That's Entertainment [DVD]

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.

This is one of those movies that I could watch every day for months and never become bored. I hope you'll feel the same if you're a "golden age of Hollywood" fan, especially of the MGM musicals. The introductions by the MGM stars (and yes, they are aging, it happens to everyone!) are somewhat pompous, phony and wooden -- the lone exception, in my opinion, is Liza Minelli. Other than that curious phenomenon, this first of a trilogy of "That's Entertainment" movies from MGM, is truly the best, with their greatest clips being in this movie. As Liza said, "thank God for film" because we can forever see for ourselves just why a movie star was, well, a star. Agreed, this first film of the series could use a little editing, but that doesn't detract from the rest of the scenes nor the message. The movie does serve dual purposes -- as a short documentary of the evolution of the grand musicals, as well as outstanding excerpts of the greatest MGM had to offer. I think my favorite scene, though, was the black and white footage of all the MGM stars having lunch together in a huge gathering. It will provoke quite the nostalgia! I know it's been said many times before, but those were truly the golden days of film making, and after watching this movie you'll understand why. It's a shame very few movies are now produced that are up to the same wholesome MGM standards.

I purchased "That's Entertainment" because I was recently reminiscining about how wonderful it was when I first saw it back in the 70's. I ordered it the following day and I was not disappointed. I actually received it before the delivery date that was listed. I was not disappointed. It was just as I remembered it. I am a huge fan of Hollywood musicals and loved all of the clips. If you are a fan, you will have a great time watching an era that has passed us with wonderful music, gorgeous costumes and classy dancing. I highly recommend it. I was only 14 when I first saw it on the big screen with my Dad, and now I am eager to show it to my younger friends. A+++

This movie is lots of fun with behind the scene looks at old movies, by the people that were actually in those old movies. It really gives a history of the musicals as far back as the 20s and 30s and the fabulous sets and costumes.When I first saw this when it came out waaaaay back when, this was filled with so much unknown information. These days of course, you can Google anything you need to know. So I watch this, and Google my questions as the same time. I'm kind of a nerd in that way.Still it's fun to watch and if you can get your kids or grandkids to sit still long enough so you can show them what used to be, they would learn a lot!

Wow! Wowwwzzzzzzaaaaaaaa! If you love classic Hollywood films, it doesn't get much better than this! There are so many gems here it is almost overwhelming, especially with all of the fine dancers and singers. Forget about today's amateur idols, the talents in these films were top of their game in every way. It makes you want to see all the original films, not just the clips. It is also great to see the introductions by some of the iconic MGM stars -- legends like Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly. Some of their remembrances are moving, and serve to frame all those swirling, kinetic, Busby Berkeley scenes with real human emotion. Bravo for That's Entertainment!

Perfect for my older mother. Lots of nostalgia for her to keep.

Una pelicula que es un gran recordatorio del cine sonoro, una lástima que la gran mayoria no la conozca.

Mi è piaciuto tutto il contenuto del film. Emozioni struggenti ….

Extraordinaire....ce film est magnifique....merci, merci et encore merci 👍👍👍

Very happy with this purchase.