Clang Clang Clang Went The Trolley!

Meet Me In St. Louis is one of Judy Garland's most memorable musicals. It is the story of the Smiths, a suburban family living in the midwest around the turn of the century. It has a variety of genres threaded through it including romance, drama, and especially comedy. Judy Garland plays Esther, who falls in love with the boy next-door. The film follows the family through different seasons of the year and shows how much they are attached to their town and community. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but for a great summary of the plot visit this site.

The film is based on a collection of short stories by Sally Benson known as the "Kensington Stories." In the film, the Smiths live on Kensington Ave, which is named after these stories. MGM purchased the rights for the stories from Sally Benson in 1942 for $25,000, which was a large amount of money for the time period. A variety of screenwriters attempted to develop the story, however the final screenplay was written by Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe. In the end, MGM spent over $86,000 to have the script finished.

After the screenplay was complete, producer Arthur Freed hired Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane to compose original songs for the film. Of their original compositions, the songs "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "The Boy Next-door" have become classics. Arthur Freed then hired Vincent Minnelli to direct the film, and many felt uncomfortable about this decision because the film was such a high budget project that they wanted someone more experienced. However, Freed loved Minnelli's artistic style and trusted his intuition.

With all the elements in place, some studio executives doubted the film's success. Some even called it "Freed's Flop" (thejudyroom.com) The film's budget was about $1.5 Million, $156,000 of which was to construct the St. Louis street (a main set of the film). During the production of the film, Judy Garland was frequently ill which delayed filming. It took a total of 58 days to complete production, and the film was released in New York City on November 28, 1944. Additional production information, and a complete timeline of the film can be found at The Judy Room.

The film was very successful and received great critical acclaim. It was nominated for 4 Oscars and is considered to be Arthur Freed's best film. Read an analysis of the film here.

When the movie was made, Judy Garland was only 21 years old, though she appears to be even younger. After working with Minnelli, the two developed a strong relationship and were married in 1945, only a year after the film's release. 

Meet Me In St. Louis is truly a classic. If you have yet to watch the film, I encourage you to go see it! It is filled with amazing musical numbers, romanticism, hilarious moments, and lots of Judy Garland's wonderful charm.

Watch the incredible "Trolley Song" Here: