Skip to My Lou (1941) User Reviews

They're Wearing The Same Dress!

[boblipton · 6/10 · 12 July 2023]

A group of two men and two women, calling themselves "The Martins" sing and dance to the title song, interpolated with snatches of other tunes in this very pleasant soundie.

Soundies were short films, about three minutes in length. The were meant to be played on a machine called a Mills Panoram, a video jukebox that was typically to be found in bars, lounges, and similar venues. You put a dime in and got a performance from the ten on the machine. The movies would be changed weekly, and from 1940 through 1946, Mills and other companies produced more than two thousand soundies.

I don't mean they're all wearing the same dress: just the two women.

Have yourself a nice little song

[guy-bellinger-648-520282 · 7/10 · 30 January 2010]

"Skip to My Lou" is a song forever associated to the names of Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin, although the two men got credit for it without composing it. It is actually a standard dating from the nineteenth century that they cherished and therefore adapted, arranged and turned into a hit in the early forties.

This rarely seen short is nothing but a "Soundie" series filmed song but there is more to it than just that. Indeed the two men merrily singing and dancing with two girls , part of a group known as the Martins, dressed up as farmers, in overalls, checkered shirts, Stetson hats, et all , are none other than Blane and Martin themselves. Not only is it rare to see songwriters sing and dance to their compositions but here the two men do it WELL. Even more exciting is the fact that "Skip to My Lou" will become a fine sequence of the famed MGM musical "Meet Me in Saint Louis" three years later. If you look at the two films you will note that the arrangement they perform here is identical to the version interpolated into the score of the Freed/Garland/Minnelli classic.

Thanks to the bonuses of the Warner Home Video DVD of "Meet Me in Saint Louis", you can now have yourself a merry little song!

This is bad....yet a must-see!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 23 September 2010]

The package for the two-DVD release of "Meet Me In St. Louis" is terrific. It has many wonderful special features that make it well worth purchasing. "Skip To My Lou" is an odd one in that it really is pretty awful BUT it's also a must-see for lovers of the film! I am sure I have thoroughly confused you by saying that, but it's true.

The film consists of watching the arrangers of this musical piece (Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin) singing and dancing this number with two ladies. It's surprising how nice the men's voices were and they give it their all. However, the costumes and set were pretty bad--with a hillbilly motif that was simply embarrassing.

So why is it a must-see?! Well, because Blane & Martin later worked on the soundtrack for "Meet Me In St. Louis" and this exact number ("Skip To My Lou") was recreated in this film! So, you can see the original version and then the better version from the terrific MGM film! This is a treat for cinemaniacs like me who love seeing the evolution of ideas that create a classic.

Fun Music Highlighting Songwriting Team

[Michael_Elliott · 29 December 2011]

Skip to My Lou (1941)

*** (out of 4)

This musical short lasts just three-minutes and would probably be forgotten today if it didn't have a strong connection to one of the most beloved movies ever made. The group known as The Martins featured Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin who would go onto being the songwriters for MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS. This short features the title song, which would appear in the same fashion in the classic MGM film with Judy Garland. This short, on its own, is actually pretty good as the two men (and their female dancers) do a very good job with both the dancing and singing. The film appears to be set inside a barn so it's got a country feel to it but the film is quite charming and certainly very fun for its short running time. I think the main interest today is going to be for fans of MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS as they can compare the short to the scene in the movie and see that the versions are very close.