That's Entertainment

Rating:
Summary: Nostalgia Perfectly Done
Review: "You can wait around and hope," says Frank Sinatra in one of his introductory spiels, "but you'll never see dancing like this again." The same could be said of almost every clip in this compilation of MGM musical highlights, ranging from an achingly bad chorus-girl number from the "Broadway Melody of 1930" (the first all-sound musical) to numbers from "Singin' in the Rain" and the climactic ballet from "An American in Paris." In between, the movie hits dozens of high spots in the 40-odd-year history of MGM as *the* studio for musicals--and also delivers a few surprises, like Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable doing turns in the genre (surprisingly, not too shabbily). Energetic Busby Berkeley ensembles, black-and-white set-pieces from the '30's, a romantic duo by Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse, every type of musical number is represented. Whether you're an old buff looking to enjoy a few favorites without having to keep changing the video, or a novice wondering what all the fuss was about and what films might best serve as the foundation of your collection, this first of what turned out to be a four-volume franchise should definitely be on your shelf.

Rating:
Summary: A Musical Lovers Dream
Review: As a musical lover, "That's Entertainment" is always a thrill to watch. Some of the commentary from the hosts may seem forced and insincere, and the movie could stand to be cut a good 20 minutes, but those musical clips are priceless. Amoung the hilights:

1. Fred Astaire devoting a segment to the musicals of Gene Kelly.

2. Gene Kelly devoting a segment to the musicals of Fred Astaire.

3. Heartfelt tributes to Judy Garland by Liza Minneli and Mickey Rooney. You've just got to love those clips of Judy and Mickey's famous "backyard" musicals in which they played characters that basically never changed from picture to picture.

4. A great segment by Jimmy Stewart on non-musical stars that were forced to star in musicals. What a thrill to see Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant, Robert Montgumery, Clark Gable, and Stewart himself try to warble through musical numbers their never really comfortable with.

Rating:
Summary: A must.
Review: For many years, throughout my childhood, I watched this movie every single weekend. It's one of the most entertaining works I have ever watched and it's just part of my life. Many of the movie musicals they took the scenes from are a bore when you watch them from beginning to the end, but this offers you a best of that is never dull. The timing is excellent and it's great to see the star's comments. It's a gem.
I didn't like the second one as much, although it's still worth while and I never got to see the third. But this first one is a must.

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Summary: Decades of MGM Movie Magic Flashing Before Your Eyes!
Review: Gene Kelly, Liza Minnelli, Fred Astaire and many other MGM Stars narrate segments of this compilation documentary of Hollywood's Golden Age. There are both well known and obscure song and dance numbers from countless MGM musicals.

See Clark Gable singing (and dancing to) "Puttin' on the Ritz" as well as Judy Garland's Classic "Get Happy" number. This fantastic tour down MGM-Lane is 90 minutes of pure Entertainment! No one who views this gem of a film will ever again question why Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, etc. are today considered legendary figures in cinema. May Leo the Lion roar on forever!*...

Rating:
Summary: Great for musical beginners
Review: I bought "That's Entertainment" a few years ago and fell in love with it. Prior to that, the only musical I'd seen was "Anchors Aweigh". I feel that "That's Entertainment" is perfect for people who are interested in great MGM musicals but don't know a lot about them. I know that this helped me decide which movies and which actors I thought would be most appealing to me. For instance, watching the Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire segments greatly impressed me and I now have almost all of the two dancers' films. However, I was bored during the Esther Williams sequences in "That's Entertainment" and so I knew that I probably wouldn't enjoy her films.

Longtime fans of musicals will probably be familiar with most of the segments in "That's Entertainment". Even if you have seen all of the movies featured in the film, you still get to see your favorite stars introducing the various segments. Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minnelli, Bing Crosby, and many others all make guest appearances to introduce various clips.

In conclusion, I recommend this movie to all MGM musical fans, but especially to those who don't know much about the genre and would like a chance to be able to pick out their favorite performers from a wide range of talents and abilities.

Rating:
Summary: endlessly enjoyable
Review: Made to celebrate MGM's 50th Anniversary, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT splices together gloriously-restored footage of some of their greatest musicals, hosted by some of their best stars.

Hosted by Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, James Stewart and Elizabeth Taylor, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT is a walk down memory lane, full of nostalgia and insightful information.

With Liza Minnelli presenting a tribute to her mother, the late Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby telling some great stories, this is a great addition to any classic film collection.

An extravaganza brimming with footage from over 100 films, and the dazzling talents of over 125 stars.

You'll adore it.

Rating:
Summary: More Stars Than There Are In The Heavens
Review: Musicals--that most surrealistic of motion picture genres--have fallen out of fashion over the past few decades... but at one time they dominated motion picture screens. MGM, a studio which boasted it had "More Stars Than There Are In The Heavens," was reknowned for the musical talents it had under contract. And this clever compilation, with its various segments introduced by the likes of Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Debbie Reynolds, Bing Crosby, and Mickey Rooney, offers an extraordinary collection of musical moments from the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s--the golden age of the genre.

The compilation is very, very broad and includes performances by both the still-famous and once-famous, and gives us the opportunity to see some magical moments without having to wade through the entire genre or assess whether or not you actually want to sit through an obscure film in order to see one five minute musical moment. While it includes performances by the delicious Lena Horne (performing "Honeysuckle Rose" before a sophistocated set of drapery and mirrors), the brilliant Elenor Powell (with several offerings, the most memorable being "Begin the Begine" with Fred Astaire), and a host of others, most of the collection revolves around four MGM superstars: Gene Kelly, Esther Williams, Fred Astaire, and Judy Garland. The tribute to Esther Williams is particularly welcome, a marvelous array of some of the most beautiful and beautifully surreal scenes ever put to film; the tribute to Judy Garland, touchingly introduced and narrated by daughter Liza Minnelli, is also particularly well done.

But the real feast here is of musical oddities and rareities. In its search for musical talent, MGM put almost every star under contract through their musical paces--and the result is often truly bizarre. Among the most memorable of these is Joan Crawford, who believe it or not was considered a jazz dancer of some note during the 1920s, and here she (introduced by an emcee as "the personfication of youth, beauty, joy, and happiness) sings and then athelitically stops through "Got A Feeling For You." Robert Montgomery looks awkward trying his hand at light opera; Jimmy Stewart sings pleasantly but unspectacularly; Jean Harlow belts out "Reckless;" and Clark Gable gives a remarkably charming throw-away performance of "Puttin' On The Ritz." It is all tremendous fun.

Of further interest is the fact that most of the narrators have filmed their scenes on the MGM backlot--which was on the verge of demolition when this compilation was made in 1974. It's fading glory is touching, nostalgic, and offers a final glimpse of what was the world's greatest film studio before it entered its final decline. A drawback to the compilation is that at the time it was made few if any of these films had been restored; some of the oldest film clips are in rather poor condition and the brilliance of Technicolor is somewhat reduced in certain scenes. But even with this problem, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT is a feast of brilliant colors, costumes, spectacular dance numbers, and beautiful sounds, enough to delight any long-time musical fan and convert newcomers to the genre--and the inexpensive price of the video leaves you without excuse for not having it. Strongly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: THE BEST
Review: Seeing MGM`s THAT`S ENTERTAINMENT is as someone else has said here; like eating the best candy in the world....

Everything about this compilation is ace; it`s a work of art and some musical scenes are edited 2 greater effect here than from the picture they originated...

Tasty? Indeed it is. Wanna c TASTELESS? C "That`s Dancin`" 1985. Wanna c some more tasty things?; the 1976 and 1994 sequels are JUST THAT.

Last week I even witnessed it on the big screen here in Norway and I had no idea the big finalies were in 70mm - PEOPLE left the building spellbound and I`m gonna c it again this Friday.

I first saw it on New Years eve 1981 and the video was purchased in 84. Needless 2 say, I have worn several copies out hehehehe

Rating:
Summary: That's Entertainment I: Do it: big, right, and with class!
Review: That's Entertainment I - Reviewed By David E. Shattuck

I have always liked musicals and have had my favorites but viewing "That's Entertainment I" gave me a great lesson into their history. Do you remember at Christmas ever receiving one of those exotic candy samplers in your stocking? Well watching this video gave me a taste of a lot of "fine chocolates" that I want to sample over and over again. You start out visiting the remains of the once great MGM studios hosted by various famous stars who worked for those studios such as Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelley, Jimmy Stuart , Elizabeth Taylor, Donald Connor, Debbie Renoylds,Mickey Rooney and Liza Minelli. I felt like I was in Greece touring the ruins of the gods with those gods and goddesses as my tour Guides. It made me sad to see this once great institution in ruins, those stars aging, and the art form called the musical in decline in our era. Throughout its history MGM created over 200 musicals with the high points being in the 30s, 40s, and 50s. Perhaps the last great musical, the Sound of Music was in the 60s over 30 years ago. The early musicals were traced back to the 20s and were born when sound arrived in the movies. I wondered what happened to many of those silent movie stars who were the first victims of technological downsizing in Hollywood. My personal favorites have always been Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse but I learned about Eleanor Powell and found her a better partner to Fred Astaire than Ginger Rodgers who looked stressed but excellent in her numbers with Fred. There was a classic clip of Fred who proved he could dance with a hat rack ( which didn't look as good as Ginger ) and a scene from the "Royal Wedding" where he danced on the sides of the walls and the ceiling always winding down to a sitting position like he never expended a bit of energy and showing no sweat. I had many of one liner observations from the video and here they go: I enjoyed a clip from the Ziegfield Follies which turns out to be the only musical in which Gene Kelley and Fred Astair worked together; their is a rare footage of Jimmy Stuart walking in song with Eleanor Powell; a timeless dance between Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse to "Dancing in the Dark" from the "Bandwagon";scenes of Gene Kelley doing his own acrobatic stunt dances; Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney numbers from the Hardy Boys (They made a great couple); Ann Miller (the best lady tap dancer) from "Small Town Girl"; Donald Oconnor doing a classic comedy dance in "Singing in the Rain"; and of course the color and pageantry of Ester Williams swimming with the likes of Fernando Lamas, Van Johnson, Peter Lawford, Ricardo Montabaum, and even Jimmy Durante, Red Skelton, and cartoon characters Tom and Jerry. (Ester was a well sculpted figure with strong muscular legs and perhaps might be a body builder today). I thoroughly enjoyed "That's Entertainment I" and look forward to watching II and III. I pray that there will once again be a revival of the musical . Today the musical lives on in different forms such as "Riverdance" and interesting enough in the many animated movies of Disney such as Aladdin and Pocahontas . I close with a quote from the video by Frank Sinatra who said the MGM motto has always been, "Do it big, do it right, and give it class". Now that's entertainment!

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Summary: FINALLY! IT'S ON ITS WAY TO DVD! Spread the joyous news!
Review: The dream is becoming a reality. All THREE of the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! films are coming to DVD in a boxed set from Warner Bros.

Read the juicy details and get ready for a great Xmas!

The musical of musicals makes its DVD debut on October 12, when Warner Home Video presents MGM's acclaimed musical anthologies - That's Entertainment!, That's Entertainment, Part 2 and That's Entertainment! III - in a special edition four-disc DVD giftset, That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection. Representing some of the most requested titles in WHV's vast library, That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection gets the "red carpet" treatment with each feature in the trilogy presented with a fully remastered picture and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio, and features both the 16x9 widescreen theatrical version, plus full-screen 4x3 version with letterboxed performance segments.

That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection includes a bonus fourth disc entitled That's Entertainment: Treasures from the Vault, available exclusively with the giftset featuring more than five hours of exciting extras including three great documentaries, premiere night coverage and salutes to the great behind-the-camera talents, TV specials, making-of featurettes, plus an extensive video jukebox of rare, star-packed musical outtakes from classic films, and more!

"Exuberant, extravagant..." - Newsweek

That's Entertainment! showcases 125 stars from nearly 100 films including superstars Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Peter Lawford, Donald O'Connor, James Stewart and many more. Originally released in 1974 to mark MGM's 50th Anniversary and to celebrate the golden era of the greatest movie musicals ever made, That's Entertainment! was an unexpected surprise smash at the boxoffice, grossing $28 million at the time and firmly establishing the MGM musical within the pantheon of greatness within American film history. Written, produced and directed by Jack Haley Jr., with Daniel Melnick as executive producer, That's Entertainment! uniquely blends newly-filmed accounts of the personal memories of 11 of the stars who were at MGM from 1929-1958 during the making of these classic films with a panoramic retrospective of unforgettable musical sequences from them. Film historian Robert Osborne provides a new introduction to all three films on DVD.

"A wonderful movie...a priceless souvenir." - Pat Collins, WCBS-TV

Originally released in 1976, That's Entertainment, Part 2 continues the dazzling tradition of That's Entertainment! taking up where the other one left off, presenting fabulous sequences from movie musicals and highlighting such non-singing stars as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and the Marx Brothers. Also featured are two of the champion song and dance men of all time, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly (together for the first time since Ziegfeld Follies of 1946), acting not only as narrators but also as performers, singing and dancing in all-new numbers directed by Kelly just for the film. That's Entertainment, Part 2 was produced by Saul Chaplin and Daniel Melnick, with narration by Leonard Gershe and additional music arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle.

"That's more than entertainment, that's pure gold." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

Released in 1994 in celebration of MGM's 70th Anniversary, That's Entertainment! III brings back to the screen the stars and musical numbers that have excited audiences for generations. In the acclaimed tradition of its two predecessors, That's Entertainment! III incorporates scores of famous songs and dances from MGM films and reunites nine of the performers who rose to international stardom through their MGM association. That's Entertainment! III features astonishing classic musical moments, great comedy and romantic teams and unearths rare footage with marvelous big-star scenes originally unseen because they were cut from their films. Gene Kelly opens and closes the picture as nine starry hosts including June Allyson, Cyd Charrise, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney and Esther Williams present this must-see assemblage of Golden Era treasures, none of which has been seen in either of the previous films. Written, produced and directed by Bud Friedgen & Michael J. Sheridan, the film was executive produced by Peter Fitzgerald.

An amazing fourth disc is an added bonus available only with the That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection giftset with more than five hours of extra content features sure to enthrall fans of the great MGM musicals. Entitled That's Entertainment: Treasures From The Vault, the exclusive disc includes rare extended footage from MGM's 25th Anniversary luncheon in 1949; "That's Entertainment: 50 Years of MGM" (1974 TV special covering footage from the original premiere of That's Entertainment! in Beverly Hills with Army Archerd as the 'red carpet' master of ceremonies, rare interviews and the famous assemblage of legendary MGM stars on the stage. Unseen since originally broadcast thirty years ago); "That's Entertainment! III Behind the Screen" (1994 making-of documentary about the behind the camera talent); "The Lion Roars Again" (1975 MGM short); lengthy excerpts from "The Mike Douglas Show" TV special in 1976 that featured two days of premiere coverage of That's Entertainment, Part 2; "The Masters Behind The Musicals" (a brand-new half hour documentary with Ann Miller, Jane Powell, Angela Lansbury and others); "Just One More Time" (1974 THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! featurette); and a dazzling MGM Outtake Jukebox which includes an impressive array of 16 rarely-seen deleted musical numbers from the cutting-room floor featuring such stars as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Esther Williams, Lena Horne, Jane Powell, Mel Torme and many other legendary MGM stars.