In the original film, John Truett sang only in the "Skip to My Lou" number. Two new songs were interpolated into the television version to give Tab Hunter more opportunities to sing: "If You Were the Only Girl in the World" was a standard from the era in which the story takes place. "When Does This Feeling Go Away?" was composed by Hugh Martin for the ill-fated Broadway show "Make a Wish."
Reta Shaw (Katie, the maid) repeated the same role on Meet Me in St. Louis (1966). Shaw would also appear with Tab Hunter on 10 episodes of The Tab Hunter Show (1960), as housekeeper 'Thelma'.
Jeanne Crain, who plays Rose, appeared as the Celebrity Mystery Guest on the CBS game show "What's My Line?" two weeks prior to the airing of "Meet Me in St. Louis." After being identified relatively quickly by the blindfolded panel, she discussed the show's four-week rehearsal schedule "including Saturdays and Sundays," and opined that a live television production presented challenges different from movie making. Show moderator Charles Dailey announced his program would be not be seen the night "Meet me in St. Louis" aired.
In his early Warner Brothers contract, Tab Hunter was also represented for his singing talents by a Warner Brothers recording contract. His frequent television guest promotional appearances were scheduled on all three television prime networks live music variety series, including the following: Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1955-1959); The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom (1955-1958); The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (1956-1957); the 30th Annual Motion Picture Academy Wards (1958), performing "April Love." Hunter was the featured skating and singing star of a TV American Primetime Sunday night movie, "Hans Brinker and The Silver Skates" in 1958, a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation.
This was the first adaptation of Incontriamoci a Saint Louis (1944), based on the original Irving Brecher and Fred F. Finklehoffe screenplay. In 1966, a non-musical version would be made as a pilot for a TV series, starring Shelley Fabares, but no network picked it up.