Meet Me in St. Louis (DVD)

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Video:
The picture has been beautifully restored to its former glory in this new, 1.33:1 ratio digital remaster. Color schemes are ravishing and in this transfer entirely natural, not too bright or too dull. Age spots, flecks, lines, scratches, and such have been eliminated entirely. There is some small roughness to the image, true, a bit of fine grain, and an occasional softness in the detail, but mostly the picture is clear, clean, and realistically rendered.

Audio:
Almost as good as the restored video is the Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, remixed from the original audio elements. The sound is among the best I've heard from an older film, very smooth, reasonably well spread out across the front speakers, with just a touch of musical ambiance in the rear channels. Missing is the deepest bass and the strongest dynamic impact, but, otherwise, every thing is in place; and like the video, the sound is neither too bright nor too dull. The film's theatrical-release 1.0 mono track is also available, but who'd want it? For a film sixty years old, this one has about the best sound and picture one could imagine.

Extras:
We've come to expect a load of bonus items on these WB Special Editions, and this edition is no exception. Disc one contains the standard screen presentation of the film; a new, five-minute introduction by Liza Minnelli, daughter of the movie's star and director; and an informative audio commentary by Garland biographer John Fricke, actress Margaret O'Brien, screenwriter Irving Brecher, songwriter Hugh Martin, and daughter of producer Arthur Freed, Barbara Freed-Saltzman. In addition, there are thirty-two scene selections; a Vincente Minnelli trailer gallery with trailers from eight of his most treasured films including "Meet Me in St. Louis" (1955 rerelease), "Father of the Bride," "An American in Paris," "The Bad and the Beautiful," "Brigadoon," "Designing Woman," "Gigi," and "The Courtship of Eddie's Father"; a music-only track (without vocals); English as the only spoken language; and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.

Disc two contains almost as much material as disc one, perhaps more. First, there's a thirty-minute documentary "Meet Me in St. Louis: The Making of an American Classic," narrated by Roddy McDowall. Next, there's a fifty-minute, Emmy Award-winning, 1972 MGM TV special,
"Hollywood: The Dream Factory," narrated by Dick Cavett and presented for the first time on home video. After that is a forty-seven minute TCM special, "Becoming Attractions: Judy Garland," that looks at the star's career through coming attractions for her films. Then, there is a twenty-six minute pilot episode for the 1966 television series "Meet Me in St. Louis," with Shelley Fabares and Celeste Holm. Following that is "Bubbles," a 1930 WB short film featuring Judy Garland at the age of seven; and "Skip To My Lou," a rare, 1941 musical short with "Meet Me in St. Louis" composers Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane as part of a singing group, the Martins. Finally, we get an outtake of "Boys and Girls Like You and Me," reconstructed using still photographs; a December 2, 1946, Lux Radio Theater broadcast of "Meet Me in St. Louis," with several members of the original cast; and, lastly, a colorful stills gallery.

Parting Thoughts:
"Meet Me in St. Louis" may start out slowly, but it grows on you. By the time it's over, you know you've had a good evening's entertainment. Next to "The Wizard of Oz" and maybe "A Star Is Born," this is probably Garland's best-remembered film. Sentimental and nostalgic but most of all genteel and beguiling, "Meet Me in St. Louis" is an acknowledged classic and rightly so. The Special Edition does it up proud.

Oh, and the question of the city's pronunciation is brought up early on, "St. Louis" or "St. Louie," when Esther and a city old-timer (Chill Wills) discuss the subject. He says it's always been "St. Louie," but Esther says it will always be "St. Louis" to her because the city is so proper. Of course, if she were right, we wouldn't have the title tune or the resultant movie. Sometimes, it's best to think in shades of gray.

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