Meet Me In St. Louis

As one of the premiere MGM musicals of all time, it is amazing that a definitive Original Motion Picture Soundtrack for Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) had never been available prior to this 1995 single CD. Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin's complete score is included, as are the oft-overlooked orchestrations from Conrad Salinger. Even though the role seems to have been written specifically for Judy Garland, the actress purportedly fought the studio, as she had grown weary of portraying children onscreen. As fate would have it, her performance not only stole the show, but became one of Garland's most critically and commercially successful performances. The plot deals with the Smith family during the winter of 1903, as they eagerly await the opening of the World's Fair in their hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. However, when the father is offered a substantial job in the Big Apple, their hopes of attending the event are dashed. Simply put, Garland -- who plays the second oldest female of five siblings -- is splendid from tip to tail. Especially notable are her solos on the yearning "The Boy Next Door," the holiday standard "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," the career-defining "Trolley Song," and on this edition, an outtake titled "Boys and Girls Like You and Me." She is joined by Lucille Bremer on the familiar reprise of the theme "Meet Me in St. Louis" and on the high-energy square dance routine "Skip to My Lou." Tom Drake -- the object of Garland's affections in the film -- pairs up for the poignant waltz ballad "Over the Banister." Although it tends to be eclipsed somewhat by the other luminous entries in the songbook, the vaudevillian "Under the Bamboo Tree" is a great production number with a very young Margaret O'Brien accompanying Garland. The liner notes are extensive, housing plenty of eye candy, as well as a detailed essay by George Feltenstein. ~ Lindsay Planer|