MovieChat Forums > Meet Me in St. Louis Discussion > Tootie is annoying and disturbed!

Tootie is annoying and disturbed!

posted 18 years ago by zatarains80
100 replies | jump to latest

While I usually enjoy Margaret O'Brien, I cannot stand her character in this film! Yes, her eccentricity MAY be seen as a way to get attention, I cannot believe the way her family is so quick to dismiss her "cute" behavior.

The Halloween scenes could have been completely removed from the film and not have it effect the overall feeling. First of all, who are these parents that let their 5-10 yr olds run around wild on Halloween, lighting bonfires, and throwing flour in their neighbors' faces?? The scene that irks the living daylights out of myself, my sister and mother is when Tootie is retelling the story of the stuffed dress that was placed on the trolley tracks!!! Dozens of people could have been killed and Tootie's punishment is only ONE kind of ice cream? Meanwhile, Agnes calls Rose a "snob" because she is shocked that her sisters were involved in such a dangerous prank! Why did the filmmakers bother with this? This is ridiculous and one of the most irritating scenes in film history.

Anyone else find the Halloween scene obnoxious and irritating?!?

[–] john-hitchcock 13 years ago

I'll have to admit that while I didn't downright hate her character (I did somehow feel genuinely bad for her at the end when she started crying about going to New York), but there was always something wierd about her. The way she keeps "killing" her dolls (technically, she's only pretending they have fatal diseases, but making an entire cemetary for them does seem like a bit of a stretch) in particular seemed kinda creepy somehow.

If Clint Eastwood and Chuck Norris got into a fight, Clint Eastwood would probably win.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ecjones1951 13 years ago

I will agree that in older movies young children are often depicted as angelic little things -- and children on or off screen have never been that. Their scenes do not always advance plot points but are there to provide color or comic relief. I guess the main reason I dislike Tootie's character is that I just don't care for the actress. I never did. I'm sure Margaret O'Brien is a nice person, but her choked voice and scene-stealing just grates on my nerves.

As a rule, I am not so rude on these boards, but I have a very visceral reaction to Margaret O'Brien, and it's not a favorable one. JMO. I know others feel very differently.

[–] nycruise-1 13 years ago

Odd that no one has commented on the fact that her name "Tootie" conjures up images - and sounds - of a kid that farts alot.

I wonder what Sally Benson would have to say.

"Don't call me 'honey', mac."
"Don't call me 'mac'... HONEY!"

[–] kathleencurley1-42-838221 13 years ago

In the "Trivia" notes it says that "Tootie" was Sally Benson's nickname - the character was based on her.

[–] dmcmillan01 13 years ago

Little Maggie was about seven years old when she filmed St. Louis. She played the role the way the director insisted she do it, and when the movie came out, she had raves for her performance. As someone else said, those were different times, and unless you lived back then, you wouldn't realize it was very much the way it was in many places in the U.S. And the Halloween scenes were so accurate! Kids ran wild and had a ball, but yes, they did do things that were dangerous.

I had lunch with Margaret one day when she was about eight. I was rehearsing for a play at the Pasadena Playhouse and she was doing a Radio show which broadcast from there. since I was only a few years older than she is, they insisted that i join her for lunch, to keep her company. It was Easter time and she had a beautiful huge candy Easter egg with a delightful little scene inside. Every five minutes during our lunch, she asked me to look at that little scene again. LOL She was so bright and delightful, that I was really sorry when our lunch ended.

DottyinCA

[–] blackkittyangel 13 years ago

I do not believe it was Tootie who put the manniquin on the tracks. She was however in the group of kids who did. Children during Halloween during this time period played pranks. Some pranks were benign but many times it got out of control. My father used to tell me that when he was young, Trick or Treating was just being introduced to stop the pranks.

There once was a little black kitten called Angel.

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] belles-chaussettes 12 years ago

She was extremely annoying.

I don't have a problem with much of the Halloween scenes. The flour was a common practice and the neighbor probably expected is, otherwise he wouldn't have opened the door or yelled at Tootie.

Kids were expected to entertain themselves for long hours day and night. As long as you stayed within a certain radius of home you could wander all over. I remember as a child in the 60s going out on my bike and being told "come home when the street lights come on." This was back when you could send your 5 year old down to the corner store to get milk, bread, and cigarettes (with a parent's note).

During the time period of the movie the majority of the Halloween behavior was expected. The prank though is where families were supposed to teach their children you don't do certain things because it endangered other's. My family would have gone ballistic if I had lied and blamed a neighbor for hurting me.

While some of Tootie's behavior is "normal" others are just irritating beyond words.

[–] Tashtago 12 years ago

Agreed. She's slightly pyschotic and somehow its supposed to pass for cute? As for her acting she cries effectively but really spits out her lines in an annoying way.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] aafleming 12 years ago

I totally agree with the OP. I find "Tootie" annoying, irritating and spoiled. I also find the Halloween scene baffling and wonder why it is in the movie, other than to illustrate what a brat she is.

[–] usersince03 12 years ago

Tootie was an adorable kid but she had an irritating voice.

[–] pd3145 12 years ago

I am so glad others feel the same as I do about psychotic Tootie.

Did the director really have to cast the complete opposite of the saccharine family members by bringing in a little psycho who talks about killing and death? I expect that from a film from the '90s through today, not in 1944.

Extremely disturbing. Maybe Tootie is the child version of the future Bonnie (& Clyde).

[–] ms-zanadu 12 years ago

I totally agree with you pd3145 and aafleming . Which was one of the main reasons this is my least favorite musical now ( very disappointed with it ) that particular character ruined it for me ( and for me that's saying a lot ) . I also scored this one low on IMDB . Thanks zatarains80 for this excellent subject post ( you raised a lot of great points here pertaining to certain scenes in this movie as well - I also agree ) .

[–] kaskait 10 years ago

LOL

I would so watch a TV Show Called "Tootie: Portrait of an Edwardian Serial Killer"