39 thoughts on “TBT: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

  1. You just can’t mention “cat-themed” lyrics to the Trolley Song and not supply them.

    1. Heh, they vary, but include things like ‘meow meow meow went the kitty, chomp chomp chomp on the food’ — I’m not a great lyricist but they don’t care, they just want breakfast.

      1. I’m glad other people make up song parodies for their cats. MMiSL is up there with “Singing in the Rain” in our family’s estimation, and Tootie is the best kid in movie-musical history.

        1. I think it’s a law that if you made cat song parodies, at least one should be to “What’s New Pussycat?”

      2. I tried to come up with some– couldn’t, but came here. You’ve helped “meow meow went the kitty clang clang went the bowl”

  2. You, my fellow left-coast gals, (okay I’m way out East now) are hilarious but trenchant, profane but spot on, quite literate but not taking yourselves or anything else too seriously. I love checking in each morning on your derision as well as admiration when a costumer gets it right. Don’t go changin’ and more importantly, don’t let the bastards grin you down!

    1. As an Englishwoman (just because you stated your home place ;-) I was going to write something about whiny idiots, how this place never fails to make me smile & how awesome this website is.

      But then you wrote something a lot better & more awesome. Thank you & totally agree with you x

      1. I’m so glad fellow Fock Flick Fans come here, to the comment section, to show their support💞✊🏻.

        I know “it’s NOT done” and you wouldn’t stoop so low. But I would gladly gang-up (with fellow enraged Frock Flick Fans) on that arshole and privately “troll him to max”…so he would never dare to show his face on Social Media again. ✊🏻🤣😅

    2. Arseholes gonna arse. I come here to forget that once outside my (lovely) little college town I’m stuck in the middle of GOP cornland. Keep doing the work!

    3. I can’t believe that you did not mention the thickest, shiniest, most inferiority- complex-for-a-little-girl creating hair in movie making history. I loved this movie.

    1. This and Music Man are two of my favourite musicals. The other is Wizard of Oz. One of my favourite scenes is when we meet the younger Lassie’s Timmy’s mom as the rich New York Deb. She’s not stuck up but nice, and the looks on both Esther’s and Rose’s face. Also the running gag about Rose’s boyfriend calling from New York. Favourite songs are the Christmas one, The Trolley Song and of course, Meet Me In St Louis,

      Hope you recover quickly and feel tons better.

      Doesn’t Esther’s red Ballgown remind you of Worth’s red one at MCNY?

  3. I was able to see this movie on PBS in its entirety and I loved it! I had never seen the whole movie before and that made a big difference for me! It has downbeat aspects and gorgeous sets and costumes. Not a cookie-cutter piece of escapism! The Halloween segment is bananas in showing what the local kids get up to. The segment where the fam protest the move to NY and the mother brings them back together at the piano is so good.

    Ignore the attention trolls!

  4. The costumes are beautiful but sure seem elaborately over the top today! I cannot imagine tromping around a fair in that white dress! Oh well…Hollywood escapism!! Nice review!!

  5. I, personally, adore ball fringe and have it on lamp shades. “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is harder to get through every year – it hits that bittersweet note of the holidays spot on. And, of course, Judy’s voice just slays. And Margaret O’Brien is the cutest little nut case ever. Love this movie.

  6. My memory has failed me. I could have sworn there was already a Frock Flicks review of this.

    1. I’ve mentioned it a billion times bec. it’s one of my faves, & we have a WCW of Judy Garland & a guide to the costume designer’s work, but not a full-length review.

  7. Gotta love this flick… yeah, the hair is so wrong, but some great costumes in this too.

    Also, I love this blog. If something isn’t my cup of tea (which does happen), I just keep scrolling.

  8. I’m a fan of ball fringe–and that blue blouse always made me think of those little dots-on-paper candy. Do they make those anymore? I think I’ve just seriously dated myself.
    And I think the costume designer of Disney’s Mary Poppins said, “Yeah, we want Mary’s jolly holiday dress to be just like Judy Garland’s in MMISL!” But I would wear that lovely red dress with the grapes trapunto every day!
    Thanks for the laughs–and the comment about the insane Halloween shenanigans!

    1. Loved her whole description around the Halloween segment of the movie as well. “Tootie training to be a hoodlum” 👌🏻🤣🤣🤣

  9. I’m curious about the blue fringed suit with the yellow blouse—if it faded over time or was originally a different color and just looked blue onscreen? The yellow blouse is still yellow, but the blue suit looks light grey.

    1. I wonder too! But I didn’t get far researching it. My guess is mostly fading, but maybe a little bit how it looked onscreen. The catalog/auction pix can be wildly different that what was onscreen, & Technicolor in particular was known for juicing up colors so they were more vivid.

  10. I also love this movie- Judy is most adorable here and people who don’t get the Frock Flicks flava can go suck a lemon. I talk to my cats and the dog, but now am thinking a little song and dance with the morning and evening kibble might be what we all need

  11. Nolite te carborundurum! Want to say THANK YOU all for being you, I’ve enjoyed your blog for a nice long bunch of years, have directed other people your way, and hope to continue to do so. Some especial treats: the Patreon zoom discussion last year was so much fun, and this week’s “where to find good classic stuff” post is great! I’m watching “Miss Pettigrew” right now.
    I’ve noticed a very unpleasant trend, in which people who join in or partake of various social media offerings will demand a level of moderation and comfort that they are unlikely to require in face-to-face settings with, say family and friends, where their voices might make a real difference. Let’s keep our energy focused in the right arenas, people, please! And keep the snark flowing!

  12. I love this movie, it’s one of my favorite old movies ever. I love the songs, the look, just all of it. And yes, I will be singing “The Trolley Song” for the rest of the day.

  13. Kids got be hoodlums for Halloween back in the day. I had an uncle who described dismantling a Model T to put on top of a neighbor’s house, and putting a frozen (dead) bear in someone’s outhouse.

    I also love this movie, and realized I’ve not seen it in quite a while (can’t remember how the Christmas song goes). Thanks for the reminder.

  14. HOW did I miss this the first time around?? One of my favorite movies ever. We watch it as a family for Halloween, because so few films have a really good trick-or-treating scene and this one is classic. Awesome review and love y’all.

  15. So I looked up the original lyrics to Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas – wow! No wonder they changed ’em! This version is already melancholy enough.

    Thanks for being you, FF, and for giving me so much fun. The snark, the screenshots of costume details I might have missed, and all that lovely costuming eye candy.

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