[Dave Hahn]

"When Entertainers were entertaining."

For those younger members of our forum who think a musical is an animated film with musical numbers from Disney, you are in for a wonderful surprise.

For many of us on Home Theater Forum, the That's Entertainment 3-Disk Box-set is a must-buy; yet I urge everyone who loves film to at least rent the first original film, That's Entertainment and go from there.

Roger Ebert has said that:

Quote:

That's Entertainment! is more of a documentary and a eulogy. A documentary of a time that began in 1929 and seemed to end only yesterday, and a eulogy for an art form that will never be again . . . There are other great moments: The closing ballet from An American in Paris; Nel-son Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald being hilariously serious in Rose Marie; Astaire and Ginger Rogers, so light-footed they seem to float; Gene Kelly's incredible acrobatics as he does his own stunts, swinging from rooftop to rooftop; William Warfield singing "Old Man River" in Showboat; Judy Garland singing "You Made Me Love You" to a montage of stills of Clark Gable; Garland, again, with "Get Happy" (and a vignette of little Liza's first movie appearance, aged about three); the acrobatic woodchopper's scene from Seven Brides for Seven Brothers; and even Esther Williams rising from the deep.
The movie's fun from beginning to end. It's not camp, and it's not nostalgia: It's a celebration of a time and place in American movie history when everything came together to make a new art form. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/...401010320/1023

At A Glance Film Review has this to say:

Quote:

This anthology of classic numbers from the great MGM musicals contains the most famous, breathtaking, spectacular, beautiful song and dance routines ever put to film. With a few noteworthy exceptions, MGM produced the vast majority of the great musicals in cinematic history, from their beginning in the late twenties right to the end of their popularity. Each of the showstopping routines featured in this compendium is enough to make a movie singlehandedly, yet here we are treated to over two hours of them, nonstop.

Included in That's Entertainment! is the most carefree movie musical number ever, "Singin' In the Rain," and the funniest movie musical number ever, "Make 'Em Laugh," both from the 1952 hit, Singin' In the Rain. For knock-out dance routines, it's hard to beat the barn raising scene in Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. For innovation, try Fred Astaire dancing on the walls and ceiling in Royal Wedding, or Gene Kelly dancing with Jerry the mouse who matches his every move in Anchors Aweigh. There are countless more, nearly all gems, featuring the talents of the aforementioned Kelly and Astaire, as well as Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Frank Sinatra, Donald O'Connor, Eleanor Powell, and literally dozens more. By far the best of the That's Entertainment! compilations, this is a real classic. http://www.rinkworks.com/movies/m/th...ent.1974.shtml

There was a time in Hollywood that to really make it, you either had to be an extraordinary actor like Spencer Tracy, handsome and dashing like Errol Flynn, beautiful and mysterious like Greta Garbo, or, a song and dance man.

If you've ever read a biography of a famous actor like Humphrey Bogart or Katharine Hepburn you're bound to come across a passage where they describe their pleasure and awe of "people with real talent" like Astaire & Rogers, Kelley, and Garland."

"The Great Ones" could not only do comedy and drama, they were the industry's best singers and dancers, and oh how they sang and danced. I watch That's Entertainment 2 or 3 times a year. Every time I find myself mesmerized by the raw talent of these legends. Even if you dislike classic Hollywood musicals and think that these films are "Old School" you have to give That's Entertainment a try. It may just change your mind.

[BarryR]

I saw TE! when first released; I was eighteen years old. I saw it four times that summer--never (and I mean never) had I been part of a communal sense of joy among young and old movie viewers as they reacted to the excerpts onscreen. And I never would have thought thirty years later that this whole genre, so full of indelible legends, would need to be reintroduced as if uncovering a long lost tomb!

But that's the nature of time, and I guess it's been naive of me to think that every subsequent generation would immediately know a Fred Astaire from a Gene Kelly. I'm so glad this DVD trilogy is available, and I hope alot of younger people are willing to give it a chance. Now pardon me while I dodder off to see if my copy has arrived.

[Chris Lockwood]

It would be a good idea to rent or buy this set, and then do the same with some of the movies it features.

[Ernest Rister]

"That's Entertainment! is more of a documentary and a eulogy. A documentary of a time that began in 1929 and seemed to end only yesterday, and a eulogy for an art form that will never be again."

Musicals aren't dead - they've just had to evolve with the times and the marketplace.

[MarkHarrison]

I'm not sure what you consider a "younger member", but I'll be putting this on my wishlist. I've had a very limited exposure to musicals to date, but I wouldn't mind adding some to the collection. This seems like a great way to get some great song and dance numbers. It also seems like a nice way to preview some musicals I've been thinking about picking up.

[Stephen-R]

The old musicals are addicting to watch. When my wife and I put in a musical or catch one on cable the kids use to GROAN. Now they have learned to enjoy them. In fact it helped the kids when they did musicals/plays at school.

There are so many favorites of mine. Debbie Reynolds in "The Unsinkable Molly Brown". "Little Shop of Horrors" is a newer classic. I never knew that James Cagney was a "song & dance man" until I saw "Yankee Doodle Dandy".

There are so many more and that is why "That's Entertainment" is a great source of info for the old Hollywood.

I could go on and on....