Description: Includes That's Entertainment, That's Entertainment Part 2, That's Entertainment III, and 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!
Amazon.com: In an era when we have an unprecedented number of movies and other diversions at our fingertips, is there still a need for a clip show like That's Entertainment? Certainly, because the film series, beginning in 1974, was an unabashed peddler of glorious nostalgia, not only collecting many of the most memorable moments in the magical history of the MGM musical--and therefore in the history of film--but bringing in many of the original stars to introduce them decades later. And another few decades after the series was released, the nostalgia is that much greater since many of those stars are now gone. In addition, the sheer number and variety of clips (though they're often too short) would be hard to match in any collection or in the span of an evening's viewing. Where else could you enjoy Gene Kelly singin' in the rain and also James Stewart crooning "Easy to Love"? Or follow fun trends like the Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland "let's put on a show" pictures, of which Rooney says "only our names seemed to change"? Following the surprising box-office success of the initial film, Part 2 was released in 1976 and it still had plenty of famous and obscure clips (remember Bobby Van?), and even a nod to the nonmusical films of the era such as the Hepburn-Tracy pictures. It topped everything off with the irresistible pairing of hosts Kelly and Fred Astaire, who share a dance--for only the second time in their careers--at the ages of 64 and 77, respectively (and a more graceful 77-year-old you never will see!). The third film wasn't made until in 1994 (host Kelly is strikingly older), but it offered more of the usual fare plus a variety of cut numbers by such stars as Judy Garland, Lena Horne, and Debbie Reynolds. A half-century later, Hollywood's valentine to the movie musical was still shining strong.
The DVD trilogy set offers all three films with the choice of widescreen anamorphic or full-screen formats (don't worry, the clips are in their original aspect ratio). There's also a two-sided fourth disc with supplemental material, most interestingly the "musical outtakes jukebox," a 16-song, 49-minute collection of numbers that were cut from musicals of the era. None of the selections are Great Songs, but it's hard to discount any musical number from the MGM vaults, for example, three selections by Garland and two by Horne (only one of which, Garland's "Mr. Monotony," appears in TE3, and there in a slightly shorter form). The rest of the content is behind-the-scenes documentaries, the most significant being "That's Entertainment: The Masters Behind the Musical" (37 minutes, profiling the talent behind the films such as Arthur Freed and Michael Kidd), "That's Entertainment III: Behind the Screen" (1994, 53 minutes), and vintage black-and-white footage of MGM's 25th anniversary celebration (10 minutes). Not included in the set: the 1985 compilation That's Dancing, which was released separately in 2007. --David Horiuchi
MGM QUALITY This set is a treasure. If it wasn't supurb in every way, it just was not acceptable or produced back then on the MGM lot. People KEEP THEIR CLOTHES ON and DO NOT DO CHEAP PHYSICAL THINGS. Language is CLEAN. And, things do not get BLOWN-UP or flashed before your eyes before one can even focus on it. MGM entertains, makes you think and portrays wholesome social values. The DANCING is supurb.
A 4 star rating relates to the fact that I believe the people who put this teasury together could have done a better job of it. Acutually at MGM this quality would not have been tolerated. That said, the era needs to be preserved and brought to us in some form. If this is the best we can come up with, so be it. With any sort of luck another set will be produced that is of MGM standards. This set documenting the great time in the movies, is worth every minute viewing and the $ amount paid to acquire it; if you equate things that way. I just think a greater production could have been made of this great era.
I recommend it. You will love it.
EXCELLENT THE DVD WAS ALL I EXPECTED AND MORE. GREAT TO HAVE ALL THE WONDERFUL MUSIC AND STORIES IN ONE PLACE. WORTH EVERY CENT.
Wally Lloyd This surely ia the most entertaining, joyful and fun history of the MGM Studio. Song and dance, laughter and many warm touching moments. Young at heart people will enjoy every minute of it. NOT to be missed.
fun but flawed It is fun to see a lot of these great Hollywood (that is, MGM) musicals and the stars performing. The main annoyance is that the narrators frequently speak while the sequences are beginning and they end up being clips rather than the whole performance as seen in the original film. At some point I wish they'd just show the performances and not have any narrators.
wonderful fun These dvd's let you sit back and enjoy the good old days of movies. Wonderful memories!
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
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