That's Entertainment!

I saw this movie occasionally on PBS when I was a kid and I bought the collector's edition of the entire series in '98 and each time I watch it I feel more and more nostalgic about the old Hollywood musicals-a genre of which we'll never see an equal. Gene Kelly, Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron, Eleanor Powell and Ann Miller are the stars who really show off their great talents in this production of selected clips which include highlights of "Broadway Melody of 1938", "The Wizard of Oz", "Meet Me in St. Louis", "An American in Paris", "Singin' in the Rain", "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" and "High Society" among others. There's also a whole roster of legendary guest stars: Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, James Stewart, Mickey Rooney, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby and even Liza Minelli just at the start of her career. They introduce some of the greatest moments in the history of the MGM Musical genre. It's great fun for anyone who loves the musicals of a gone-forever age.

There is nothing in this film--or more accurately, documentary--that doesn't do *exactly* what the title promises. It's hard for it to fail, really, considering the material it's working with. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! sets out to be a joyous celebration of everything that was fun and sparkly and happy-making in the MGM musical, with the added bonus of having the stars (the BEST, brightest, eternal ones) that were there themselves telling us all about it.

Well, it works. No two words about it. These clips of song-and-dance routines that will stay with us forever were made with one sole purpose--to entertain. And entertain they do. From 'Singin' In The Rain' through to 'Showboat', 'High Society', 'Seven Brides For Seven Brothers'... the film is a catalogue of the best and brightest of MGM musicals, and the stars. Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly deliver tributes to each other, Liza Minelli and Mickey Rooney talk about the magic that was Judy Garland, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds and Peter Lawford--with a lovely stint by Bing Crosby and a hilarious interlude by James Stewart--bring us through the decades singing and dancing. The clips picked were great, of course. How could you go wrong with segments dedicated to Astaire, Kelly and Garland? The clips were all perfect, with some rarer items popping up like Cary Grant singing 'Did I Remember?' and enough of the classic ones to make one feel like pulling out all the tapes and watching them through again.

There are a couple of things that keep me from giving this documentary top marks. Firstly, a general complaint that really isn't quite fair: seeing these clips just don't compare to watching them in their original films and the proper contexts. I hope that people who watch this film as an introduction to movie musicals actually go out and rent them afterwards, because there really isn't anything more brilliant than SINGIN' IN THE RAIN or ON THE TOWN. Secondly: it would have been much more engaging if the actors invited to speak on the programme hadn't so evidently been reading off pre-written scripts. Some fared better than others, with Taylor being the spaced-out worst, and Stewart acquitting himself admirably with his trademark drawl and charm. Astaire and Kelly are both still immeasurably attractive onscreen, but even they can't quite pull off the image of camaraderie the words they speak impart to their previous relationship. (Not to say that they were rivals--the opposite extreme isn't true either. They were simply professionals, and acquaintances.) It'd have been just that much more fun if these legends had been allowed to speak off the cuff.

All said, if you want to introduce someone to the magic that was the movie musical, there's really no need to go further than THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!. It's a catalogue of stars and talent, song and dance, and extensive proof that we won't ever see the likes of all this again. More's the pity for those of us who weren't there when film history happened, all to the songs of Berlin and Gershwin and the toe-tapping of Astaire and Kelly...

This is a sentimental and enjoyable look back at the time when M-G-M was the premiere studio in Hollywood and had more stars than there are in the heaven. Famous musical numbers are presented by some of those legends including Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra. I just don't like the way they brag and flatter each other. Is it really necessary to tell the viewer how good they were? The audience should be able to judge for themselves. And the numbers are great, no doubt about it. Fred Astaire's tap dance with Eleanor Powell is awesome, Donald O'Connor's "Make'em laugh" is funny, Gene Kelly sings in the rain and Judy Garland sings over the rainbow. It's also fun to see dramatic actors like James Stewart, Clark Gable and Cary Grant sing and dance. That's entertainment! Rating: 4/5

Extremely entertaining compilation film that looks back at classic MGM musicals. If I had any real complaint it would be the clips are mostly very short and it leaves you wanting to see more. Must have been even more frustrating in 1974 when that wasn't an option. It was nice seeing some of the (literally) old stars introduce the clips. It was especially nice to see the great MGM backlot one last time before it was torn down. But man, the sight of it in such disrepair made me kind of sad. The same sadness could be seen on the faces of some of the old stars as they walk around the lot, talking about how the old place doesn't look quite the same as when they made movies there. There's a wistful feeling throughout the film. Yes, it's a celebration of these great musicals but there's also this feeling of mourning for a bygone era.

In the mid-seventies, when MGM as a producing force in studio history was pretty much dead, a couple of researchers started to put together a compilation of the greatest moments from the birth of the talkie to Gigi's glut of Academy Awards at the end of the 1950s. The idea of this first 'That's Entertainment!' was to showcase the cream of the musicals, using a number of MGM's former contact stars (Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney et al) to link segments together.

The result was so breathtaking and brilliant that two further sequels followed; one almost immediately, and the third after a gap of twenty years, in time for MGM's seventieth birthday. This first compilation shows us sequences from 'An American In Paris', 'Singin' In The Rain', 'The Harvey Girls', 'Hollywood Revue', and on, and on. It has special segments devoted to Astaire, Kelly, Garland, Garland with Rooney, and, er, Esther Williams. It should give any viewer the appetite to seek out full movies they haven't seen, and to reflect with affection on those they have.