THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! [1994 / 1976 / 1994 / 2012] [Warner Archive Collection] [The Complete Collection 3 Blu-ray Disc Set] [USA Release] All Singing! All Dancing! All Laughing! All Romancing! All Yours!
Includes ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! – DO IT BIG!,’ ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2 – DO IT BIG – AND BROADER’ and ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III! – DO IT BIG – AND RARER’ with special footage offered exclusively in the giftset for a total of more than five hours of exciting extra footage including three great documentaries, premiere night coverage and salutes to the great behind-the-camera talents, TV specials, making-of features, plus an extensive video jukebox of rare, star-packed musical outtakes from classic films, and more!
FILM FACT: The title of the film derives from the anthem song "That's Entertainment!" by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz, which was introduced in the 1953 M-G-M musical, ‘The Band Wagon.’ The title is usually expressed with an exclamation mark, but it is also correct to refer to it without the exclamation mark. The opening title sequence of ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2,’ was designed by Saul Bass, and pays homage to the range and style of title sequences produced between the 1930’s and the early 1950’s.
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! Cast: Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly. Peter Lawford, Liza Minnelli, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, James Stewart, Elizabeth Taylor, June Allyson (archive footage), Ray Bolger (archive footage), Jack Buchanan (archive footage), Leslie Caron (archive footage), Cyd Charisse (archive footage), Maurice Chevalier (archive footage), Joan Crawford (archive footage), Vic Damone (archive footage), Jimmy Durante (archive footage), Deanna Durbin (archive footage), Nelson Eddy (archive footage), Clark Gable (archive footage), Ava Gardner (archive footage), Judy Garland (archive footage), Cary Grant (archive footage), Kathryn Grayson Jean Harlow (archive footage), Lena Horne (archive footage), Bert Lahr (archive footage), Margaret O'Brien (archive footage), Jane Powell (archive footage), Ginger Rogers (archive footage), Errol Flynn (archive footage), Katharine Hepburn (archive footage) and Carmen Miranda (archive footage). Plus you have many other stars appearing, with many clips from their famous M-G-M films.
Director: Jack Haley Jr.
Producers: Daniel Melnick and Jack Haley Jr.
Screenplay: Jack Haley Jr.
Composer: Henry Mancini
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THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2 Cast: Fred Astaire [Co-Host / Narrator], Gene Kelly [Co-Host / Narrator], Judy Garland (archive footage), Mickey Rooney (archive footage), Bing Crosby (archive footage), Robert Taylor (archive footage), Greer Garson (archive footage), Clark Gable (archive footage), Kathryn Grayson (archive footage), Leslie Caron (archive footage), Jeanette MacDonald (archive footage), Nelson Eddy (archive footage), Doris Day (archive footage), Ann Miller (archive footage), Frank Sinatra (archive footage), Jimmy Durante (archive footage), Eleanor Powell (archive footage), John Barrymore (archive footage), Louis Armstrong (archive footage), Joan Crawford (archive footage), Elizabeth Taylor (archive footage), Jean Harlow (archive footage), Greta Garbo (archive footage), Esther Williams (archive footage), Johnny Weissmuller (archive footage), W.C. Fields (archive footage), Jack Benny (archive footage) and The Marx Brothers (archive footage). Plus you have many other stars appearing with many clips from their M-G-M films.
Director: Gene Kelly (new sequences)
Producers: Daniel Melnick and Saul Chaplin
Screenplay: Leonard Gershe (narration written)
Composer: Nelson Riddle
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THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III! Cast: Granville Van Dusen ... [Beginning Narrator voice], June Allyson [Co-Hostess / Narrator], Cyd Charisse [Co-Hostess / Narrator], Lena Horne [Co-Host / Narrator], Howard Keel [Co-Host / Narrator], Gene Kelly [Co-Host / Narrator], Ann Miller [Co-Host / Narrator], Debbie Reynolds [Co-Host / Narrator], Mickey Rooney [Co-Host / Narrator], Esther Williams [Co-Host / Narrator], Fred Astaire (archive footage) (uncredited), Lucille Ball (archive footage) (uncredited), Jack Benny (archive footage) (uncredited), Ingrid Bergman (archive footage) (uncredited), Ray Bolger (archive footage) (uncredited), Jack Buchanan (archive footage) (uncredited), Billie Burke (archive footage) (uncredited), Leslie Caron (archive footage) (uncredited), Claudette Colbert (archive footage) (uncredited), Joan Crawford (archive footage) (uncredited), Bing Crosby (archive footage) (uncredited), Xavier Cugat (archive footage) (uncredited), Doris Day (archive footage) (uncredited), Gloria DeHaven (archive footage) (uncredited), Marlene Dietrich (archive footage) (uncredited), Jimmy Durante (archive footage) (uncredited), Buddy Ebsen (archive footage) (uncredited), Nelson Eddy (archive footage) (uncredited), Clark Gable (archive footage) (uncredited), Greta Garbo (archive footage) (uncredited) and Ava Gardner (archive footage) (uncredited). Plus you have many other stars appearing with many clips from their M-G-M films.
Directors: Bud Friedgen and Michael J. Sheridan
Producers: Bud Friedgen, George Feltenstein (uncredited), Michael J. Sheridan and Peter Fitzgerald
Screenplay: Bud Friedgen (written) and Michael J. Sheridan (written)
Composer: Marc Shaiman
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Image Resolution: 1080p (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1; 1.85:1, 2.40:1 and 2.55:1
Audio: English: 5.1 Dolby TrueHD
English: 5.1 Dolby Digital Audio
French: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Spanish: 1.0 Dolby Digital Mono Audio
English: 2.0 Dolby Digital Stereo Audio
Subtitles: English SDH, French and Spanish
Running Time: 377 Minutes
Region: All Regions
Number of discs: 3
Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer / Warner Archive Collection
Andrew’s Blu-ray Review: The three editions of ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ that make up this package constitute the single greatest collection of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer magical musical moments in the history of the genre. No, it’s not comprehensive. It represents only impressive numbers from about thirty-five years of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films, but sadly no Al Jolson, no Ruby Keeler, no Shirley Temple, or Betty Grable, and due to the depth of talent and the seemingly endless archives of available material, some excellent stuff has of necessity been overlooked. As documentaries, the films also have their faults. There are errors in the narration, and some artistic decisions have been made about adjusting some of the images for modern audiences that should make purists blanch. Still, with “entertainment” the key word, the films all deliver on that notion in spades.
‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ [1974] The documentary that started it all in 1974 deserved every bit of the tremendous success it gleaned. Reminding the world of its past musical glory. M-G-M’s ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ picked the most tantalizing morsels from the M-G-M musical basket and presented them in a loving and wondrous showcase hosted by a group of performers all associated with M-G-M in one way or another. Some segments showcased specific performers and the M-G-M big three: Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, and Gene Kelly along with the one-of-a-kind Esther Williams. Others showcased non-singing stars trying to sing or the move to widescreen, stereophonic spectacles. And some sequences were merely a hodgepodge of numbers without much of a unifying theme.
Clearly the standout star of the first ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ was Judy Garland and had two sequences devoted to her gifts and a solo showcase and also a segment devoted to her teen musicals with Mickey Rooney, and also jumped off the screen in excerpts from her black-and-white years “Dear Mr. Gable” and “Singin’ in the Rain” to her Technicolor star vehicles “On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” from ‘The Harvey Girls.’ Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire likewise earned a lion’s share of the credit for outstanding moments from their careers which were sprinkled throughout the film. And performers that might have been largely forgotten by 1974, but like Eleanor Powell in a sizzling tap-off with Astaire to “Begin the Beguine” or June Allyson in a couple of numbers, also got their spotlight moments.
Purists have sometimes been bothered by the careful editing jobs done on almost all of the numbers in order to meet time limitations, but I was bothered much more by the tendency to turn Academy ratio films into widescreen ones on a number of occasions. When the spectacularly elephantine “A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody” number from ‘The Great Ziegfeld’ is introduced, narrator Frank Sinatra mentions that “if the number could be filmed today, it might look something like this” at which time the telecine camera zooms in to increase the width of the picture by trimming off the top and bottom of the image. If it were only for that one number, I might have seen the point, but time after time, this happens. The entire Show Boat sequence is compromised in this way, some heads get lopped off in the process, and some numbers like “On the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe,” “The Varsity Drag,” the “Broadway Ballet” or “An American in Paris Ballet” begin in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio and during the number expand ridiculously into widescreen with the careful directorial compositions thrown out the window. The attempts to do this have been done subtly, but for those of us who know the original films by heart; these changes almost amount to sacrilege.
‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2’ [1976] Two years later, after the enormous reception to the by the powers that be at M-G-M decided on a sequel. Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire were brought in to host the film and narrate all the segments. Seeing the two veteran performers reunited in some simple dance routines thirty years after their only on-screen pairing in ‘Ziegfeld Follies’ is definitely a treat, but the film has the distinct feeling of been there-done that about it. Efforts have been made to extend the theme of the film from being just musical numbers to include comedy bits with the Marx Brothers, famous lines from M-G-M films. Especially Greta Garbo’s “I want to be alone” or Franchot Tone’s “I want to run barefoot through your hair,” and a segment on the Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn partnership, but the segments are rudimentarily put together and often fall flat.
What’s worse, the film is much too loaded with Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire numbers. The men were undeniable geniuses at their craft, but the almost relentless parade of their numbers made the film very Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire top heavy to the detriment of the rest of the film. In fact, at one point, Gene Kelley actually says in his narration, “Here you are again, Fred.” That speaks volumes about the film‘s poor overall concept and execution. And once again, Academy ratio production numbers are violated by being forced into a widescreen frame. No matter how much we might have wanted them to be widescreen films, ‘Annie Get Your Gun,’ ‘Girl Crazy,’ ‘Easter Parade,’ the 1934 version of ‘The Merry Widow,’ and the Cypress Garden finale of ‘Easy to Love ‘aren’t and showing them as such violates the integrity of the cinematography in each one of those film.
‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ [1994] The original ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!’ may have the lion’s share of classic M-G-M musical moments, but ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ works overtime with the footage it has left at its disposal. Twenty years after the original film was released, the original premise is resumed by having great M-G-M stars of the past return to the studio to host segments on a variety of topics. Esther Williams and Lena Horne narrate clips of their work at the studio. Gene Kelly briefs us about the early talkie years while June Allyson talks about the studio’s efforts to find budding talents and build them into stars. Debbie Reynolds discusses the glamour mill at the studio intent on making its fabulous line-up of leading ladies look their best. Cyd Charisse pays homage to Gene Kelly, Ann Miller praises Fred Astaire’s career, while Mickey Rooney does the same with his beloved Judy Garland. Finally Howard Keel takes us into the widescreen, stereophonic last years of the M-G-M musical.
What makes these segments special this time around, however, is that unseen and at the time, was the outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage is woven into the fabric of the picture. The frame frequently splits so we can see, for example, how Eleanor Powell’s complex “Fascinatin’ Rhythm” number was filmed in a single take for Lady Be Good or how two different versions of Fred Astaire‘s “I Wanna Be a Dancin’ Man” from The Belle of New York were filmed though only Fred’s new costume gives it away. Otherwise, he mirrors himself step for step and gesture for gesture. We see an unused barnyard version of “A Lady Loves” from Debbie Reynolds,’ with “I Love Melvin” and four outtakes of Judy Garland numbers, all of which are highlights of the film. We even get to hear Ava Gardner’s singing voice, rather than Annette Warren’s dubbing, paired with her image in Show Boat and see two incarnations of “Two Faced Woman,” one an intriguing mix of dancing chorines and the other a Joan Crawford dud from Torch Song. Their love for the studio and the pride in their accomplishments come through every last frame of this third film. ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ may not have the best numbers, but these elderly veterans, many in the twilight years of their careers when these bridging sequences were filmed, add a real poignancy to the project that makes it for me in many ways the most enjoyable of the three features.
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Blu-ray Image Quality – Warner Archive Collection presents ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ Blu-ray disc with a wonderful 1080p image transfers and also handles the tremendous array of different aspect ratios, film stocks, and colour processes with variable success. Much of the black and white footage looks overly grainy, not surprising with some of the early talkies but less understandable when dealing with later black and white movies like ‘Girl Crazy’ or ‘It Happened in Brooklyn.’ Any time a film’s original 1.37:1 aspect ratio is violated by zooming in on the image, the sharpness is compromised and the grain structure becomes far more noticeable. On the other hand, we have footage from ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame,’ ‘The Barkleys of Broadway,’ especially with Ginger Rogers blood-red fingernails sear the screen, also ‘The Toast of New Orleans,’ ‘Meet Me in St. Louis,’ ‘High Society,’ and ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers’ looks astonishing enough to make those films instant must-haves on Blu-ray. Seeing faded, blurry clips from the films in the various bonus features also on the disc makes it obvious that much work went into making the clips in the main feature look as good as possible. ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2’ and ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ again the clarity and sharpness varies from clip to clip, and once again, the zooming in on the images with Academy ratios softens the picture and magnifies the grain structure. Overall, the quality of the clips seems a bit lacklustre in comparison to the other two films, and there are fewer clips that really impress in this feature in terms of high definition sharpness and dimensionality. The few that did it for me included “Steppin’ Out With My Baby” from Easter Parade, “I Like Myself” from It’s Always Fair Weather, and “I Remember It Well” from Gigi. Once again, the VistaVision image of ‘High Society’ is very impressive though Frank Sinatra’s checked coat is riddled with moiré patterns. The host sequences as well as almost all of the black and white clips have a sharpness and sheen that are lacking in the two previous pictures. The lack of a perfect video image of some of the older film clips we view is attributed almost entirely to the annoying zooming in on the 1.37:1 aspect ratio images for widescreen presentation, especially in the cases of the introductory “Bring on the Beautiful Ladies” from Ziegfeld Follies and Cyd Charisse’s “Two-Faced Woman” outtake, look near-disastrous. On the other hand, one look at Carmen Miranda’s wildly vivid umbrella headdress from ‘Nancy Goes to Rio’ will let you know how gorgeous these M-G-M musicals are going to look in high definition once Warner Bros. begins producing them. So all in all, the majority of the image presentation is reasonably very well done.
Blu-ray Audio Quality – Warner Archive Collection brings us all three Blu-ray discs bring us a very impressive awesome 5.1 Dolby TrueHD Master Audio track must deal with a tremendous variance of audio quality from the tinniest and hisses with the early talkies to the magnificently surging orchestras for the more recent musicals as well as the orchestras that play the scores for each of the documentaries. Though deep bass is lacking throughout most of each disc, many of the recording sessions for these musicals had different audio stems recorded from separately placed microphones that could be fashioned into stereo surround elements to enhance the listening experience, and they‘re surprisingly effective. ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ features audio levels that seem just the slightest bit soft compared to the volume levels of the other two films. But overall, the audio presentation in all three Blu-ray disc are very acceptable, especially with the older material with the early sound films.
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Blu-ray Special Features and Extras:
‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ [1974]
Special Feature: Introduction by Turner Classic Movies Host Robert Osborne [1974] [1080p] [1.76:1] [4:45]
Special Feature: Just One More Time [1974] [1080p] [1.78:1] [8:45] Many Hollywood stars are reconvening at the M-G-M Studio, the filming site for many of their most famous movies, to discuss M-G-M movie musical history for the film ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ In 1972, M-G-M's worldwide production head Daniel Melnick assigned a team of editors, researchers and lab technicians to pour over the many musicals from the studio's vaults to compile this retrospective under the guidance of producer/director Jack Haley Jr. They will not only need their technical expertise, but also their memories of what the great M-G-M musicals meant and mean to the public movie going audience. At the time when these movies were being made, M-G-M had more stars under contract than all of the other major Hollywood studios combined. The studio was not averse to taking risks, showcasing big name non-musical stars in musical numbers, or giving an unknown talent a break. It could take these risks because of the financial resources available. The lavishness of the M-G-M musicals are very unlikely to be ever seen again in future film productions. Contributors include: Jack Haley Jr., Daniel Melnick, Fred Astaire (uncredited), Bing Crosby (uncredited), Nelson Eddy (archive footage) (uncredited), Clark Gable (archive footage) (uncredited), Ava Gardner (archive footage) (uncredited), Judy Garland (archive footage) (uncredited), Van Johnson (archive footage) (uncredited), Gene Kelly (uncredited), Peter Lawford (uncredited), Jeanette MacDonald (archive footage) (uncredited), Liza Minnelli (uncredited), Donald O'Connor (uncredited), Walter Pidgeon (archive footage) (uncredited), Debbie Reynolds (uncredited), Ginger Rogers (archive footage) (uncredited), Mickey Rooney (uncredited), Frank Sinatra (uncredited), James Stewart (uncredited), Elizabeth Taylor (uncredited) and Ester Williams (archive footage) (uncredited).
Special Feature: That’s Entertainment!: 50 Years of M-G-M [1974] [1080p] [1.78:1] [66:00] This television special does a good job at publicising the film ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’ featuring George Hamilton and his then wife Alana Hamilton and among interviewing the stars from many of M-G-M's classics they interview: Johnny Weissmuller who recounts an amusing story of trying to meet Clark Gable as he auditions for Tarzan, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Fred Astaire, Donald O'Connor who joins Fred, and Liza Minnelli who recalls how, when making her debut in her mother Judy Garland's ‘In the Good Old Summertime’ at a toddler age, leading man Van Johnson's hands felt cold on her behind because she wasn't wearing any underwear! One name mentioned, Adele Astaire, had never appeared in a picture introduced by Leo the Lion or any other studio logo-in fact, had retired from show business after getting married in the early 1930’s but, I'm guessing, was there because her former professional stage dancing partner, brother Fred Astaire, invited her and insisted she be part of it. No matter, a good time was had by all and it's fascinating to see George Burns among the stars joining in the picture taking ceremony nearly a year before his comeback in the studio's ‘The Sunshine Boys.’ Also as usual are included a plethora of clips from the film. Contributors include: George Hamilton [Host], Alana Hamilton, June Allyson, Adele Astaire, Fred Astaire, George Burns, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Jackie Cooper, Dan Dailey, Vic Damone, Sammy Davis Jr., Tom Drake, Jimmy Durante, Buddy Ebsen, Nanette Fabray, Glenn Ford, Eva Gabor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Ava Gardner, Jack Haley Sr., Charlton Heston, Howard Keel, Gene Kelly, Phyllis Kirk, Janet Leigh, Myrna Loy, Shirley MacLaine, Marjorie Main, Tony Martin, Roddy McDowall, Liza Minnelli, Dennis Morgan, Fayard Nicholas (The Nicholas Brothers), Harold Nicholas (The Nicholas Brothers), Merle Oberon, Margaret O'Brien, Virginia O'Brien, Donald O'Connor, Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Ginger Rogers, Ann Rutherford, Alexis Smith, Craig Stevens, James Stewart, Gloria Swanson, Russ Tamblyn, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Totter, Johnny Weissmuller, Keenan Wynn, Lassie and Gloria Stewart (uncredited).
Special Feature: M-G-M’s 25th Anniversary Luncheon Newsreel [1949] [480i] [1.37:1] [10:30] This is the complete newsreel coverage of the grand M-G-M Silver Anniversary luncheon which is only excerpted in the film.
Theatrical Trailer [1974] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:00] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT!’
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‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2’ [1976]
Special Feature: Introduction by Turner Classic Movies Host Robert Osborne [1976] [1080p] [1.78:1] [4:00]
Special Feature: The Lion Roars Again [1975] [1080p] [1.78:1] [17:00] This short film is a chronicle of the 1975 International Press Conclave hosted by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over two days in May 1975. The event was used to preview several upcoming M-G-M feature films. After opening remarks by studio vice-president Daniel Melnick, the press gets a tour of a set that will be used in the film set of ‘Logan's Run’ [1976], meeting the producer and wardrobe designers. Gene Kelly introduces them to ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2’ and several others who will be in the film including Fred Astaire, Eleanor Powell and many others. The film focuses on other films currently in production including ‘Sweet Revenge’ [1976] starring Stockard Channing, ‘The Sunshine Boys’ [1975], ‘The Hearts of the West’ [1975] with Jeff Bridges and ‘The Wind and the Lion’ [1975] with Sean Connery and Candice Bergen. Contributors include: Wayne Thomas [Narrator] (uncredited), Michael Anderson, Army Archerd, Fred Astaire, Richard Benjamin, Candice Bergen, Edgar Bergen, Tony Bill, George Burns, Stockard Channing, Francis Ford Coppola, Saul David, Phyllis Diller, Vince Edwards, Rhonda Fleming, Brian Keith, Gene Kelly, George Kennedy, Walter Matthau, Daniel Melnick, John Milius, Brenda J. Perla, Walter Pidgeon, Paula Prentiss, Richard Pryor, Frank Edward Rosenfelt, Jerry Schatzberg, Ray Stark, Loretta Swit, Bill Thomas, Bobby Van, Edy Williams, Howard Zieff, Frances Bergen (uncredited), Sean Connery (archive footage) (uncredited), David Hasselhoff (uncredited), Gary Houston (reporter opposite Fred Astaire at luncheon) (uncredited) , Elaine Joyce (uncredited), Louis Malle (uncredited), Donald O'Connor (uncredited), Eleanor Powell (uncredited), Mickey Rooney (uncredited) and Michael York (archive footage) (uncredited).
Special Feature: The Masters Behind the Musicals [2004] [1080p] [1.78:1] [37:00] This feature is an all too brief overview of the men and women behind the scenes who tirelessly worked to give the M-G-M musicals their magic. Included in this documentary are interviews with various M-G-M stars about the lot’s producers, musical conductors and arrangers, choreographers, and directors, many of whom are worthy of their own documentaries. Contributors include: June Allyson, Rudy Behlmer, Marge Champion, Cyd Charisse, Saul Chaplin, Betty Comden, Alexander Courage, Gloria DeHaven, Stanley Donen, Betty Garrett, Kathryn Grayson, Adolph Green, Lena Horne, Michael Kidd, Angela Lansbury, Hugh Martin, Ann Miller, John Pasternak, Jane Powell, Donald O'Connor, André Previn, Ann Sothern, Tommy Rall and Russ Tamblyn.
Special Feature: A Mike Douglas Show [excerpt] [1976] [480i] [1.37:1] [21:00] Finds the affable talk show host at M-G-M interviewing Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Hermes Pan, Debbie Reynolds, Nanette Fabray, Ann Miller, and Janis Paige about their work at the M-G-M studio.
Theatrical Trailer [1976] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:45] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, Part 2.’
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‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’ [1994]
Special Feature: Introduction by Turner Classic Movies Host Robert Osborne [1994] [1080p] [1.78:1] [3:30]
Special Feature: That’s Entertainment III: Behind the Screen [1994] [1080p] [1.78:1] [53:00] The documentary is the best supplementary documentary in the package as the producers and the directors of the film discuss working with each of the star hosts and then the hosts themselves relive memories of their work at the studio which are not rehashes of what they say in the film but rather comments brimming with information and opinions about other studio personnel. It's shot beautifully and, in terms of how scenes flow and are ordered, structured in a way that's logical and never disjointed or random. What was immediately a pleasure was seeing the who’s who of talent assembled here, and just as entertaining was spotting them. It is impossible which one was my favourite, because everybody was so informative and entertaining, actually looking like they were delighted to be there, a lot of them you are able to listen to them for hours and still can't get enough. Misfires were none with no generalisations, subjective statements made to sound objective or things incorrect. Scenes never feel too short or abrupt, nor do they feel overlong or dragged out. The information presented by these stars was so illuminating, with lovely anecdotes and such told in good humour by some and beautifully articulated always, some of which was news to me which was nice actually. Even the scenes detailing the behind the scenes for this very documentary was a joy. “That's Entertainment III: Behind the Screen” is a perfect length and with no pacing issues at all. Overall, fascinating and brilliantly done. Contributors include: Granville Van Dusen [Narrator voice], Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney, Esther Williams, Roddy McDowall, Peter Fitzgerald, George Feltenstein, Bud Friedgen, Michael J. Sheridan, Sydney Guilaroff, John Mauceri, Marc Shaiman, George Sidney, Fayard Nicholas, Army Archerd, Gloria DeHaven, Ginger Rogers, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Eva Gabor, Tony Martin, Virginia O'Brien, Dolores Gray and Ann Rutherford.
Special Feature: The Musical Outtake Jukebox [49:00] This Musical Outtake Jukebox has more than a Dozen Delightful Numbers that was left on the Cutting-Room Floor, now liberated From the Studio Vault. Features seventeen musical outtakes from an assortment of M-G-M musicals. Three of the outtakes are the complete versions of numbers which are shortened in the actual feature: “The Lock Step,” “A Lady Loves,” and “Mister Monotony.” The other outtakes feature such stars as Judy Garland, Bert Lahr and Marjorie Main, Jane Powell, Mario Lanza and Kathryn Grayson, Lena Horne, and Frank Sinatra. The Musical Outtake Jukebox selections can be chosen individually or Play All.
Theatrical Trailer [1994] [1080p] [1.78:1] [1:30] This is the Original Theatrical Trailer for ‘THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III!’
Finally, this THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! [The Complete Collection 3 Blu-ray Disc Set] makes a most welcome debut onto the Blu-ray format. The films are pure entertainment featuring an assortment of talent which the world will likely never see again. Now all we require is that Warner Bros starts a systematic schedule of high definition releases of many of the classics contained in excerpt form on these excellent discs. Ever since I saw these Three films released originally in the cinema, I have loved them ever since and gives you so much of a wealth of classic M-G-M films that is loved by people of all ages and have wished they would release all these films on the Blu-ray format, as this is the best way to view all the contents. But of course the video clips shown of past classic M-G-M films, especially the awesome colourful musicals, that I hope in time the ones that everyone wants released will soon get the best Blu-ray treatment, as these old classic M-G-M films should be preserved for our future generation. Very Highly Recommended!
Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film Aficionado
Le Cinema Paradiso
United Kingdom
