Click here to read about author Sally Benson and the origins of the story.

MGM purchased the screen rights to Sally Benson's "Kensington Stories" for $25,000.00 on March 1, 1942. Right away, the story went through the screen writing process at MGM. Several screen writers and authors took a stab at it. Sally Benson herself worked on what became a 198 page treatment written with Doris Gilbert between March 30 and May 9, 1942. Between April and October 1942, other writers worked on the project, including the husband-and-wife team of Victor Heerman & Sarah Y. Mason (Oscar winners for their 1933 adaptation of Little Women) and William Ludwig, who had written for the Andy Hardy series and also Margaret O'Brien's Journey For Margaret (1943).

None of these treatments seemed to work, and finally Irving Brecher & Fred Finklehoffe were given the assignment. Finklehoffe had written for several Judy Garland musicals, and Brecher had written for the Marx Brothers, which seemed at first an odd choice to write a delicate family story. Finklehoffe and Brecher wisely decided that the bulk of the story should take place in the Smith family home and it's surrounding area of St. Louis. It was Finklehoffe and Brecher who expanded the "Warren Sheffield telephone call from New York" scene by making Mr. Smith ignorant to the goings on and having him hang up the phone when it first rings. They also took out scenes at Princeton University and a Smith family visit to their grandparents in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

Some other changes made were: Moving Mr. Smith's decision NOT to move the family to New York from immediately after the family's objections to the night before the planned move(Christmas Eve) heightening the tension; Removing a romance between Rose and Colonel Andrews (renamed Darly in the final film) -only a small scene remains that hints of Rose's attraction to him;Removing an announcement by Tootie that she did not want to go to the fair; Changing the hair color of Rose and Esther from blonde and black to both being auburn; Removing a blackmail subplot involving Esther and finally, they divided the film into four segments representing the four seasons of the year (Sally Benson's book had been 12 chapters, one for each month of the year).

Name changes were made too, sometimes for legal reasons. Sally Benson wanted Lucille Ballard's name to be either Picard or Dorsey. John Truett began life as John "Bluett," then for legal reasons became Collins, then Truett (Ms. Benson objected to "Truett"). "Bluett" stayed as the reference name of the house on MGM's "St. Louis Street" even after the backlot was torn down. Warren Sheffield originally was named Warren Sheppard, and for legal reasons the Waughops became the Braukoffs. The real life name of the maid was indeed Katie, and the real-life Katie was alive and well and provided a signed release to the MGM legal department, giving the "ok" to use her name.

Finally, here are some interesting additions, changes, and/or deletions from the original book: The ketchup tasting scene that opens the film is an very expanded version of a simple paragraph in the book; In the book Rose gets mixed up with a middle-aged man; Mrs. Smith loses her temper; Tootie's ride on the ice wagon was originally a ride on a water-sprinkler; The cakewalk scene is danced in the book by Agnes, in a man's hat (Sally Benson based the Agnes character on herself); The Halloween sequence is in the book although it's Agnes who takes on the Braukoffs (or Waughops); A slight reference in the March segment of the book to a trolley gave birth to the entire "Trolley Song" sequence; The scene of Tootie and Agnes coming down the stairs during Lon's farewell party and Tootie singing "I Was Drunk Last Night" also comes from the book; Mr. Smith's decision to move the family to New York, and the subsequent tension it creates for the final half of the film, is from a small three-page episode in the book; and finally, it's Agnes who ends the book by saying "I can't believe it. right here where we live. Right here in St. Louis".

With the script in place, producer Arthur Freed turned to Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane to compose the original songs for the film. At the time, Martin and Blane had enjoyed moderate success with their successful Broadway show "Best Foot Forward".The property was bought by MGM, so Martin and Blane, along with stars Nancy Walker, Tommy Dix and Gil Stratton, were brought out to MGM to adapt the show for the screen. Martin and Blane also contributed to other films including "Three Cheers For The Yanks" to For Me And My Gal (1942) starring Judy Garland. Still, they hadn't obtained the success they wanted so Meet Me In St. Louis was their big chance. Freed felt strongly enough about their abilities to ask them to write new songs for Meet Me In St. Louis, to help complement the use standards of the day. They would end up providing four songs for the film, three of which would be the best of their careers and have since become classic standards ("The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas").

Freed also took a chance on hiring Vincente Minnelli to direct. At first Minnelli seemed like an odd choice to helm such a costly and risky project. Although to Freed, it probably seemed like the logical choice. Known for his use of composition and his unusual flair for design, Minnelli was an inspired choice. Minnelli had directed I Dood It (1942) starring Red Skelton, and most notably Cabin In The Sky (1943) starring Ethel Waters and Lena Horne. Click here for a biography of Vincente Minnelli.

Many at the studio felt the story had not plot and that the film would be a flop. It was even referred to by some as "Freed's Folly". But Freed stood by his choices and went about the tasks of pre-production on the film, including the casting of the major roles.

When Judy Garland first discovered that MGM was going to cast her in their new musical film entitled Meet Me In St. Louis she was not happy. She feared, and with good reason, that the film would set her career back. She had finally been allowed to grow up on the screen. In For Me And My Gal (1942) she was given a real romantic lead in newcomer Gene Kelly, and she was the undisputed star of the film, with her name alone above the title for the first time.

After that she appeared in Presenting Lily Mars which was the first time the studio made a real effort to make her look glamorous, even if it was mainly for the finale at the end of the picture. She was seen for the first time with her hair up and looking quite beautiful. True, she had also just completed Girl Crazy (1943) as well, but even in that, her final complete film with Mickey Rooney, she was a completely different character than in all of the other Garland/Rooney pictures. In this film, Mickey chased Judy rather than the other way around, and she was portrayed not as a teenager deep in puppy love, but as a lovely young woman.

Now, after reading the St. Louis script, it appeared as though the studio wanted her to revert back to playing a high school girl with a crush on the boy next door. Judy was dating Joe Mankiewicz at the time, and he was also instrumental in allowing her to see herself as not just a little girl with a big voice, but a desirable woman. At 22 years of age, Mankiewicz reasoned, Judy Garland had the talent and ability to graduate to more adult roles. And Judy not only agreed with it, but with Mankiewicz in her corner, for the first time she summoned up the strength to actually resist the studio for her own benefit.

Judy went to L.B. Mayer and complained, and for once he sided with her. He went to producer Arthur Freed to discuss the matter, but was effectively swayed in the other direction by Freed, director Vincent Minnelli, and most importantly the reigning studio storyteller Lillie Messinger. Once Lillie got a hold of a story, no one was immune. She was able to effectively point out the charms and magic of the story. Mr. Mayer loved a good sentimental "all-American" story and this had everything he loved. Next Judy went to see Minnelli on her own, thinking that she might be able to persuade him, since she was one of MGM's biggest stars, and he was a novice director.

Minnelli had directed only two films before, neither was a big financial success. The best of the two, Cabin In The Sky, although a beautiful film that critics liked, was an all-black film and in 1943 that meant a limited audience. Judy was sure that not only would St. Louis be a mistake but that she could persuade Minnelli that it really wasn't very good!

In his memoirs, Minnelli reports what happened when Judy came to see him about the film: "She looked at me as if we were planning an armed robbery against the American public. She later told me that she'd come to see me thinking I would see it her way." Per Minnelli,Garland says "It's not very good, is it?" to which Minnelli responded with "I think it's fine. I see a lot of great things in it. In fact, it's magical."Whether years later the exact words of the conversation are remember by Minnelli is immaterial. Judy may have been going on an early draft of the screenplay which was, according to most accounts, not very good. But it was shaped up by the time rehearsals began. And since Mayer switched and sided with Freed, and Freed stood behind Minnelli, Judy had no choice but to acquiesce. Rehearsals began on November 11, 1943 and Judy did not exactly throw herself into the role. She was used to the more contemporary, "wise cracking" dialog.

When filming began almost a month later on December 7, 1943 things weren't much better. In fact, it's reported that when Minnelli was away from the set, Judy would sometimes entertain the cast and crew with a devilishly satire of Minnelli centered around his "perfectionism." This skit would entail her acting out the part of an MGM bit actor who is paid his set fee to say one line in every film in production: "I think it may rain today." The bit actor comes to the Minnelli set fully expecting to say his line, collect his pay, and leave. But Minnelli (again acted by Judy) has other things in mind and suggests the actor try saying his lines with a different inflection. Taken aback, the actor tries it that way. The Minnelli suggests a different way, then another and yet another until finally the bit actor is reduced to tears of frustration and confusion.

This story illustrates how funny Judy could be when she wanted to be (her wit is legendary in Hollywood and she was known as the perfect mimic). This could also be seen as her way of dealing with a situation of which she had no control and was not happy about. Judy had a practically photographic memory when it came to lyrics and script, and she resented Minnelli's constant rehearsals and multiple takes.Judy usually got her lines and hit her marks perfect the first time. But with Minnelli, not only was he insisting that she rehearse and endure long, multiple takes (he didn't like the idea of using the stand-in for much of this), but he was breaking down her confidence. He was exacting but in a quiet way. Her frustration grew as she began to question her merits as an actress, feeling like she wasn't doing anything right. She went to Freed to complain, who told her to bide her time and give him a chance. She also reportedly complained to Mary Astor, who flatly said to Judy: "Just go along with it, he knows what he's doing."

Things got a little better, but didn't really get on track until Judy began to see herself on film. Suddenly, under his direction, Judy not only looked more beautiful and vibrant than ever before, but Minnelli was getting a beautifully realized understated performance from her. And whatever qualms she had about being a "teenager" or lost in the ensemble were put to rest as well. Soon Judy was entrusting Minnelli with her trust. But that trust came with a price.

Judy would be absent from the set of St. Louis for close to 3 weeks. Initially this was due to a lack of interest in the project. But aside from that, Judy was beginning to show signs of the strain that the previous years of overwork, malnutrition, and medications had caused. She was going through the ups and downs that addicts begin to experience when the drugs begin to take over. Judy was never a morning person, having been raised in a Vaudeville atmosphere of late nights and late mornings. But at MGM, she was expected to be at the studio usually at 5 or 6am. And she had other commitments as well: Radio appearances; Personal appearances for the war effort; and making records for Decca Records. All of this, added to her fragile psyche and her low self esteem, created a time bomb ticking away just waiting for the time to explode.

Mankiewicz saw this and suggested she go to therapy to help solve her deep emotional issues and restore her self worth. She agreed and went. But when the studio found out, they put a stop to it - not believing that one of their stars was "crazy" (the world of psychoanalysis in the 1940's was still considered suspect and charlatan by nature). In a few short years the studio would find themselves paying for Judy to continue treatment.

Beginning in 1943 and ending in 1947, Judy Garland changed from a nervous insecure young lady to a glowing, confidant woman in command of her talent and happily exploring and learning all avenues of that talent, then back again to an insecure young lady. The rise in happiness can be partly attributed to Minnelli, Meet Me In St. Louis, Kay Thompson and the rest of the legendary "Freed Unit." Everything that made the "Freed Unit" so special first burgeoned with Meet Me In St. Louis. Arthur Freed had been assembling a platoon of personnel, mostly from Broadway, to populate his little kingdom. These people were bright, young and talented individuals who would change the look and style of the movie musical forever.

For Judy Garland, being in this atmosphere was exciting and exhilarating. She was allowed to flourish and experiment with all aspects of her performing. Minnelli was perfect at this time to help guide her into his world of savvy, articulate and witty people. She loved it. And she would do some of her best work during this time and was, for the most part, quite happy. Judy and Minnelli began dating towards the end of production of Meet Me In St. Louis, and although many people thought the union was all wrong, for Judy it was the right man at the right time. At least as far as her career goes. Kay Thompson was a new addition to the Freed Unit, one of the many transplants from Broadway. Kay would take Judy under her wing and develop her singing style even further than her mentor, Roger Edens had. This would be Judy's closest friendship to any woman in her entire life. Kay had a sophistication and style that was classy, brassy, and highly stylized. Judy thrived.

The affair with Joe Mankiewicz over (he had evidently gone to the studio to argue that Judy needed professional psychiatric help and ended up walking out on his contract because Mayer and Judy's Mom wouldn't listen), Judy put all of her energies into St. Louis and her relationship with Minnelli. The end result is several wonderful performances given by Judy, most of them under Minnelli's direction.

Judy Garland wasn't the only performer on the set causing problems. If you look at the timeline to this site, you'll see in great detail the constant barrage the company was under due to one illness or accident after another. As with so many films, accidents happen. St. Louis was no exception.On March 31, 1944 one of the extras suffered a hit on the head by one of the light standards (Click here to read about it). A cameraman was hit on the head with a piece of carbon. Joan Carroll had to be sent back to wardrobe (which on a lot the size of MGM could amount to a long trek) because she was given two right shoes to wear. Harry Davenport was 77 and was doing double duty on the set of Kismet so was ill and/or away from the set frequently. One memo states: "Wait for Margaret's hair to be dressed - wrong hair-do because script clerk did not give right hair change to hairdresser." Both Margaret and Joan Carroll (Agnes) were underage so had to be schooled for 3 hours with 1 hour of "recreation." This was California law, MGM would get around it as best they could. Their teacher, who was on the set at all times, was reportedly a formidable woman who had no qualms stopping the production because either Margaret should go home or in on instance, that it was simply too late for Joan Carroll to continue working.

Mary Jo Ellis, one of the cast members, had to be taken home due to fainting.Several cast members would be sick at one point or another. It should be pointed out that on a sound stage such as they had at MGM in the 40's, and before good air conditioning, a balmy set would be a breeding place for cold/flu germs to hop from one person to the next. Especially since half their time was sitting around waiting for the director to set everything up for a few takes. They would entertain themselves as best they could.

But those were the least of the problems that seemed to plague the set of Meet Me In St. Louis. This film seemed to be the "sickest" film on the lot - with practically everyone coming down with some sort of illness - real or imagined.

Real: Joan Carroll's appendectomy. On February 2, 1944 shooting is halted as Joan is rushed to the hospital. The "ever so caring" studio places Joan on suspension - even though Arthur Freed sends her flowers and she sends him a "thank you" note.

This seemingly callous treatment may have been caused by recent events with the OTHER child actress on the set - Margaret O'Brien. Margaret's mother is convinced that the studio is working her daughter way too hard. So on January 31, 1944 a two week period began without Margaret. Her mother feigned illness as the cause, originally. But as you will see in this letter from Margaret's mother, her absence was really a mother protecting her child, not illness: Click here to read the "apology" from Margaret's mother which arrived some time after their departure. Margaret's mother had decided (with justification) that the studio had been working her daughter too hard - so she took it upon herself to take the child away from the studio for a few weeks. Naturally this caused quite a stir at the studio - upset the production schedule, and added thousands of dollars to the budget (click here to read memo by Dave Friedman dated this day which begins the "layoff" of the company due to Margaret O'Brien's unscheduled absence which last through early February and click here to read related memo). The children weren't the only ones causing delays due to illness, Mary Astor and Harry Davenport were both ill as well - and as noted on the previous page, many delays were caused by accidents (which was normal for any film). And there you have it - Minnelli's first chance to show what he can do as a director - which he does to meticulous detail!

Minnelli's use of color and movement in the film is nothing short of genius. In an interview, he stated "You have to have great discipline in what you do. I spent a great deal of time in research, and finding the right things for it. I feel that a picture that stays with you is made up of a hundred or more hidden things."

This is apparent upon repeated viewings of the film. There are so many little things filling out the backgrounds - yet they blend in naturally so as not to look to over done. Take Grandpa's room. Now here is a "man's" room of the time. Filled with muted colors and all kinds of masculine brick-a-brack. Minnelli raided the MGM props and costume departments, looking for just the right things with which to clothe them and surround them. He also worked closely with art director Jack Martin Smith; set decorators Edwin B. Willis & Paul Huldchinsky; costume designers Sharaff and Irene; as well as Jack Dawn on make-up and of course George Folsey on photography. In fact, Minnelli was such a perfectionist that he drove practically everyone crazy! He would take hours making sure the set was perfect, the camera angles/movements were perfect - THEN get to the actors. At which time he would rehearse and rehearse with them until he found everything to be perfect, then filming would finally begin.

This was especially maddening for Judy. Judy had just this side of a photographic memory. People still speak with awe about the way in which she could read a script for the first time and speak it like she had rehearsed it for months.The same with music. She would hear a song once or twice on the piano, then sing it right back to the composer. A TRUE natural talent. So, just like the kid in school who's to "fast" for the class, so Judy was too "fast" for Minnelli. And it drove her crazy. She would try to get out of the studio, only to be stopped at the studio gate by Minnelli and summoned back to the set for more rehearsals.

Although it seems that the production was mired in chaos, there were wonderful times too. Once Judy saw herself in the dailies she realized that not only was Minnelli making her the most beautiful she had ever been, but he was also making a beautiful and touching film.

The credit for Judy's new appearance doesn't belong solely to Minnelli. The bulk of the credit goes to "Dottie" Ponedel. Minnelli had specifically asked for "Dot" to be Judy's make-up artists. This was a first at the time. Up to this time, all of the major make-up artists who worked on the stars were men. Sure, there were women assistants, but never before had one woman been given the task of making up a star of Garland's caliber. It was Dottie who was responsible for Judy's beautiful new look as shown for the first time in Meet Me In St. Louis. Dottie was a "no nonsense" type of person, and it's been reported several times that if there were no cup of water around, Dottie would simply dip her make-up brush in the nearest cup of coffee and continue! Meet Me In St. Louis was the first time Judy and Dottie worked together. Dottie reportedly looked at Judy's inserts for her nose and said "What are those?" When Judy told her, Dottie said "Throw them out, you don't need all that junk, you're a pretty girl." It was Dottie who gave Judy the new look that would last the rest of her career. From this moment on, Judy insisted that only Dottie would do her make-up in all of her subsequent films.

As Judy's appearance blossomed so did her acting. Although still a high school girl, the role of Esther Smith is light years away from the characters Judy had previously played. Instead of a peppy "teen" or "juvenile", Esther Smith is a young lady on the verge of womanhood. And Judy plays her with a subtleness and a sort of softness that effectively makes you believe that this character is real. That her emotions are real. Even though the film is a "musical" there are many wonderful scenes that rely on Judy's incredible comic timing. Once again, very subtle and never once forced. This is the film in which Judy completes her transition to mature leading lady. From here on out, Judy would always be presented as a beautiful and desirable woman.

Meet Me In St. Louis has a look and feel all its own. Minnelli and his crew took great care in creating this singular palette. For the scene in which Esther and John go through the house turning out the lights, Minnelli went to great pains in creating just the right mood. To achieve the right multiple lighting effects when Esther and John turn out the lights, Minnelli had the technicians use everything from conventional dimmers to actual window blinds. The scene is beautifully effective in showing the deepening of Esther and John's romance as the rooms slowly darken.

A very happy accident occurred when filming the lights from the kitchen beaming onto the nighttime snow. The scene is Esther and Tootie looking out the window on Christmas Eve, just before Esther sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", and there is a quick shot of the back yard. This beautiful shot actually was an accident. When it was filmed by the Assistant Director, the word came back from the lab that film wasn't exposed properly. Happily, the beauty of the scene remained intact.

Meet Me In St. Louis had it's first preview on June 5, 1944 and a second on July 3, 1944. And that's when more heartache came in. Some executives at the studio wanted the entire Halloween sequence cut - they thought it slowed down the picture and didn't have anything to do with the plot. In a sequence of events reminiscent of "Over The Rainbow" in The Wizard Of Oz, Minnelli and Freed fought to keep the sequence in. Arguing, as Minnelli would state later, that the sequence actually underlined the entire crux of the story - the reason WHY this family would want to stay in St. Louis - it was their HOME. No argument came of the cutting of "Boys And Girls Like You And Me." It was decided that either that or "The Boy Next Door" should be cut - and since "The Boy Next Door" advanced the plot, whereas "Boys And Girls" really didn't, there was no contest. Martin and Blaine were pleased, fearing that the Rodgers & Hammerstein "Boys And Girls" would get all of the attention, leaving the songs by the "relatively unknown" songwriters in the background. Luckily, this wasn't to be.

The film had it's official premiere in St. Louis, Missouri on November 22, 1944. Running 113 minutes, it was a smash! No one objected to the Halloween Sequence, and audiences everywhere fell in love with the Smiths of S. Louis.Judy Garland's status went from "star" to "superstar" - and there was no denying that while Margaret O'Brien was cute and funny and quite the scene stealer - the REAL star of the picture was Judy. Now, in her first color film since The Wizard Of Oz (and one song in Thousands Cheer in 1943), Judy Garland blossomed into a beautiful, talented young woman - the epitome of what young girls everywhere wanted to be - and what the boys overseas were fighting for.

When it was released in 1944, Meet Me In St. Louis became an instant hit, and was MGM's biggest grossing film to date after Gone With The Wind. However it must be noted that Gone With The Wind was actually a David O. Selznick production that MGM owned the release rights to, and would eventually own the entire film. Meet Me In St. Louis was 100% an MGM production. The film would go on to be nominated for 4 Academy Awards: Color Cinematography -- George Folsey ; Scoring of a Musical Picture -- Georgie Stoll; Song "The Trolley Song" -- Music and Lyrics by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin; and Screenplay -- Irving Brecher, Fred F. Finkelhoffe . It wouldn't win any Oscars, but it did win a lasting fame and place in film history that few films of 1944 would be able to achieve.

Among other things, the film has one of Judy Garland's three best film performances (the other two being The Wizard of Oz and A Star Is Born). It's also considered one of, or THE, best efforts of many of the people involved. It's the film that launched Vincent Minnelli on his stellar directing career as the greatest director of film musicals. It broke new ground as an "integrated" musical - and in doing so, paved the way for further experimentation and freedom for Arthur Freed and the "Freed Unit" - this unit at the studio would be responsible for practically ALL of the great musicals of the 1940's & 1950's.

Both Judy and Margaret O'Brien would reprise their roles in a radio version of the film for CBS Radio in 1946 - and in 1947 Judy would join the AFRS (Armed Forces Radio Show) Show Time Players in performing a version of Meet Me In St. Louis for the "Show Time" radio program.

The film would inspire imitations - Summer Holiday (another Freed effort in 1948); On Moonlight Bay & By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (both Doris Day vehicles atWarner Bros and both with Leon Ames as the father, and a cast of characters almost identical to St. Louis).As charming as those film are, none have that special magic that Meet Me In St. Louis has. Like all great cornerstone films of any genre, Meet Me In St. Louis was the right people in the right place at the right time making the right film. Two Broadway versions of the film, in 1960 and 1988, would be popular - as are the various touring companies that have brought the film to the stage - but in all cases, the film is so indelible that comparisons are always made (and usually not in favor of the stage version!). Now, more than 50 years after its release, Meet Me In St. Louis continues to work it's magic on audiences of all ages.

Over the years, Meet Me In St. Louis has remained one of the best film musicals ever made. Gene Kelly would always call it "my favorite musical". Today, the film still has resonance and power. This is due to its simple themes of family and home. Made during a time when America was embroiled in World War Two, and so many families didn't know if their loved ones would come home, the film gave them hope in lovingly looking back to an era that even then was a distant memory.

Now, 100 years after the era it portrays, Meet Me In St. Louis still grabs us and makes us believe in the idealized world of the Smith family of St. Louis, Missouri. And even today there are precious few films that can so expertly give us that special warm feeling that Meet Me In St. Louis still gives. A true American classic that will last as long as people want to see good, quality entertainment.

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