THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT HTF Review?...and hints toward 2005 musicals (1 Viewer)

[Roger Rollins]

Will we be getting one of those wonderful HTF Herb Kane reviews of Warner's THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT: COMPLETE COLLECTION? (or SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROS. & DAMN YANKEES!)

A few of us have weighed in with comments here, and I know Herb has acknowledged that he didn't get review copies until late, but this is one HTF member who is looking forward to his reviews, which are always such a pleasure to read!

In a related manner, fans of musicals should note that in the inserts for the 3 THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT features, WB announces formally that the following musicals are definitely on the way for 2005:

THE BAND WAGON
BELLS ARE RINGING
BILLY ROSE'S JYUMBO
BRIGADOON (remastered, I assume 16x9)
EASTER PARADE
FINIAN'S RAINBOW (at long last!)
LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME

Alphabetically, the list cuts off at L, leading me to hope that even more are planned!

Thanks in advance to Herb for any word on his plans.

Your fan,
Roger

 

[Haggai]

In the Warners HTF chat earlier this year, I asked about It's Always Fair Weather in addition to The Band Wagon, and they said both of those were coming in '05 (in addition to a SE for American in Paris in '06). Hopefully their plans on Fair Weather haven't changed.

 

[Greg_M]

"Finian's Rainbow" has been on the release list for the last two years - I'll believe it when I see it.

Other Warner musicals I'm waiting for:

The Boy Friend
Goodbye Mr. Chips
Mame

 

[Peter Kline]

"What Elephant?"

 

[John Hodson]

Fred's daughter, Ava Astaire McKenzie, has already recorded her contributions for Easter Parade and The Band Wagon, so those two are a given.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I am looking forward to, Easter Parade and Brigadoon - two of my all time favourite musicals.

Andy

 

[Herb Kane]

Roger... thank you for the kind words. They are very much appreciated.

Yes, I'll be reviewing the set. As I said in the Shawshank thread, the set, as well as several other recent WB titles arrived here well after the street date. So, I may just do an abbreviated narrative in an attempt to get it posted ASAP - it's my weekend project.

As for Seven Brides, it is a personal favorite of David Boulet's, and he'll be posting a review here soon.

Again, thank you!

Herb.

 

[Art_AD]

just some observations. This is a great set especially the Treasure Disc. I wish there were more deleted numbers put in in the supplement. There were only about four that were not on the laserdisc. I miss the audio supplement of the laserdisc but if getting the premiere footage of part one and the Mike Douglas show footage & the short The Lion Roars Again means there was no space I would rather have these (but now I have to keep my LD's). They have altered the prints of Part one by modifying some of the numbers to a ending freeze frame (instead of the reverse motion done in several scenes (the Varsity Drag for one). I guess I am OK with that "fix-up" but one fix-up I would rather they leave in was the removal in the end credits of Part 2 where it says "That's Entertainment Too! and quickly switches to That 's Entertainment Part 2 Presented by......) I would always look for this while watching as That's Entertainment Too! was the name of this film but was changed before release at the last minute. They did not change it on the full screen version but if you watch that version the exit music is incorrectly cut off by mistake. Also Robert Osborne's comments seem to be for the tv presentation of Part 3 as he mentions two Garland deleted numbers (as is in the tv prints) but there are three in this video version of Part 3. Still Highly recommended. I can't wait for next years batch of films.

 

[Porter Faulkner]

Yes Greg what great taste you have. I'm hanging out for those three as well. Lets hope Warner's do us proud with loads of bonus features too. The two MGM titles were both blown-up into 70mm so there are 6 track magnetic sound sources somewhere or at the very least the 4 track magnetic from the 35mm versions. All 3 were made in Panavision.

There were loads of special advertising materials made to promote all three, like costume features, making of the film, interviews with the stars, multiple style trailers, so lets see some of them. Also 'Goodbye,Mr.Chips' was a roadshow and needs to be presented on DVD with the play-ins, intermission cards and exit music.(Just like the gorgeous MGM laserdisc)

More musicals from Warner's please!

 

[Haggai]

The review thread is archived, so I figured I'd just bring this one back for a question:

I'm just now watching some of the docs and featurettes on disc 4. In "The Lion Roars Again" under the featurettes for Part 2, there was one part where I said, "Whoa, is that David Hasselhoff?!" When they show some of the promotional stuff for Logan's Run, there are a few shots of the costumes being modelled. One of Michael York's costumes is modelled by someone else, at about the 4:30 mark on the DVD. Doesn't it look exactly like David Hasselhoff? From IMDB, I see that he was just starting out on The Young and the Restless at that time, in 1975. It certainly could have been him.

 

[Roger Rollins]

It most certainly IS the multi-talented Mr. Hasselhoff...

Not taking anything away from the undeniable magnificence of the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT COMPLETE COLLECTION, and the stellar 16x9 remasterings of each feature, but...

I find myself constantly re-watching the bonus disc. There is so much AMAZING archival footage on there, things we never could have dreamed of seeing (although Mr. Hasselhoff's early-year appearance actually popped up on the Sunshine Boys DVD earlier this year....

I really urge people to pick up this great release which seems to have gotten lost in the deluge of great (and not so great--thank you Universal---) boxed sets this 4th quarter.

The TE boxed set is right up thrre with GWTW, Ultimate Matrix, and Looney Tunes 2 as the best of the year!

 

[Brandon_D]

I want to know what people thought of my two favorite extras: The big reunion of all the MGM stars at the end of the special with George Hamilton where everyone is called out by Sammy and Liza and The Mike Douglas Show. I found these two to be such a treat and very fascinating.

 

[Roger Rollins]

Brandon,

I went nuts when I saw that WB had included both of those pieces. I stayed up VERY late to watch the premiere show of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! as a kid, and never thought I'd see it again. I cherished the memory of that, as well as of all the shows Astaire & Kelly co-hosted with Mike Douglas in advance of the TE2 opening (only the last 2 shows were of the film's party).

I love this set. The transfers are magnificent, and the extras are clever and irresistibly re-watchable, but those two old TV pieces, along with the new MASTERS BEHIND THE MUSICALS docu, are my favorites.

This release is a treasure. I was surprised it didn't make more of the "year's best" lists. I guess it just didn't have enough CGI or sub-titles to make the cut:wink: