The Silver Screen Oasis

Now that I'm an old duffer myself (well, middle-aged), the older folks in movies hold my attention a LOT more than when I was young. I barely noticed Leon Ames and Mary Astor the first time I saw MMISL. Now I can't wait for them to show up. :)

Ok you got me. I just watched Tootie and Esther dance and sing again.

Thanks for sharing these with us all. I'll be curling up with the kids the next time they slow down for a cozy perusal. Best wishes on your next project. Birdy

pvitari wrote:
If that's who you mean, I have no idea who she is. IMDB lists Helen Gilbert as "Girl on Trolley (uncredited)"

Here's Helen Gilbert:


Doesn't look like the same person, though.

Helen Gilbert is there; she's the one with the pigtails (upper left corner of the frame).

Keep workin', Knitty! We'll find her yet!

pvit, Thank you for posting these. I've been finding beautiful screencaps on line and when I purchased my new computer last winter hoped to make some myself, but didn't know where to begin. I'll look into DVDsnap now. Do you find it easy to use?

Fell in love with this movie when I was just a kid..now, like Paula, I wait for Mary Astor and Leon Ames to show up

Definitely one of my all-time favorites. I can't count how many times I've seen it and I never get tired of it.

This is a great one to watch for the holidays though it’s really schmaltzy.

I agree. This for me is a continual favorite. I suppose one could see it in the schmaltz category, but its pleasures and delights always keep it from being over-sentimentalized in my book. One of the TCM promo's has a bit about Minelli's pitching it to the studio as nothing much more than a year in the life of a St. Louis family around the turn of the 19th century. With a cast like that and great songs from Martin and Blane, and the overall look of the film, it coudn't possibly strike out. (But then again, I know there are people who simply don't like musicals, so their opinions may vary)

Holiday or no holiday, I'm almost always in the mood to watch this one.

BrianNH2OK wrote: ↑December 2nd, 2022, 12:05 am I agree. This for me is a continual favorite. I suppose one could see it in the schmaltz category, but its pleasures and delights always keep it from being over-sentimentalized in my book.

I love it too, one of the few musicals in which I love every single song. I never found it schmaltzy, Tootie's fascination with dead bodies and the suspenseful Halloween sequence give a dark edge to it.

Detective Jim McLeod wrote: ↑December 2nd, 2022, 1:26 pm

BrianNH2OK wrote: ↑December 2nd, 2022, 12:05 am I agree. This for me is a continual favorite. I suppose one could see it in the schmaltz category, but its pleasures and delights always keep it from being over-sentimentalized in my book.

I love it too, one of the few musicals in which I love every single song. I never found it schmaltzy, Tootie's fascination with dead bodies and the suspenseful Halloween sequence give a dark edge to it.

Well said! Tootie is the least “schmaltzy” character, ever!

The Halloween sequence is my favorite...

Boy, that sure is a kiddie bacchanalia if ever I saw one! It's what Halloween night is supposed to be. No parents, no safe environment, no healthy treats, no holding back the just-the-right-amount-of-fear! Minelli nailed this sequence perfectly. And you can't lose with Margaret O'Brien terrified in the middle of it all.

I always lookk for one of my most favorite actors, William Smith. His bio says he was one of the children in the Halloween sequence. Never yet found him, but I always try!

I love Meet Me in St Louis. I've seen this film a million times and I never tire of it. The only part I find super schmaltzy is the ending when the cast is gawking over the lights at the World's Fair. I also love Mary Astor's dress in this scene, she got the best of the white World's Fair dresses. My favorite part is the Trolley Song, but I love all of it. I also love Tootie, which is saying something because there are very few child actors that aren't incredibly irritating. Marjorie Main is hilarious. I love the part out in the snow where the older kids are arguing about the dance and Main chastises the kids for fighting while she shakes frozen bloomers at them.

I watched Meet Me in St Louis yesterday when it was on, and I'll probably watch it again before the end of the Christmas season.