The well-off Smith family has four beautiful daughters, including Esther and little Tootie. 17-year old Esther has fallen in love with the boy next door who has just moved in, John. He however barely notices her at first. 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. “Meet Me in St. Louis” stars Judy Garland, Margaret O’Brien, Mary Astor.

More about Judy Garland (courtesy of Biography.com):

Despite her personal anguish, Garland continued on her path to film stardom. One of her first feature film roles was in “Pigskin Parade” (1936). Playing a girl-next-door type of role, Garland went on to co-star in “Love Finds Andy Hardy” (1938) with friend Mickey Rooney. The two proved to be a popular pairing, and they co-starred in several more Andy Hardy films.

Not only was she working a lot, Garland was under pressure from the studio about her looks and her weight. She was given amphetamines to boost her energy and control her weight. Unfortunately, Garland would soon become reliant on this medication as well as needing to take something else to help her sleep. Drug problems would plague her throughout her career.

In 1939, Garland scored one of her greatest on-screen successes with “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), which showcased her singing talents as well as her acting abilities. Garland received a special Academy Award for her portrayal of Dorothy, the girl from Kansas transported to Oz. She soon made several more musicals, including Strike Up the Band (1940), “Babes of Broadway” (1942) with Mickey Rooney, and “For Me and My Gal” (1943) with Gene Kelly.