Meet Me In St. Louis (1944)

Meet Me In St. Louis is one of my all-time favorite movies. Everything was in gorgeous, brilliant technicolor and Judy Garland was simply marvelous in this. This was also the movie where the song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" first appeared. Hugh Martin had written it for Judy to sing but it almost didn't make it into the film because Judy considered his original lyrics to be too depressing and refused to include it in the story. It took a lot of convincing but Hugh finally rewrote it and well, as they say, the rest is history.

The period was turn of the century 1903, in St. Louis, Missouri. The booming city was just gearing up to launch what would go down in history as the legendary World's Fair. The Smiths were a upper-middle class family with five children, a live-in grandfather, and a couple of servants. The story follows the daily preoccupations of a teenage Esther (Judy Garland) and her delightful siblings (Margaret O'Brien was particularly wonderful as the little 'Tootie'...she was really just a spectacular child star and if you'd remember, would later go on to play the unforgettable Beth in the 1949 production of Little Women) for the length of about 7 months, right up to the World's Fair in the Spring of 1904. It really is just an irresistible film, full of charm, humour, and lots and lots of heart.

But let's talk about the house. It's obviously Victorian but I think this particular style is called Second Empire, distinguished by its characteristic mansard roof and dormer windows. Here are images of the house in the Spring and in the Winter:





I really love the stain glass windows seen in the following two images:





The entry opens directly into a neutral space flanked by a formal parlor on the right and a more casual family room to the left. The family room contains much more comfortable sofas and chairs and is considered the heart of the family's activities (they frequently gather around the piano for song and dance).




everyone gathered in the family room in their pajamas


white double front entrance doors, with attached screen doors.

The kitchen is another center of great activity. Most of the pots and pans were made of copper. I didn't see many cabinets/cupboards, which I later learned was because pots/pans were generally stored on open shelves because they'd often be greasy and closed shelves attracted mice and other creatures. I also love that there is a rocking chair in the kitchen....and if you'd look carefully, a birdcage hanging by the window!





Below is an image of the formal dining room, where the family always gathers for supper. There is a phone in the room as well, and I believe it was their only phone in the whole house.



Here is an interesting feature - the small "pass-thru" window. The cook is actually in the kitchen and looking out into the dining room. These pass-thru windows were a convenient way to transport food from the kitchen into the dining room without having to walk all the way around.



Grandpa's bedroom was my absolute favorite out of all the rooms shown. It's decorated in a very dark, masculine style, reminiscent of a hunting lodge.



But then he contradicts the dark, traditional mood of his furnishings with his whimsical collection of hats. Grandpa is hilarious, I tell you. Hilarious.



The following images are of the girls' bedroom. Although I'm not sure which sister it belongs to (there are 4 girls in the family) because even though there are shots of Tootie, the youngest girl, sleeping in the bed, there are also shots of the older two girls getting ready for the Christmas party in the very same room. But I guess it doesn't matter.



I love this gold bed-frame. I generally prefer a cushioned headboard b/c I like to sit and do work in bed a lot but I've always admired these older styles. Maybe if I had a guest room, I'd invest in an antique gold railed bed frame such as this one.


the footboard


Another shot of the room. I personally could never stand so much pink. I'm just not that girly... Remember, Grandpa's room was my favorite!

NOW WE MOVE ONTO THE FASHION:


Esther and her sister in beautiful, silk robes. I wonder if the fabric was handpainted?


This dress makes her look like a maid or a candy striper but I posted it b/c I wanted you to notice her stockings!! Even they are striped! Hilarious.


You've seen this dress in several of the photos but here's a shot of the back. I like the button detail.


Judy Garland/Esther's dress looks like something Scarlet O'Hara made out of her last-resort curtains. But I really like Tootie's nightgown. I've always kind of had a thing for vintage nightgowns...

More colorful dresses: (I don't think these were 100% historically accurate...I mean, did they really wear such over-the-top outfits on a daily basis 100 years ago? Hmm...)





Here are a couple of coats. I really love the dark olive green one with the quilted front and the Asian buttons. It looks like something I could way today.





Here are the dresses they wore to the Christmas ball, including Judy Garland's legendary red dress, in which she'll later sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."





More on the children's clothes:


the quilted peach robe is cute


love the little red coat!



And now the menswear:

Casual was jacket + tie but no vest. Otherwise a 3-piece suit was the norm. You know, I really miss the 3-piece suit on men. It makes them look so put together and dignified. Although the all-brown ensemble would be difficult to pull off nowadays.







Below is one jacket that really stood out to me. The character is just some line-less extra in the trolley scene. His moment on screen was very very brief and his expression is erroneously awkward but check out the detail in his jacket! I've never seen something like this in an old film before. I don't even know what this style is called but this is something that can be worn even now.

Posted in: corsets,films made in the 1940s,Judy Garland,second empire,stain glass,Victorian house