Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.Young love and childish fears highlight a year in the life of a turn-of-the-century family.
- Nominated for 4 Oscars
- 7 wins & 7 nominations total
Sidney Barnes
- Hugo Borvis
- (uncredited)
Tom Batten
- Trolley Song Performer
- (uncredited)
Judi Blacque
- Girl on Trolley
- (uncredited)
Victor Cox
- A Driver
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis film was a box-office smash, grossing more money than any prior MGM release in 20 years with the exception of David O. Selznick's Gone with the Wind (1939).
- GoofsWhen Esther and Tootie perform "Under the Bamboo Tree", Tootie's bedroom slippers are pink at the beginning of the number but change to blue in the "cake walk" finale.
- Quotes
Rose Smith: Money. I hate, loathe, despise and abominate money.
Mr. Alonzo Smith: You also spend it.
- Alternate versionsJudy Garland recorded a Rodgers and Hammerstein song called "Boys and Girls Like You and Me" for the soundtrack. A scene was filmed with Garland singing the song to Tom Drake after "The Trolley Song" sequence, but the scene was cut after the first preview. The footage no longer remains, but the recording does.
- ConnectionsEdited into Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)
Featured review
This is such a sweet, wonderful movie - a slice of 1900's America that probably was never so perfect, but we would like to think that it was. The storyline is not a love story between Esther (Garland) and "The Boy Next Door" (one of the three timeless classic songs found in this movie). The storyline is really about the whole Smith family, based on an actual family who lived in St. Louis at the turn of the century. The real-life "Tootie" Smith (played by Margaret O'Brien) wrote stories of her life for the NewYorker. These stories were bought and compiled into this classic musical.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" originated here, and has become a classic yuletide song. It has been sung a thousand times by a thousand artists, but no one could ever capture the heartfelt emotion expressed by Judy Garland. If it doesn't bring a tear to your eye as you listen to her sing the song to little Tootie, I would have to wonder if you have a heart at all.
The most fun song is "The Trolley Song" - you can even see that Judy herself had a ball singing it. That scene was done in one take.
Judy Garland never looked better in any of her films as she did in this one. Perhaps it was one of the happiest times in her life? It is well-known that she married director Vincent Minelli after this picture.
Beautifully directed, depicting with accuracy the passing of the seasons of one year in the life of the Smiths of St. Louis. What a fun, charming, movie. I could never tire of it.
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" originated here, and has become a classic yuletide song. It has been sung a thousand times by a thousand artists, but no one could ever capture the heartfelt emotion expressed by Judy Garland. If it doesn't bring a tear to your eye as you listen to her sing the song to little Tootie, I would have to wonder if you have a heart at all.
The most fun song is "The Trolley Song" - you can even see that Judy herself had a ball singing it. That scene was done in one take.
Judy Garland never looked better in any of her films as she did in this one. Perhaps it was one of the happiest times in her life? It is well-known that she married director Vincent Minelli after this picture.
Beautifully directed, depicting with accuracy the passing of the seasons of one year in the life of the Smiths of St. Louis. What a fun, charming, movie. I could never tire of it.
- k_jasmine_99
- Oct 27, 2000
- Permalink
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Heimweh nach St. Louis
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $1,700,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $415,008
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $225,684
- Dec 8, 2019
- Gross worldwide
- $502,778
- Runtime1 hour 53 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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