)
- Arthur Freed - Mr. Alonzo Smith (singing voice)
- Margaret O’Brian - Tootie Smith
- Henry H. Daniels - Alonzo "Lon" Smith Jr.
Non Singing Cast[]
- Mary Astor - Mrs. Anna Smith
- Leon Ames - Mr. Alonzo Smith
- Tom Drake - John Truitt
- June Lockhart - Lucille Ballard
- Robert Sully - Warren Sheffield
Plot[]
It is summer 1903. The Smith family leads a comfortable upper-middle class life. Alonzo Smith and his wife Anna have four daughters: Rose, Esther, Agnes, and Tootie; and a son, Lon Jr. Esther, the second eldest daughter, is in love with the boy next door, John Truitt, although he does not notice her at first. Rose is expecting a phone call during which she hopes to be proposed to by Warren Sheffield, and is embarrassed when not only does Warren fail to propose, but the entire family is present as she takes the call during dinner.
Esther finally gets to meet John properly when he is a guest at the Smiths' house party, although her chances of romancing him don't go as planned when, after all the guests are gone and he is helping her turn off the gas lamps throughout the house, he tells her she uses the same perfume as his grandmother and that she has "a mighty strong grip for a girl."
Esther hopes to meet John again the following Friday on a trolley ride from the city to the construction site of the World's Fair. Esther is sad when the trolley sets off without any sign of him, but cheers up when she sees him running to catch the trolley mid-journey.
On Halloween, Tootie returns home injured, claiming that John Truitt attacked her. Without bothering to investigate, Esther confronts John, physically attacking him and scolding him for being a "bully." When Esther returns home, Tootie confesses that what really happened was that John was trying to protect Tootie and Agnes from the police after a dangerous prank they pulled went wrong. Upon learning the truth, Esther immediately dashes to John's house next door to apologize, and they share their first kiss.
Mr. Smith announces to the family that he is to be sent to New York City on business and they will all move after Christmas. The family is devastated and upset at the news of the move, especially Rose and Esther whose romances, friendships, and educational plans are threatened. Esther is also aghast because they will miss the World's Fair.
An elegant ball takes place on Christmas Eve. Esther is devastated when John cannot take her as his date, due to his leaving his tuxedo at the tailor's and being unable to get it back. She is relieved, however, when her grandfather offers to take her to the ball instead. At the ball, Esther and Rose plot to ruin the evening of Warren's date and Rose's rival Lucille Ballard by filling up her dance card with losers. But when Lucille turns out to be interested in Lon, leaving Rose and Warren together, Esther switches her dance card with Lucille's and instead dances in Lucille's place with the clumsy and awkward partners. After being rescued by Grandpa, Esther is overjoyed when John unexpectedly turns up after somehow managing to obtain a tuxedo, and the pair dance together for the rest of the evening. Later on, John proposes to Esther and she accepts, but their future is uncertain because she must still move to New York.
Esther returns home to an upset Tootie. She is soothed by the poignant "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Tootie, however, becomes more upset at the prospect of the family's move and runs downstairs, out into the cold to destroy the snowmen they have made. Mr. Smith sees his daughter's upsetting outburst from an upstairs window.
Mr. Smith later announces that the family will not leave St. Louis after all when he realizes how much the move will affect his family. Warren boldly declares his love for Rose, stating that they will marry at the first possible opportunity.
On or after April 30, 1904, the family take two horse-drawn buggies to the World's Fair. The film ends that night with the entire family (including John, Lucille, and Warren) overlooking the Grand Lagoon at the center of the World's Fair just as thousands of lights illuminate the grand pavilions.
Musical numbers[]
- "Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis" - Esther and Rose
- "The Boy Next Door" - Esther
- "Skip to My Lou" - Esther, Rosie and Alonzo "Lon" Smith Jr.
- "I Was Drunk Last Night" - Tootie
- "Under the Bamboo Tree" - Esther and Tootie
- "Over the Banister" - Esther
- "The Trolley Song" - Esther and Chorus
- "You and I" - Mr and Mrs Smith
- "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" - Esther
- "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" - Esther (cut)