Meet Me in St Louis: MGM Classic Story of Romance Still Charms and Offers Dating Tips for Modern Audiences
It’s my girlie femmie side which always adores watching Hollywood Golden Age classic MGM musical, “Meet Me in St. Louis,” which darling home of all things classic cinema, Turner Classic Movies – TCM regularly screens. I first heard about it as a little girl viewing, “That’s Entertainment” and “That’s Entertainment II.” That was in the 1970s when it was very challenging to ever catch a TV screening of “Meet Me in St. Louis,” and whenever they did, the truncating of the picture to fit the television screen edited out so much of what was on screen. TG for TCM and their marvelous dedication to Letterbox screenings of classic films! Plus this year at the April 2014 Turner Classic Film Festival, they have snagged Margaret O’Brien, “Tootie” Smith, to appear at the festival.
Old Fashion Feminine Charms and Airs Illustrate How to Flirt for Modern Singles
“Meet Me in St. Louis” offers so many charming examples of how boy meets girl and romance ensues. Modern audiences will be lightly amused at how extraordinary it is that eldest daughter in the Smith family, Rose, is all at sixes and sevens over her long-distance beau scheduled to phone her that evening as the movie opens, Summer 1903. This when we can simply text each other our missives and even avoid the interruption of an interactive phone conversation. Marjorie Main is fantastic as the maid/cook, Katie, reminding me of her fun performance from 5 years earlier in one of my all time favorites, “The Women.”
Ladies, watch and listen to how Rose gently leads the direction of the phone call. Because it is so unusual and costly to place a long distance phone call, the Smith girls anticipate the possibility of a marriage proposal over the phone from Rose’s beau. So, she does not just say, “Hi,” and get all passive. Nor is she aggressively direct in asking him, “Why did you phone me?” It’s a marvelous lesson in the feminine arts of asking questions for desired results. Sales trainers could learn a thing or two from her!
Do Women Need to Chase Men? Lessons in Body Language Flirting Physical Proximity to Get the Guy
Judy Garland is charming with how she manages to garner a few minutes alone at the end of evening soiree in the family home with John Truitt, our Boy Next Door, after all their guests have gone home. Notice how she makes a very soft feminine appeal for him to come to her aide very lightly, thus appealing to his masculine protective side. She doesn’t need to chase a man and throw herself at him. She just leverages physically close proximity and soft mood lighting to help her out in the fine art of body language flirting.
Illustrative Lesson in How to Admire and Appreciate the Masculine Man
Rose demonstrates another classic feminine art of appealing to men’s gentlemanly protective side in the Autumn 1903 segment as “The Damsel in Distress” much in need of a gentleman’s assistance to rescue her from the fate of melted ice cream. Ice cream was a treat, only to be procured from the store downtown with large quantities of ice! Col. Darly’s response is the stuff to look for in a modern beau as well, “It was my pleasure, Miss Smith. Happy to be of service.” Note ladies, how Rose not only utters 1 sentence of gratitude, but also a 2nd utterance admiring and appreciating what he did. Modern men still crave being admired and appreciated as men for what they do for us ladies.
Lessons in Flirting for Women to Make the Most of Each Opportunity
Miss Rose Smith, upon Col. Darly’s departure, encounters her sister Esther. The two admire the mature gentleman, Col, Darly, as he rides off. Esther wants to know, “Wherever did you meet him?” Rose happened upon him at the store where she was buying the family’s ice cream for that evening. Esther asks, “By accident?” Rose, with her softly feminine but not 100% passive ways, responds enchantingly, “Almost.” She’d seen him at the store and made sure to bump into him and created the opportunity not only to chat with him, but also had a call to action with her for what to do with the flirtatious opportunity she’d crafted. Modern ladies take note. She didn’t try to do everything right there, yet neither did she let the romantic spark just die out with no feminine action on her part.
The two oldest daughters are not the only one’s in the family desiring romance. “Meet Me in St. Louis,” also demonstrates how the town’s social events, the Christmas Holiday dance, provides opportunities for young romance between the son, Lon, to meet a romantic possibility in a movie appearance by June Lockhart before her years on classic tv sci-fi sitcom, “Lost in Space.”
When you seek to learn how to flirt, or you’re just looking to get some feminine attire examples from wholesome sources, “Meet Me in St. Louis” provides a marvelous example to modern singles of all ages that still enchants and fascinates.
Happy Dating and Relationships,
April Braswell
Internet Dating and Relationship Expert
As seen in Dating for Dummies, 3rd Edition
April Braswell is an expert columnist at DatingAdvice.com and speaks to singles in Singles Groups and Divorce Support Groups as well as at Singles Dating Workshops and Singles Conferences. Looking to Hire April to speak at your Singles Event?
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