Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1433 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-24
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.37:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: Turkish, Arabic, Czech, Danish, English, Spanish, Hungarian, Portuguese, Finnish, Romanian, German, French, Italian, Dutch
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 110 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
One of the finest American musicals, this 1944 film by Vincente Minnelli is an intentionally self-contained story set in 1903, in which a happy St Louis family is shaken to their roots by the prospect of moving to New York, where the father has a better job pending. Judy Garland heads the cast of Meet Me in St Louis in what amounts to a splendid, end-of-an-era story that nicely rhymes with the onset of the 20th century. The film is extraordinarily alive, the characters strong, and the musical numbers are so splendidly part of the storytelling that you don't feel the film has stopped for an interlude. --Tom Keogh

Synopsis
Vincente Minnelli's classic romantic musical about a well-off family, the Smiths, in 1903 St. Louis. As the two oldest girls fret about boys and love, a darker, more serious cloud appears on the horizon: their father is being transferred to a job in far-off New York City just as the World's Fair is coming to town and making St. Louis the "centre of the world". Will they have to leave the home and town they love and their new boyfriends?

Customer Reviews

Judy Garland at her best
One of Judy Garland's best films is now released in a fantastic and restaured copy. The advertise for it says it never looked better. This is probably quite true. The colours are just perfect, making justice to Vincente Minnelli's work as a director. Although with less extras than the US edition, this DVD still has a very good making off, an introduction to the film by Liza Minnelli, a trailer, a music only audio track and a informative and entertaining commentary.

The film has all the charm of the best MGM productions, and it tells the story of a family living in St Louis in the year leading to the World Fair of 1904. Judy Garland sings some of her best songs ("The Boy next door", "the Troley song" and "Have yourself a merry little christmas") and is upstage by the very young Margarte O'Brien as Tootie (she won the juvenile performer OScar for her part here).

Judy in top form
Thanks to a thorough restoration, this film has become one of the most vibrant DVDs available. Has 'Meet Me in St Louis' ever looked this good before? It's like new.

The songs include 'The Trolley Song', 'The Boy Next Door' and the heart-rending 'Have yourself a Merry Litle Christmas', all three sung by Judy Garland at her most relaxed. Her blossoming relationship with the director, Vincent Minnelli, created the perfect working environment for her to use her talents.

If it's one of your favourites, buy it now. In particular, the American 2-Disc version is worth buying for the extras. The print is the same on the UK edition, though, and either is essential to the musical lover.

Judy and Vincente at their very best
With the exception of "The Wizard of Oz", this is the best Judy Garland film out there from a theatrical perspective. Vocally it is as powerful as "A Star is Born".

Judy is in amazing voice here and "The Trolley Song" truly comes to life when you see how Judy sings it. Similarly, "Have yourself a merry little Christmas" is sung with the emotional depth of "Over the Rainbow".

From a directorial perspective this is a masterpiece, especially considering the time it was made. Vincente Minelli uses a rich palette to create a warm atmosphere and the integration of song is seamless and never forced.

Unmissable and unforgettable for anyone who has a heart.