Life seems perfect in St. Louis on the brink of the 1904 World’s Fair for the four sisters of a working-class family, until the father reveals they have to leave for New York. Adapted from Sally Benson’s short stories, originally published in The New Yorker, this gem of cinematic, picture-postcard Americana and youthful romance marked the beginning of the golden age of MGM musicals, and the golden age for director Vincente Minnelli as well: He married Judy Garland the following year. The songs became standards (remember "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"?), and the feature was one of MGM’s biggest successes in its day.