"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Based on a series of short stories written for the New Yorker, Sally Benson’s Meet Me in St. Louis was turned into a movie of the same name. Benson based the story on her life as a child and she was even called “Tootie” in her younger days. The 1944 film Meet Me in St. Louis has gone on to become a classic musical. Though not centered around Christmas, the film has its climax during the Christmas celebrations and introduced the song “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, a song with a depressing message in the film that has gone on to spread holiday cheer.

The film in set in 1903 St. Louis and centered around the wealth Smith family, their son, and four beautiful daughters: Esther (Judy Garland), Tootie (Margaret O’Brien), Rose (Lucille Bremer) and Agnes (Joan Caroll). Parents Anna (Mary Astor) and Alonzo (Leon Ames) have a peaceful life with their children and Grandpa (Harry Davenport). Esther is harboring a secret crush on the new neighbor’s son, dashing boy next door John Truett (Tom Drake) who doesn’t even know she exists. The film comes to its climax when Alonzo announces to the family he has taken a big paying job in New York City, which will lead the family to moving after Christmas. The family is in an uproar over leaving their home of St. Louis, especially before the big World’s Fair is to take place.

The film was directed by Vincente Minelli and is what introduced Judy Garland to her future husband. Minelli did his best to recreate the period as accurately as he could. At first, Judy was skeptical about playing a teenager since she was twenty-one and tired of being cast in teenage roles. However, she fell in love with the script and did the picture. Garland’s version of the song “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” is the one that is still sung today.

For more information on the film, you can read this review at Filmsite.org or this review from Reelclassics.com. Resources and information on the film can be found here thanks to The Judy Room, an official Judy Garland fansite. Time Magazine named the film one of the 100 Best Movies of the 20th Century and the film is exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). Here I leave you with the Christmas scene from Meet Me in St. Louis.

The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of

Last night during supper, Turner Classic Movies was showing the prototype for all detective films and the birth of the 1940s detective cliché, The Maltese Falcon. This movie is one of my absolute favorites, so naturally I pulled up the TV tray and watched it, eating my soup and grilled cheese. Every time I watch this film, I'm always reminded how good it is and find myself, instead of passively watching a movie, engaged in it to the point its like I'm visiting with an old friend.

Everyone knows the classic story of gritty anti-hero P.I. Sam Spade, launched into a twisted web of lies, thievery, and murder when beautiful Miss Wanderly waltzes into his office. With his partner dead, the police on his tail, a manipulative pathological liar who has her eyes on Sam, and a group of thieves willing to do anything to get their hands on the multi-million dollar artifact known as The Maltese Falcon, Sam more than has his hands full solving the crime. Its dramatic storyline interwoven with twists, turns, romance, and intrigue has made it one of the best movies of all time

Based on 1930 detective novel by Dashiell Hammet, the 1941 film is not only a masterpiece but an important landmark in the history of film. This is the film that introduced Humphrey Bogart as an A-list leading man and hero and gave the legendary John Houston his directorial debut. It also marks the beginning of the celebrated film partnership between Bogart and Houston, arguably one of the greatest director/actor teams in film history. Peter Lorre and Mary Astor also give memorable performances as a sly, scum bag thief and a beautiful, wily damsel out to put the blame on anyone but herself. Historians also regard The Maltese Falcon as the first film in the "Film Noir" genre. The film itself is a cultural icon and through continuing parodies, references, and adaptations is still an important part of film today.

Though the film was nominated for three Academy Awards - best picture, Sydney Greenstreet for best supporting actor, and John Houston best adapted screenplay - it won none of the awards. However, the film has received a considerable amount of honors since then, especially from the American Film Institute. The film came in #31 on AFI's list of 100 Years...100 Movies, #26 on its list of 100 Years...100 Thrills, "the stuff that dreams are made of" quote from the Tempest spoken by Bogart in the film came in at #14 on the list of top movie quotes, was #6 on AFI's list of top mystery films, and Bogart came in #1 on the list of top male actors. In 1989, the film was selected by the National Film Registry for preservation in the first year of voting.

Modertimes.com has done a great rehashing of the film, focusing on criticism and giving an in depth look into all aspects of the film, from the characters, to the filmography, and a scene by scene analysis of the film. Filmsite.org also does a great review of the film along with fun facts about it and explanations of scenes that might be confusing to those who have not seen the film as many times as us more religious viewers of it.

Overall, The Maltese Falcon is an extremely enjoyable film experience. I recommend anyone who hasn't see it to go out and watch it and anyone who has seen it to watch it again. This is truly a film that makes you remember why you enjoy watching movies.