That's Entertainment! (1974)

Wow! Such a good movie.

As Good As It Gets

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

You do not have to be a fan of musicals to appreciate "That's Entertainment"; being a movie buff in general should be enough. Although, if you're looking for a comprehensive documentary on the genre, this is not it: with a few exceptions (most notably James Stewart), most of the hosts don't give you much of a historical context on the development of the genre, and of course the film focuses exclusively on the musicals made by MGM, ignoring all other studios. There is not much point in doing a "traditional" review for a project like this, so I'll just name my favorite moments from it:Clark Gable's utterly delightful, semi-parodic "Puttin' On The Ritz" from "Idiot's Delight"Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly dancing together for the first and only (up to then) time in "Ziegfield Follies" Astaire's astonishing, gravity-defying dance on the ceiling in "Royal Wedding".Esther Williams' extravagantly spectacular swimming pool number from "The Million Dollar Mermaid".And all three sequences from what is perhaps the apogee of the Hollywood musical, "Singin' In The Rain": Donald O'Connor's hyperkinetic "Make'Em Laugh", the finale to the Broadway Ballet, which is a technical marvel, and of course, the exhilarating title song and number.*** out of 4 as a whole.

This Compilation of Clips from MGM Musicals can serve two distinct and delightful Audiences. Those Older Folks who have been there and done that, and those who have not. It can be a Nostalgic Trip down Memory Lane or an Introduction to these Popular Movies for those that are Curious. The Movie is heavy on Self-Congratulatory MGM Hubris, but if taken in that context it can be forgiven. Because the Movie is non-stop in its inclusion of Colorful and Timeless Musicals and some of the Famous Songs and Dances, some in their Entirety, and others Shorten for Time Restraints.It is an Eye-Popping Extravaganza of Talent, be They Hoofers, Crooners, of Choreographers like the inimitable Busby Berkeley. The Film zips along and hardly wavers in its Title Conceit. There is much to take in here and it is a rewarding Experience.Recommended for an Introduction to the Musicals of the past as a Primer to determine further Exploration of the Genre. Also for those with a Yearn for Yesteryear and this Time-Stamped Art Form.

It's bad enough that Reel 13 feels the need to air these compilation films at all in place of an actual classic, let alone airing them in reverse order. In my blog from May about THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT PART II, I suggested that film suffered because it was an afterthought and focused on the leftover clips from the first one. Well, in rewatching THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT last night, my theory was confirmed. That's Entertainment is significantly more, well, entertaining, largely because it features all the big guns in the MGM library like SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, AN American IN Paris, THE BANDWAGON, the Mickey and Judy movies, etc. It is more comprehensive, more interesting, more educational, more star-studded (the second only features Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire as hosts – here we have those guys plus Sinatra, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Bing Crosby and more) and more impactful.It did start to drag a little toward the end, but I think much of that had to do with having seen the sequel so recently. I had my fill of scenes from MGM musicals for one summer, but that aside, I feel pretty confident that THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT stands on its own as both a fun trip back in time as well as a thorough and reverent celebration of one particular era in the history of cinema.

In 1974, to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor released That's Entertainment, a collection of clips from what are considered to be their greatest achievement in their long and illustrious history, the movie musical.As co-presenter and M-G-M alumni Frank Sinatra mentions in the first segment of the picture, "When it came to musicals, M-G-M, they were the champions" This is far from just a hollow boast when you consider the wealth of unquestionable evidence which is then provided to substantiate his claim.Sinatra shares the limelight with fellow M-G-M greats such as Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lawford, James Stewart, Mickey Rooney, Gene Kelly, Donald O'Conner, Debbie Reynolds, Fred Astaire, Liza Minelli and a visiting dignitary from Paramount, Bing Crosby as they all present mini segments of the picture explaining just how and why M-G-M musicals had qualities their rivals could only ever dream of emulating.James Stewart's segment is fascinating to watch as he presents some long forgotten clips of well known dramatic actors (including himself) who were press-ganged into musicals, some with surprisingly good results. Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, Cary Grant and Clark Gable are all put through their musical paces for our viewing pleasure, and what a pleasure to watch it is.Mickey Rooney, follows up with a tribute to his close friend and frequent co-star Judy Garland and his tenure of the movie is crammed with clips from their many movies together including one or two Andy Hardy gems. This tribute to Garland is later fortified by her daughter Liza Minnelli as she offers her own personal and moving tribute.In my opinion however the highlight of the movies has to be Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, who in effect, do a mutual 'back scratch' as each fill their own segments with statements and clips which modestly declare the other dancer the 'best in the business' Whether or not this was a reflection of their own true feeling's or just Hollywood cheesing it up is immaterial. It does nothing to detract from the pure genius both dancers poured onto the screen throughout their careers only a sample of which are presented to us here.Bing Crosby who spent most of M-G-M's golden age across the street at Paramount, all but rounds off the movie with various clips including a couple from his only two movies in the M-G-M's musical back catalogue before he hands the reins back to Sinatra for the final epilogue.These clips represent an era long since passed and it is indeed touching to see these screen giants of yesteryear gather together for the last time in what amounts to their final roar. This is made even more touching by the fact that so many of them have since passed on.We are indeed lucky to have their testament left behind on film, so that future generations like my own children who were born long after these gifted and talented performers had either died or retired, can look upon and aspire to their genius.Whether it is in black and white or colour, whether you're 8 or 80 you will find these clips as entertaining and as fresh today as they must have seemed at the time.Never has the title to a film been more appropriate and what's more you would be hard pushed to find anyone who would dispute it.