...one large celebration of the musicals produced by MGM...
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In 1974, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios decided to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary with a documentary looking back on the golden years of the studio when it churned out lavish musicals laden with some of the era´s top stars. When the final couple years of the Twenties saw the move from silent pictures to talking films, musicals were a favorite choice to take advantage of the new technology. Technicolor and other photography methods ushered in color filmmaking during the same time period and the costumes and decorative sets of musicals allowed MGM to showcase their stars in full color and with singing. For much of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, the musical was a very popular choice for theater-goers and with stars such as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelley in their stable of contracted performers; MGM was a powerhouse in the musical genre.
Some of the movies MGM produced during their first fifty years constitute an incredible list. "The Wizard of Oz" is only one film of dozens of very memorable pictures. The image of Gene Kelley dancing with an umbrella and singing the title song of "Singin´ in the Rain" is a familiar image to just about anybody that has turned on a television. "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "Meet Me in St. Louis" are two very memorable musicals from the mid Forties. "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" is one of the liveliest and strenuous films ever made. "Ziegfeld Follies" is a classic fondly remembered by many. Some non-musical films were also part of MGMs wondrous past and celebrated in the "That´s Entertainment!" trilogy. "Tarzan the Ape Man," "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood," "Gone With the Wind," and "The Philadelphia Story" are just a few.
In addition to Fred Astaire, MGM films featured many of the finest singers and dancers to ever be filmed. Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra are two performers who are still popular, long after their deaths. Jimmy Durante is one of the most underappreciated stars to ever be filmed; at least by today´s audiences. James Stewart, Mickey Rooney and Cary Grant are three more leading men that helped MGM produced so many amazing musicals and films during their earlier days. A strong leading woman was another powerful part of the MGM family. Contracted stars included Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Ginger Rogers and Jean Harlow. Other familiar ladies of MGM golden age included Ava Gardner, Lena Horne, Lucille Ball and Joan Crawford.
The first film, produced for the fiftieth anniversary featured a number of hosts; all of which are household names. Frank Sinatra is the first host, but followed by the likes of Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Mickey Rooney, Bing Crosby, James Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor and Liza Minnelli. Peter Lawford, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O´Connor also share hosting duties. These stars recollect fond memories and films they starred in during the heyday of MGM musicals and introduce many important musical numbers from the multitude of musicals produced. I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and considering the majority of these stars have passed on, this documentary feels a little more than nostalgic as the hosts bring back memories from a grand era. The hosts are not shown together and appear at various locations. "That´s Entertainment!" was the final production on MGM´s former backlot and many of the sets are in various states of disrepair and many of the hosts appear on the backlot.
The second film in the "That´s Entertainment" series was released two years later, 1n 1976. The first film had been one of the highest grossing films of its year, so MGM was quick to produced a follow-up feature. They have more than enough musicals to produce a great number of sequels, but instead of completely focusing on the music, a very nice and lengthy segment of this second film looks at some of the memorable moments and lines from MGM´s golden library. The Marx Brothers and Abbott and Costello are part of this nicely edited collection of clips. Unlike the first film, "That´s Entertainment, Part 2" features only two hosts. Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly appear together and co-host the film. They sing and dance and fondly remember the days when they worked on MGM´s backlot producing these magical musicals. Whereas the first documentary was the last time anything was filmed on MGM´s famous and expansive backlot, this sequel marked the final time that Fred Astaire was filmed dancing. Part of the allure of this second sequel is in the reunion of these legendary stars.
It took eighteen years, but MGM celebrated their Seventieth Anniversary with a third entry in the "That´s Entertainment" series with "That´s Entertainment III." This second and last sequel provided many musical numbers and history on the MGM musicals, but added a new aspect to the documentary series. "That´s Entertainment III" culled together lost performances that had been edited out of MGM´s vast library of films. These scenes included performances from familiar names, including Judy Garland, Lena Horne, Debbie Reynolds and Cyd Charisse. June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds and Esther Williams joined Gene Kelly in hosting duties. This film marked the final time Gene Kelly appeared on camera.
The three documentaries are nostalgic and entertaining. There are those out there that typically do not enjoy watching film documentaries and there are also those out there that avoid musicals like the plague. When you have somebody that doesn´t particularly care for either, they are probably going to view the "That´s Entertainment!: The Complete Collection" as a complete waste of time. Sadly, they are dead wrong and I do not see how anybody that considers themselves a fan of cinema can go without appreciating the beauty of these elaborate musicals. Many of the actors and actresses are now legendary. Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Gene Kelly were some of the most talented individuals ever filmed. Who can forget Frank Sinatra´s crossover to cinema?
I don´t go out of my way to watch musicals, especially those in a far closer proximity to my own generation. However, some of these old musicals amaze me with how they managed to pull off some of the acts and scenes without today´s special effects. Watching Gene Kelly dance on every surface in a room, including the ceiling and floor without an apparent camera cut is amazing. The number of dancers choreographed together is stunning as well. Some of the stage sets were many stories tall and featured rotating platforms and I cannot imagine these feats being reproduced cheaply with today´s budgets and insurance costs. These old musicals are truly magical and a defining moment of time in film history. Most of the greatest films of the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s were musicals and the ´Classic Musical´ is now as extinct as the Dodo and when I think about it, that makes me kind of sad.
The "That´s Entertainment!" series of films is not just a celebration of MGM and its musicals, but a celebration of true art. They are nicely hosted and the second film is especially remarkable with Kelly and Astaire co-hosting. There are literally hundreds of clips and musical numbers shown in the trilogy. It is mind numbing at the volume of work created by the studio and the sheer scale of many musicals. The series gives an appreciation to Astaire, Kelly and others dancing and singing talent. It introduces many to the amazing talent of Jimmy Durante, whose gravelly voice was matched with a humorous natural charisma that hasn´t been seen since his last picture. The musicals of MGM were truly part of Hollywood´s Golden Age and they are now long gone and only remembered through home video. I would love to see a musical produced in the nature and vein of these classics, but "Chicago" has nothing on the quality of these old films.
I enjoyed the songs and dance numbers from the first "That´s Entertainment!" a little more than those contained in the second and third film. MGM used the best material in their first celebration. The second features some intriguing numbers and the hosts are the best part of the film. I also enjoyed the memorable moments and quotes. The third film found the series running out of steam and it did start to feel a little repetitious. It was still good and worth watching, but lacked the magic of the first two documentaries. The three together offers up an amazing look at the musicals of MGM and the history of the actors, actresses, films and studio that brought them to life. Watching "That´s Entertainment!" is one of those experiences that have you wondering if older days were perhaps better days.
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