WHV Press Release: That's Entertainment: The Complete Collection (HD-DVD/Blu-Ray) (1 Viewer)

Some of us including myself might have issues with Warner about audio options on some of their releases, particularly, their BR releases, but at least they're not forgetting us classic film fans like some of the other studios.



http://www.dvdtimes.co.uk/content.php?contentid=65951

That one will be mine!
The SD DVD set came relatively late, so it feels like a fast double-dip, but I'll buy it nevertheless.


Cees

Experience the Greatest Movie Musical Moments of all Time as Never Before...with the Spectacular Picture and Sound of HIGH DEFINITION!

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT:
THE COMPLETE COLLECTION

The Acclaimed Trilogy of Tributes to the Classic MGM Musicals Debuts on HD DVD and Blu Ray Disc on November 13th, from Sparkling Full 1080p High Definition Masters and Featuring Dolby True HD Audio

Collectible Three Disc Giftset Packed with over FIVE
Hours of Extra Content Material
Burbank, CA (September 17, 2007) – Just in time for the holiday season, the golden era of the M-G-M musical takes the giant leap into the dazzling world of High Definition on November 13, when Warner Home Video presents MGM’s acclaimed musical anthologies - That’s Entertainment!, That’s Entertainment, Part 2 and That’s Entertainment! III – in a special edition three-disc giftset, That’s Entertainment: The Complete Collection. Representing some of the most requested titles in WHV’s vast library, That’s Entertainment: The Complete Collection gets the Hi-Def “red carpet” treatment with each feature in the trilogy presented with full HD 1080p masters and Dolby True HD audio. That’s Entertainment: The Complete Collection also includes more than five hours of exciting extras and rarities 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! That’s Entertainment: The Complete Collection is available for $79.98 SRP.

That’s Entertainment! showcases 125 stars from nearly 100 films including superstars Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Fred Astaire, Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Liza Minnelli, Peter Lawford, Donald O’Connor, James Stewart and many more. Originally released in 1974 to mark MGM’s 50th Anniversary and to celebrate the golden era of the greatest movie musicals ever made, That’s Entertainment! was an unexpected surprise smash at the boxoffice, grossing $28 million at the time and firmly establishing the MGM musical within the pantheon of greatness within American film history. Written, produced and directed by Jack Haley Jr., with Daniel Melnick as executive producer, That’s Entertainment! uniquely blends newly-filmed accounts of the personal memories of 11 of the stars who were at MGM from 1929-1958 during the making of these classic films with a panoramic retrospective of unforgettable musical sequences from them. Film historian Robert Osborne provides a personal and fascinating behind-the-scenes introduction to each of the three films in the collection.

Originally released in 1976, That’s Entertainment, Part 2 continues the dazzling tradition of That’s Entertainment! taking up where the other one left off, presenting fabulous sequences from movie musicals and highlighting such non-singing stars as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable and the Marx Brothers. Also featured are two of the champion song and dance men of all time, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly (together for the first time since Ziegfeld Follies of 1946), acting not only as narrators but also as performers, singing and dancing in all-new numbers directed by Kelly just for the film. That’s Entertainment, Part 2 was produced by Saul Chaplin and Daniel Melnick, with narration by Leonard Gershe and additional music arranged and conducted by Nelsen Riddle.

Released in 1994 in celebration of MGM’s 70th Anniversary, That’s Entertainment! III brings back to the screen the stars and musical numbers that have excited audiences for generations. In the acclaimed tradition of its two predecessors, That’s Entertainment! III incorporates scores of famous songs and dances from MGM films and reunites nine of the performers who rose to international stardom through their MGM association. That’s Entertainment! III features astonishing classic musical moments, great comedy and romantic teams and unearths rare footage with marvelous big-star scenes originally unseen because they were cut from their films. Gene Kelly opens and closes the picture as nine starry hosts including June Allyson, Cyd Charrise, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds, Mickey Rooney and Esther Williams present this must-see assemblage of Golden Era treasures, none of which has been seen in either of the previous films. Written, produced and directed by Bud Friedgen & Michael J. Sheridan, the film was executive produced by Peter Fitzgerald.

The That’s Entertainment: The Complete Collection giftset also contains an amazing potpourri of extra content. More than five hours of fascinating extra features are presented across the three discs in the set, each of which is sure to enthrall fans of the great MGM musicals. Among the many archival pieces gathered together for the collection are rare footage from MGM’s 25th Anniversary in 1949, “That’s Entertainment: 50 Years of MGM” (1974 TV special); “That’s Entertainment! III Behind the Screen” (1994 making-of documentary about the behind the camera talent); “The Lion Roars Again” (1975 MGM short); footage from the original premiere of That’s Entertainment! in Beverly Hills with Army Archerd as master of ceremonies and the cast of stars on stage; excerpts from “The Mike Douglas Show” TV special in 1976 that featured two days of premiere coverage of That’s Entertainment, Part 2; “The Masters Behind The Musicals” (a half hour documentary about the MGM wizards behind the camera, with interviews from stars including Ann Miller, Jane Powell, Angela Lansbury and others); “Just One More Time” (1974 featurette); and a dazzling MGM Outtake Jukebox which includes an impressive array of rarely-seen deleted musical numbers from the cutting-room floor featuring such stars as Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Durante, Esther Williams, Lena Horne, Jane Powell, Mel Torme and many other legendary MGM stars. These archival special features are all presented in standard definition.

any new content? or just a repackage of the dvd set?

hmm this might be interesting.

Now I'm glad I never got around to buying the DVD set.

Hopefully this release is followed up by more MGM Musicals in HD, with restored 4k scans as much as possible!

This is GREAT news. I kind of grew up on these. I'm not THAT old but my parents were always watching this stuff and I grew to love them. Can't wait to see the rich and vivid colors in HD. Kudos to Warner!

Hopefully the AQ greatly surpasses the SD DVD.

I really do hope Warner has caught on that people, (especially w/BLU) if they don't include lossless audio will be forgoing a purchase. I for one won't waste my money on a disk with just a DD track when there are so many other movies coming down the pike with a lossless track.

What is also worth celebrating is the fact that those of us who prefer classic films have had virtually nothing to watch on our High Def systems. Warner has done more than any other company in this regard, but still the choices are but few. I know a lot of folks who haven't bought Hi Def, regardless of format issues, because the films available are of limited appeal outside of a certain demographic (for the most part).

This is a perfect set to bring to the market for the holidays. I'm going to buy several copies, as I know a lot of folks that would want this for Xmas.

Kudos, Warner!