Minnelli fashions seasonal vignettes in the life of the Smith family, perfectly evoking an era gone by with exquisite care and uncanny accuracy.

Also starring are Tom Drake, Lucille Bremer, Mary Astor & Leon Ames as Esther's parents, and the ever-enjoyable Harry Davenport as Grandpa.

But the real standout is precocious Margaret O'Brien (who received a special Oscar for her role as little sister Tootie) -- from her horrific Halloween experiences to her earnest discussion of her favorite doll's "four fatal diseases", she effortlessly steals every scene she's in.

More standards came out of this film, "The Boy Next Door", "The Trolley Song", and a very bittersweet rendition of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."  Judy initially rebelled against playing yet another 17-year-old, but St. Louis would eventually become one of her very favorites.