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Author Topic: Meet Me in St. Louis
Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted November 19, 2006 12:19 PM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Meet Me in St. Louis
MGM 1944
Color, 113 mins, 2350ft
Derann Film Services

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One of MGM’s greatest musical pictures, ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ is also the best picture of Judy Garland’s career. Directed by Vincente Minnelli and Produced by Arthur Freed, the simple story is basically an account of a year in the life of the Smith family of St. Louis, set at the time of the 1904 Louisiana State Exposition. The film opens up with introductory scenes of the Smith family, father Alonzo(Leon Ames), mother Rose (Mary Astor), daughter Esther (Judy Garland) and sister Rose(Lucille Bremer) and Tootie (Margaret o’Brien), grandfather (Henry Davenport), and resident cook (Marjorie Main). Esther is in love with 'The Boy Next Door', perfectly played by the handsome Tom Drake. They get to meet for the first time at a party at the Smith house, where Judy and Margaret O’Brien sing 'Under the Bamboo Tree', and subsequently on a trolley car ride where Judy sings one of the most magical songs in all musical film history 'The Trolley Song', brilliantly staged by Minnelli, and even more impressive when you realize that Judy did the whole song in one take! This idyllic family existance is thrown into a turmoil when Alonzo Smith announces that he is going to move the whole family to New York to get a better job. Spending their last Christmas in St. Louis, Judy sings 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' to a tearful Tootie, who then runs out of the house and smashes all her snowmen. Observing this heartbreaking scene, Alonzo gathers the family together and, giving them the greatest Christmas gift of all, announces his decision to "stay in St.Louis until we rot". The family is overjoyed, and the film ends with them all going to the opening of the 1904 Louisiana State Exposition.
There is so much magical about this film. The sets and costumes are absolutely authentic for the period, in fact MGM built the whole of the Kensington Avenue set from scratch on the back lot. The film of course is owned by Garland. Never a great beauty in real life, she looks stunningly beautiful throughout this film and of course her songs in this film are legendary. An American classic.
Was America ever this idyllic? Having lived in a small Pennsylvania town with streets that look just like Kensington Avenue, I suspect it was, at least for some people.
Derann’s print of this film is simply wonderful. Very sharp , with great contrast and superb saturated colors throughout, it really does look like Technicolor. The mono sound is good. I re-recorded the stereo tracks from the recently released DVD, with excellent results. An essential film for musical lovers, and a great family film for the Christmas season.

Print A
Sound B

[ November 20, 2006, 09:20 AM: Message edited by: Paul Adsett ]

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
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Graham Ritchie
Film God

Posts: 4001
From: New Zealand
Registered: Feb 2006


 - posted November 20, 2006 01:01 AM      Profile for Graham Ritchie   Email Graham Ritchie   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Paul
What a marvellous photo, I only have this film on DVD and hopefully I will make time to watch it in the near future, just got round to watching Easter Parade last week on the video projector so I am getting there. Apart from the wonderful music in many of these films, its also the Technicolor that makes the films look great, they really are timeless.

I was invited to a film evening a few months ago to watch South Pacific projected on a Panasonic AE900, the film looked and sounded great a most enjoyable night, I look forward to watching Meet Me in St.Louis soon.
Graham.

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Andrew Wilson
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 784
From: dundonald,belfast,co.antrim,northern ireland.
Registered: Jan 2006


 - posted November 23, 2006 10:47 AM      Profile for Andrew Wilson   Author's Homepage         Edit/Delete Post 
An excellent review there Paul of that great M.G.M classic.I too am
a big fan of this movie.It's great to hear another members view on it.Excellent.Andy.

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted November 23, 2006 11:12 AM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Andy,
It's Thanksgiving day here in the USA, and 'Meet me in St.Louis' is the perfect film to show after the turkey dinner. I shall be running my S8 print tonight.

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Lee Mannering
Film God

Posts: 3216
From: The Projection Box
Registered: Nov 2006


 - posted December 03, 2006 03:19 PM      Profile for Lee Mannering     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
I also have this on Super 8 and it is as near perfect a print as you will ever find. Great.

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Gian Luca Mario Loncrini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1948
From: Verona (Italy)
Registered: Jan 2009


 - posted August 17, 2010 06:41 PM      Profile for Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Author's Homepage   Email Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Had it recently.
Simply fantastic!

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I remember when I was (super) 8 years old...

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Paul Adsett
Film God

Posts: 5003
From: USA
Registered: Jun 2003


 - posted August 18, 2010 04:45 PM      Profile for Paul Adsett     Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Gian,
I think this is one of the best prints in my collection. The color saturation is amazing, and the contrast and sharpness are excellent. I think the super 8 print is much more satisfying than the DVD. If you do a direct side by side comparison, the projected DVD looks sharper than the super 8, but the color and contrast of the super 8 beats the DVD hands down. I re-recorded my print from the enhanced DVD soundtrack, and the resulting film experience is awesome.

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The best of all worlds- 8mm, super 8mm, 9.5mm, and HD Digital Projection,
Elmo GS1200 f1.0 2-blade
Eumig S938 Stereo f1.0 Ektar
Panasonic PT-AE4000U digital pj

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Gian Luca Mario Loncrini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1948
From: Verona (Italy)
Registered: Jan 2009


 - posted August 18, 2010 06:07 PM      Profile for Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Author's Homepage   Email Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Hi Paul.
A little sad sharpness in not as excellent as other Derann's are.
But I have to agree with you this is one of the best movie I have now in my collection.
I won't probably re-record it into Italian.
But you gave me a great idea; it would be fantastic to have in in stereo.
This is what I'm probably going to do.
BTW, I simply love it.
Ciao.

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I remember when I was (super) 8 years old...

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Jeroen van Ooijen
Jedi Master Film Handler

Posts: 823
From: The Netherlands
Registered: Mar 2008


 - posted August 30, 2010 10:18 AM      Profile for Jeroen van Ooijen   Email Jeroen van Ooijen   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Great movie i have it on dvd,but it would be great to have it on super8.
So if it's availble,i want it for sure! [Big Grin]

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Super8 that's the greatest hobby in my life,i was 9 to have my first viewer from GAF.

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Gian Luca Mario Loncrini
Phenomenal Film Handler

Posts: 1948
From: Verona (Italy)
Registered: Jan 2009


 - posted August 30, 2010 04:01 PM      Profile for Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Author's Homepage   Email Gian Luca Mario Loncrini   Send New Private Message       Edit/Delete Post 
Derann released it, Jeroen.
So it is available for sure. You just have to find a used one.
Good luck [Wink] .

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I remember when I was (super) 8 years old...

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