The father is a less present character, perhaps representing the role of the father in an early 20th century family. The movie was based on short stories by Sally Benson about her childhood in St. Louis. The book is very different from the movie, yet there remains a lot of the same scenes including the cake walk scene where Tootie sings "I was hmm last night dear mother." The book, on the other hand, is nothing extraordinary in the genre of happy-old-time-family books that aimed to assuage the anxieties of war time America. Benson's characters are sometimes just not that nice. The Meet Me In St. Louis DVD comes in a double-disc edition, with the second disc devoted to a storehouse of curios, the most remarkable being the smart 1972 documentary overview of MGM's history, Hollywood: The Dream Factory, as well as the dopey 1966 pilot for a proposed Meet Me In St. Louis TV series (closing the loop on the film's sitcom connection). View All Characters in Meet Me in St. Louis. Reading it again for the nth time and still charmed by it. Fathom Events, TCM and Warner Bros. pictures presents Meet Me in St. Louis returning to select theaters for a special 75th anniversary event. It was a good quick read. Like me, you may know and love the 1944 movie starring Judy Garland. The characters are consistent but a little shallow; Esther and Rose, especially, don't ever move past their boy-crazed silliness; but at least they keep us entertained. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Grandpa Prophater was my favorite, as he is the most "aware" of the hilarity of this family. The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. Welcome back. It is mostly dialogue and it always seems as if the reader is coming in on a conversation that has already started. It is written somewhat amateurishly and doesn't explain very well what is going on. I’ve loved the movie for as long as I can remember so don’t know why I never got around to reading the book until now. One day is like another, filled with its joys and sorrows. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. She is best known for her semi-autobiographical collections Meet Me in St. Louis and Junior Miss, each first published as a series of 12 short stories in The New Yorker. The movie was great and having seen it before reading the book, it helped to understand what the book was about because the movie gave the background information that the book didn't supply. No matter how hard she tries, life is always uncertain and keeps her anxious about taking care of everyone. This book was charming. It seems as though, looking at other reviews, because I have never seen the movie I have an advantage when it comes to how much I enjoyed Meet Me in St. Louis. This book is an easy breezy enjoyable read! The novel, written in 1944, takes place from June 1903 to May 1904, the opening of the St. Louis World's Fair. Oh my! It is not often I say I prefer the movie but...this novel lacked the warmth and endearing family feeling the movie conveyed. In 1942 the stories were compiled and published in book form as Meet Me in St. Louis. In the year leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a reluctant move to New York. Most of the stories feature the four girls as the main characters and Benson doesn't try and pretend that girls are any less energetic or scheming than boys. The novel, written in 1944, takes place from June 1903 to May 1904, the opening of the St. Louis World's Fair. We’d love your help. Anyone who knows the movie will find most of the familiar incidents from it, though they were switched around and condensed somewhat for the screenplay; but I felt like the book had a much more authentic, homey feel to it. I pictured Margret O'Brien speaking the dialogue of Tootie all the way through. ", Sally Benson was an American author of short stories and screenplays. The city is different and the family larger but it retains a lot that made Junior. She is best known for her semi-autobiographical collections Meet Me in St. Louis and Junior Miss, each first published. ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ Movie Summary. But my favorite part of the whole book is in the editor's note from 1941 which chides "the younger generation" (that's "the greatest generation who saved western civilization" for us Xers and Millennials) for being cynical jerks who need to. by Virginia Publishing. This is one of my favorite movies. It is written somewhat amateurishly and doesn't explain very well what is going on. This was a really fun book following the lives of the Smiths in St Louis leading up to the World's Fair. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. Lovely! This was a light and enjoyable read for the most part. The movie is actually better than the book, which is rare but the movie is so epically good and I mean..... What beats Judy Garland and Tom Drake? Many of the stories in "Meet Me in St. Louis" were originally published in the New Yorker (Sally Benson - often writing under a pen name - was a regular contributor) before being compiled into a book. With the addition of romantic suitors, comedic misunderstandings, and jovial pranks, this musical is filled with nonstop entertainment featuring memorable musical numbers such as “The Boy Next Door”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and “A Day In New York”. But there was a certain flightiness to the characters and plot that surprised me; Esther and Rose, in particular, were far more shallow in the book. In the show’s center are the Smiths, a humble middle-class family made up of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, their four daughters Rose, Esther, Agnes, and Tootie, and their son Lon. The book is divided into the months between June 1903 and May 1904. Be the first to ask a question about Meet Me in St. Louis. Highly recommended! Many of the stories in "Meet Me in St. Louis" were originally published in the New Yorker (Sally Benson - often writing under a pen name - was a regular contributor) before being compiled into a book. It is loosely based on the author's own family and since I live it St. Louis and have seen the movie many times and so have my grandchildren, I thought I would read the book and give it to them. Refresh and try again. They gossip, argue, play tricks, and are generally human. Personally, I like the book better than the movi. I was thrilled to find this because I have been an avid fan of the movie ever since I can remember. Rose and Esther are no glamorous movie stars, but a couple of boy-crazy teenagers. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) Plot Summary (2) In the year leading up to the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the four Smith daughters learn lessons of life and love, even as they prepare for a … V incente Minnelli’s most acclaimed musical, Meet Me in St. Louis is a fresh breath of stale air, a tart ode to nostalgia. I pictured Margret O'Brien speaking the dialogue of Tootie all th. This was a reprint - originally written in 1941 about the 1904 World's Fair held in St. Louis. John Truitt (Esther's love interest) and Warren Sheffield (Rose's) are not in the book, and so the Christmas dance is comparatively unimportant. I never knew the movie was based on a book before this week, and I'm glad I read it, but really - movie is better. May 1st 2004 She died in Woodland Hills, California, in 1972. I think most people pick up this book because they enjoyed the 1940s film adaptation. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published After graduating from Horace Mann School, she married Reynolds "Babe" Benson and began publishing short stories. The book did not disappoint! The "chapter" months are very episodic, almost like a series of short stories, as there aren't any strong arcs to speak of. I was startled at how down-right nasty they could be to one another! Love this book, which is nothing like the movie. [Whether or not the family moves to New York is brought up and decided against in one chapter! Personally, I like the book better than the movie. The book is out-of-print, not available as an e-book, and not at any of the libraries in my area, but it's easy to find a used copy online. Meet Me In St. Louis is centered around the Smith family of St. Louis. While it was interesting to finally read it and experience it I cannot necessarily recommend it to anyone. Clayton, MO, Accessibility Statement Terms Privacy |StageAgent © 2020. Based on the heartwarming film of the same name, Meet Me In St. Louis takes audience members on a musical journey back to the early 1900’s, on the brink of the 1904 World’s Fair. It seems as though, looking at other reviews, because I have never seen the movie I have an advantage when it comes to how much I enjoyed Meet Me in St. Louis. Agnes and not Tootie is "the most horrible" at Halloween. The family is shocked when Mr. Smith reveals that he has been transfered to a nice position in New York, which means that the family has to leave St. Louis and the St. Louis Fair. This is my favorite movie of all time so it was great to see these characters expanded and a few additional stories. Tootie, and Agnes to a lesser extent, is a hellion who seems destined for the reformatory. Nothing seems so glossy and expensive as it looked in the movie. Life seems perfect. St. Louis, MO, A Soldier's Play It's a sharp and funny book with just a touch of sentimentality, mostly geared at how much the Smiths like their home city. To see what your friends thought of this book, film musical fans and those interested in America circa 1903. Everyone is engaged doing own business. This was a reprint - originally written in 1941 about the 1904 World's Fair held in St. Louis. It sets the tone by opening with an absolutely hysterical prank involving magic ponies that makes me wish I had a daughter just so I could pull it on her. Thirty-four years after the publication of her dystopian classic, The Handmaid's Tale, Atwood returns to continue the story of Offred. 1903 was a momentous year for the Smiths and for the city of St. Louis. In the show’s center are the Smiths, a humble middle-class family made up of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, their four daughters Rose, Esther, Agnes, and Tootie, and their son Lon. Tootie is even funnier in the book. The novel, written in 1944, takes place from June 1903 to May 1904, the opening of the St. Louis World's Fair. There are times when a film does a more enjoyable job with a book than the book does for itself. Written by Sally Benson in 1941, this book tells the story of the Smith family in 1903, who were looking forward to the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. Just like Junior Miss, Meet Me in St. Luis depicts vignettes from what can be deduced to be an upper middle class family in the city. Sign up today to unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. A musical, it was given to Arthur Freed's unit which specialized in musicals. Mr. Smith explains she's upset because she can't care for all five kids the way she wishes she could, but there's a subtext of real frustration in Mrs. Smith's pronouncement, as well. Based on the heartwarming film of the same name, Meet Me In St. Louis takes audience members on a musical journey back to the early 1900’s, on the brink of the 1904 World’s Fair. She has been gone for 20 years this year and my baby girl Polly Lou shares a middle nickname with her.

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