Margaret O'Brien, age eight, was presented with a Special Award for outstanding child actress of 1944 for her role in MGM's glorious love story with music, Meet Me in St. Louis.  Starring Judy Garland, the film tells the story of the Smith family in suburban St. Louis of 1903 as they, and the city, prepare for the arrival of the 1904 World's Fair.  However, the family's head of the household is beckoned to New York due to a job promotion - a move that threatens to indelibly change the lives of the family members forever.

Produced by Arthur Freed and directed by Garland's future husband, Vincente Minnelli, Meet Me in St. Louis was richly filmed in Technicolor and marks the beginning of the golden age of MGM musicals.  Meet Me in St. Louis is considered a favorite Christmas movie and the Academy is proud to present this new print from the Academy Film Archive.  The evening will be hosted by Brian Rose, professor of media studies, Fordham University.  1944. 113 minutes. Screened with permission from Warner Bros.

Academy Award Nominations: Music, Best Song "The Trolley Song" (Music and Lyrics by Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin); Scoring of a Musical Picture (George Stoll); Color Cinematography (George Folsey); Writing, Screenplay (Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finkelhoffe).

Special Award: Margaret O'Brien, outstanding child actress of 1944 (miniature statuette).