Starring Jane Powell, Tab Hunter, Patty Duke, and Myrna Loy
Directed by George Schaefer
Music and Lyrics by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine and others
We'll stay in the same time period, but jump on a cross-country train from New Hampshire to Missouri to celebrate Independence Day at the St. Louis World Fair. The original Meet Me In St. Louis debuted during World War II, where it was considered a celebration of the American family and everything Americans were fighting for "over there." Over fifteen years later, it was reworked for TV as a major "spectacular" at a time when American family values were considered just as important, even if the country was no longer under threat. How well did they do with this remake of one of the great classic MGM musicals? Let's begin in front of the Smiths' home in St. Louis in 1903 as children sing the title song and find out...
The Story: The biggest news in the Smith household is oldest sister Rose's (Jeanne Crain) beau calling long-distance from New York and the building of the St. Louis World's Fair. Second-oldest sister Esther (Powell) is more interested in admiring handsome boy next door John Truitt (Hunter), who just moved next-door. He's oblivious to her advances until she finally makes her feelings clear during a trolley ride to the under-construction fairgrounds.
Halloween doesn't go nearly as well. Littlest sister Tootie (Duke) runs home crying from the dress-up bonfire because she claims John hit her. Esther dashes over to her house and pounds him, only for Tootie to admit she lied and John was actually trying to keep her and her sister Agnes (Ginger McManus) from the police.
Esther returns home to worse news. Their father Lon (Walter Pidgeon) intends to move the family to New York after Christmas. This makes the big Christmas ball even more important. Esther is upset when John can't go, until her Grandpa (Ed Wynn) intervenes. It takes a devastated Tootie destroying her snowman family to make Mr. Smith realize that his family is fine where they are...and there's nothing in New York that they don't already have at home.
The Song and Dance: Considering how beloved the original is, this was far better than I expected it to be. Twinkly Ed Wynn and pointed Myrna Loy steals the show as a far more charming Grandpa and slightly more caustic Mrs. Anna Smith. Wynn singing and dancing the title song with a delectably macabre Duke is a sheer delight. Hunter is such a sweet and adorable "boy next door" (especially compared to bland Tom Drake in the original), you have no problems understanding why Esther is crazy about him. (The additional two songs for him help flesh out his character further as well.) The costumes and sets are mostly historically accurate, especially the gowns at that ball later.
And I still love how realistic all of this feels, even 120 years later. I grew up in a family of mostly women where Dad was frequently out of the loop, you never had less than three people hearing your conversation with your boyfriends (even after cell phones came into regular usage), and Halloween was scary whether you were running around bonfires or just gathering candy.
The Numbers: We open with the title song first being sung by children playing outside the porch. Esther wistfully sings about "The Boy Next Door" who doesn't notice her. Grandpa and Tootie delightfully pick up the title song from the kids outside, dancing around Tootie's "dying" dolls as Esther and Rose play it inside. "Skip to My Lou" is the big chorus number at Esther and Rose's going away party for their brother Lon (Kelly Brown). Esther sings the genuine early 1900's ballad "Over the Bannister" in an attempt to get a kiss out of John, but he ducks out of it.
"The Trolley Song" is performed before the trolley leaves, not on it, but it's just as spirited. John is so thrilled to have finally admitted his feelings, he tells Esther what he would do "If You Were the Only Girl In the World." He wonders "When Does This Feeling Go Away?" after a picnic with Esther on the fairgrounds. Thankfully, Walter Pidgeon is a good singer and didn't need to be dubbed for the gentle ballad "You and I," which Alonzo and Anna sing at Halloween after his announcement. Loy isn't a good singer, but she manages her part well enough.
"After the Ball" and "Auld Lang Syne" are instrumental chorus dance numbers at the Christmas ball. Esther sings a devastating "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with a sobbing Tootie in her arms after the ball...and Powell thought the song was so upsetting, she couldn't bring herself to perform the whole thing for Duke. We end with the entire cast singing the title song as they prepare to head to the World's Fair itself.
Trivia: This was performed live, which explains some of the cast flubs, including Loy missing a line and Powell changing the lyrics to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" to make them less upsetting for Duke.
It also isn't the last time Meet Me In St. Louis would be adapted for another medium. A 1966 non-musical pilot featuring Shelley Fabares as Esther didn't make it to a full series. A stage version debuted on Broadway in 1989, but only ran for seven months.
What I Don't Like: Powell herself, for starters. She's cute and sings well enough, but lacks the heart and real feelings Judy Garland brought to this role in 1944. Though they do use most of the original score, they did drop one of my favorite numbers, the adorable (but admittedly extraneous) "Under the Bamboo Tree" cakewalk with Tootie and Esther. And yes, this was live, complete with all the flubs and changes I mentioned above.
The Big Finale: This also ended up being a surprise. While no replacement for the original, it has enough good points to make it worth a watch for fans of 40's and 50's musicals or anyone in the cast.
Home Media: Currently available on YouTube.
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