Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) Blu-ray... (1 Viewer)

Well folks, I've been wanting this movie on blu-ray for quite a while but just now got around to ordering Meet Me In St. Louis (1944) from Amazon (it was released onto Blu in December 2011). I have never seen this movie yet so this is a first for me.


Would love to hear from other folks here who have seen it. Just no spoilers quite yet please.


(And yes, I did search the forum for a existing thread on this film. Didn't find one).


Probably the $4 jump in price yesterday convinced me to pull the trigger. Since then it has risen another $1.24 which makes me wonder if this title is about to go OOP.


Anyway another wonderful classic to add to my young but growing Blu-ray collection, even if I have to slow down a bit on Blus (new car lease for my wife a little more expensive (ggrrrrrr)).


It will be interesting to see Judy Garland in a non-Oz, more grown-up role which for some reason I really haven't seen much of Judy's magnificent talents outstide of The Wizard Of Oz. Guess now I'll have to check out Easter Parade as well.


Oh and a young June Lockhart is in this as well. With Lost In Space coming this month, this shapes up to some real interesting September viewing.

I do NOT (not not) like musicals. I've tried hard, but never did, and still don't.


I like this one though. Good performances from all the women/girls. Sure doesn't seem like a very accurate portrayal of ~1907 (?) though, in many ways. But I don't remember that year that well really... OTOH the family was quite well-off, so who knows how they lived/behaved.

I generally like musicals, but did not care for this film. As I recall, it was mostly because Margaret O'Brien's character was such a brat.

GORGEOUS three strip technicolor! This is one of MGM's lushest looking pictures.

Malcolm R said:

I generally like musicals, but did not care for this film. As I recall, it was mostly because Margaret O'Brien's character was such a brat.

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A musical for people who hate musicals then?


There is a thread here about this title (DVD though), somewhere. I know because I posted in it and people there convinced me that I-the-musical-hater would like this film. I did. I loved that brat too, my favorite character...

I'm with everybody here.


It looks absolutely beautiful. I love musicals and you'll do no better than Judy Garland warbling Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.


But this film just doesn't work for me. And I LOVE musicals.


I like many of Garland's "lesser films" more than this: Harvey Girls, for one.


I always thought I was kinda weird for that stance. Maybe not so much based on what I'm seeing here.

Ouch Brad! Never saw so many negative comments about this film. I'll be a dissenter of opinion here (for the most part) by saying this is one of my favorite movies of all time, period. Wonderful integrated score, gorgeous color. Garland sparkles in this film and the whole cast is delightful including that bratty Margaret O'Brien. The blu-ray is stunning. As with everything, we all have different opinions. Hope you enjoy.

Great movie, thoroughly enjoyed it, the blu ray book version is a superb package and the picture and audio are excellent.

One of Garland's greatest films, one of the most luscious looking Technicolor films out there, and with songs that are classics. Even some of the songs that folks don't think about much like "Over the Banister" I really love.


You'll never see Halloween portrayed with more style and atmosphere (even if some of the tropes of the era have since vanished today), and the characters are so memorable, even Margaret O'Brien (who won a special Oscar for her performance in her 1944 films with this being the most memorable of them).

Agreed Matt. I LOVE Over the Banister! So beautifully filmed as is the whole film.

Apart from what everyone else has said, it should be pointed out that MGM spared no expense with this one and all the craftsmen involved with this film from Vincente Minnelli on down to the carpenters on the set, were at the top of their game here. This gave everyone involved a chance to revisit their own childhood since the period being depicted was only forty years into the past.


And, as a result, nearly everything is right as to the details. Sure, it's a glorified, MGM-gloss fantasized version of reality, with forties orchestrations, stylized costumes and such, but -- in the small details -- it so amazingly depicts the period: the gas stains on the wallpaper, the Victorian frou-frou of the decor, the dirt-strewn streets, the ice wagon, the pump in the kitchen, making your own ketchup, and on and on. And the Technicolor lighting! Watch this and then go watch ON MOONLIGHT BAY (a wonderful little film in its own way) and see the difference between studio craftsmanship and true art. This is one of the finest films MGM ever produced.

I doubt this film is going OOP - it's always been one of Warner's big sellers and it's a holiday perennial. I think perhaps though that the digibook packaging may soon be retired in favour of a regular Blu-ray case.

Somebody said "integrated". That is the key for me, in that what I perceive as lack of musical integration puts me off. I like integrated, dislike clunky. In anything. To me, most musicals are clunky. This film is smooth.

Mike Frezon said:

I always thought I was kinda weird for that stance. Maybe not so much based on what I'm seeing here.

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No, you're totally weird!

This is probably Judy's best film for showcasing her talent and beauty. She was at her peak here (although vocal-wise I think her voice peaked a few years earlier in Listen, Darling and Wizard of Oz, but this is pretty close). The musical numbers are incredible, especially the Trolley Song, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and The Boy Next Door. Certainly one of the greatest musicals of all time (although most of the movie is actually not a musical but a light hearted family drama, and a fine one at that).

Judy absolutely GLOWS in this film and credit for that must go to director Vincente Minnelli, who photographs her with such love and adoration.

This is absolutely one of Judy's greatest movies and I do hope you respond to the warmth and affection which shines through this movie. The 'Trolley Song' segment is worth the price of admission by itself! And the three-strip Technicolor is so delicious you could eat it!

Although I'm still waiting for my very favourites 'For Me and My Gal' and 'The Harvey' to be released on Blu, I must admit that so far, Judy has been very well served by Blu ray.

And I might mention that last month I finally succeeded in picking up at an affordable price the brilliant DCC 'gold' mastering to CD by Steve Hoffmann of 'Judy at Carnegie Hall' . a transfer which brings us every moment of that fabulous concert as it deserves to be heard, in up-front fidelity way ahead of the relatively sterile version put out by Capitol.

It's worth it for The Trolley Song alone. An absolutely fantastic little number! Judy is superb!

Huge Judy Garland fan and agree with how wonderful this movie is. I have little technical knowledge about 3-strip but when I first saw this movie when I was a kid the first thing I remember being in awe of was the color (and this was on vhs). Of course it's even more beautiful on Blu-Ray.


Brad, if you love musicals you must check out her movies with Mickey Rooney and Summer Stock. Also The Clock is a good non musical that she stars in.