Rating: 
Summary: A flawless presentation. TECHNICOLOR at its finest!
Review: You'll be "over the rainbow" with this exquisite double-disc set featuring Vincente Minnelli's masterful 1944 classic MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. Judy Garland was at her finest here, and the presentation given to the film on this DVD is simply stunning. The TECHNICOLOR images have never been more vivid and sharp, and the sound is simply staggering in its clarity! Never have I heard a 60 year old film sound so clear and crisp!The extras are impressive, as is always the case with Warner Bros.' fine double disc editions. Anyone who isn't dazzled by this DVD needs to get glasses!
Rating: 
Summary: New Restoration not without its flaws
Review: First off I will say this DVD is great, however it is not without its flaws. The problem is not that this restoration does not give great detail. In fact its detail is amazing. The problem is with the supposed Technicolor and a picture that is too dark. Look at Judy as she sings "The Boy Next Door". She is wearing a lovely period dress that has blue stripes. Unlike previous versions, this version the stripes are so dark that you can hardly tell that they are blue. Other scenes have similar problems of darkness. Otherwise this edition is spectacular with lots of extra features to feast on. The sound is a revelation in surround sound. Regarding the image, I know that I am sounding a little picky but Technicolor is what attracts people to films like this and I am disappointed when the colors do not pop out like they should. I would love to hear other opinions of anyone who feels the same way about this color and darkness issue of this new edition. Enough said. Feel free to email.
Rating:
Summary: good cheesy fun.
Review: This movie is goldmine of cheesy scenes.From the gaudy dresses to the over the top relationship between the sisters.
I love the scene where tootie is holding her very sick doll and is conversing with the milkman about the dolls inevitable death.and utters "oh,she HAS to go!"
I love the scene where judy garland is turning out the lights and starts humming.It makes for an extremly uncomfortable love scene.not to mention the fact that the boy-next-door is one of the most bland characters ever to hit the big screen.but it's a fun movie and that's why it gets 4 stars.watch it for it's campy quality.you'll love it.
Rating:
Summary: Boy Next Door Meets The Girl Next Door
Review: What can't I say about this movie? Or more precisely, what can I not say about this movie. I remember watching this on television when I was a little girl years ago. I was so happy when I saw it on DVD at my local Barns and Nobles.
When I first got it I didn't even really noticed the two disc special However, when I did I was very happy about it.
There is so much on this two disc set. That I haven't been able to watch it all. This is a beautiful 60th anniversary restored version.
If like me you remember the some what bad colored version at the time on tv. Because they just really hadn't gotten around to restoring classic films.
It has been digitally transferred from the restored picture and as well as audio elements.
Even Judy's daughter Liza Minneli gives a rather sweet introduction about the movie and her parents.
This is an A+ movie and I recommend it to any body who still loves an old fashioned movie. That doesn't have all of the modern day technology thrown in, ever since they made Matrix, and so forth.
In truth this is just a simple story about a family that lives in ST. Louis. However, there is just something so much more touching about the story then that.
With the cast that the movie has that just makes the story more special and enormous. It really just tacks a life on it's own. I've only real allowed my self a sneak peak at the commentary, but that looks wonderful as well.
You get so much extra footage and such.
You even get the 1966 Meet Me In ST. Louis TV Series Pilot Episode and a very fun, and colorful Vincent Minnelli trailer gallery.
There is just so much joy that you get from this movie. The story is wonderful and the cast all really just seam to have a connection with each other during the time.
And the way that they celebrated the 60th anniversary with this movie is just excellent.
With classic and radiant music attached to the story, and completely reestablished.
This is truly a gem to add to your DVD collection.
Rating:
Summary: The World's Fair comes to town and Tootie needs therapy!
Review: This has been my absolute favorite movie musical. Mainly because nothing in it is too saccherine or phony. It is just like a snapshot of a real, edwardian family. Judy Garland shines as Esther whose mission in life is to seduce the shy boy next door, John Truitt. Their romance is the backbone of this movie and it is portrayed realistically. One of the funniest scenes is when Esther invites John to turn down the gaslights with her. His excitement, fear, and amusement are hilarious especially because he knows what she is up to. The other actor that almost steals the show is Margaret O'Brien as the youngest sister Tootie. She is cute and intelligent without acting beyond her years. I would never peg her as 5 going on 30 as so many child actors are encouraged to act today. Also her wicked sense of play (that so many young girls have) has not been whitewashed and toned down. She pretends that her dolls have incurable diseases and then buries them with full funeral honors! During Halloween she almost causes a major trolley accident with the help of her sister Agnes (What are sisters for anyway!). Tootie could never act this way in a film today without being forced to undergo therapy and taking a mega dose of ritalin. In good old St. Louis, Tootie is given ice cream. The only other child actor who has come close to O'Brien's performance was Drew Barrymore as Gertie in E.T. The rest of the cast is marvelous and the music is great. The new DVD print is pristine and the colors glow. In the special features production, it was revealed that this movie was based on a True Story! All the characters were real including Tootie. Unfortunately, unlike the movie, the family really did leave St. Louis for NYC.
Rating:
Summary: Another Classic Musical Finally Released on DVD
Review: MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS tells the story of a family: four girls and one boy that contains little to no sibling rivalry. The family seems to be multi-talented and the only crisis is when the upper middle class family almost moves from St. Louis to New York, even though the viewer knows the family will never leave the beloved city. The older children have love interests, but there is only a limited amount of romantic fireworks. Still, the movie is magical. Viewers believe a happy family such as the Smiths exists and that life is as happy as it can be in 1903/04 St. Louis. Why? Because MGM with its arsenal of great stars and gifted production teams creates this magical world. Given that this film was first released in 1945, it was just what the world needed at the time. It still has magic today. Since most people who will purchase this film will love all the extras that come with DVD's, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS will not disappoint. Liza Minelli introduces the set (her mother is the star and her father the director). There is a commentary by Garland's biographer John Fricke and co-star Margaret O'Brien as well as a making of the film and trailers from Vincente Minelli films. All great extras for the movie and trivia buff. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: entertaining
Review: I love this musical, very nice and energetic. Full of comic humour and a satisfying love story
Rating:
Summary: Possibly the Best Musical Ever Made
Review: Of all the many musicals made in the 30's through the 60's, there are only a few that I would consider to be truly classics (Singing In The Rain, Wizard of Oz, West Side Story) But, of all the classic musicals, Meet Me In St. Louis is at the top.
Since the storyline and extra's have already been reviewed many times I would like to comment on historical accuracy. As many of you may know, most movies made - especially in the 1940's and 1950's - skimp on historical accuracy. All that one has to do is to see the many westerns and WWII flicks that were released at the time. Not that those movies aren't entertaining or enjoyable, but let's face it, the main job of the director and producer was to put out pure entertainment and showcase their stars, with little regard for anything else. Meet Me In St. Louis also fits that description with one very big exception: Minnelli and company strove to give this movie as authentic a look as they possibly could. From the Victorian houses (inside and out - in the 40's and 50's virtually all who owned one of these historic beauties white washed the interior as to dispurse with the old fashioned wooden look for the new modern painted look), to the garish clothing, which one reviewer insinuated was not really worn by people at the turn of the century. Well, one look at an old Sears catalogue will show that, yes, women really did wear the clothing you see Judy and her fellow actors wearing. In fact, it was from a 1903 Sears catalogue the the costumers got their information for the clothing worn in this movie. How accurate is that?
There are many other details to historical accuracy Minnelli and his troupe strived for, so much so that, as stated in the Making Of on disc two, this movie is like seeing a picture from the past come alive.
By the way, if you want to see just how people who owned these beautiful homes in the 50's and 60's nearly ruined the asthetic appearances of these Victorian homes, watch the 1966 pilot episode for TV included in this set and you'll see what I mean by white washing.
So, with all you have read in the many reviews here (the music, the storyline, the look and feel and historical accuracy, the extra's, the super high quality of the restoration, and the entertainment value), what are you waiting for? Get this movie!
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Movie Musical
Review: One of the first movie musicals where the music actually served to advance the plot, Meet Me in St. Louis is just about perfect. The music fits with the plot so well that you hardly notice your watching a musical. The trials and tribulations of an upper middle class family doesn't sound like much, but it's the simplicity of the story and the honesty with which it is told that makes this film work. Director Vincent Minnelli captured the feel of early twentieth century American without resorting to cheap sentimentality. The production is superior and the performances of the ensemble cast is uniformly excellent. Judy Garland as Esther Smith never looked more beautiful and her voice shines through on "The Trolley Song," "The Boy Next Door," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Garland's characterization is really quite amazing; you can't help falling in love with her. Margaret O'Brien is adorable as the youngest of the Smith girls, nicknamed "Tootie." Mary Astor and Leon Ames are the perfect parents; Harry Davenport is the wonderful and wise grandfather; Lucille Bremer is thoroughly believable as the eldest of the Smith children; and Marjorie Main is great as the wise-cracking housekeeper. A wonderful slice of Americana, Meet Me in St. Louis will have you wondering why they don't make movies like this anymore. The DVD version is beautiful with plenty of extras, including a documentary on the making of the film. One of the more interesting extras is the radio version of the movie featuring Garland, O'Brien, and Tom Drake (the boy next door himself). A definite must for the serious movie fan.
Rating:
Summary: Tootie Takes the Brokopfs
Review: I figured we would have to wait until 2004 for a 60th anniversary edition and it was well worth it. One of the all time greats is
finally on dvd. Everything about the movie was perfect and one never tires of it. I would rather have seen it introduced by
Margaret O'Brien than skitsky Liza but that is a minor quibble.
A perfect example of how to make a wonderful film that will live
on forever. Thanks to Warner Home Video for getting it out.
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