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That's Entertainment!
For the lovers of lavish, old style musicals, this box set is a dream come true. In 1974, "That's Entertainment!" was released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of MGM. Now offered on DVD, the film transferred well onto the new median. The audio is crisp, as is the video. Consisting of clips from nearly 100 movies with all-star line ups, the film catches the gorgeous MGM musicals in all of their glory. Legends of show business such as: Donald O'Connor, Jimmy Stewart, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Debbie Reynolds, and many others are featured. For Crosby fans, Bing can be seen serving as a narrator towards the end of the first disc. This was his last screen appearance. Released in 1976, the second disc, "That's Entertainment! II" is more of the same, but with a non-musical treats thrown in. The Marx Brothers, Greta Garbo, and Clark Gable, among others are featured, representing a whole other side of the MGM star machine. Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire narrate and perform in this second disc in numbers that were created just for the film. Despite advanced age, the two song and dance men are still nimble and light on their feet. Nelson Riddle arranges and conducts musical numbers for "That's Entertainment! II" Believe it or not, there was enough material left over for yet another disc, appropriately called "That's Entertainment! III." Released in 1994, this disc relies more heavily on non-musical performers and dug more deeply in the vaults for rare gems. The fourth disc, "That's Entertainment: Treasures From the Vault," features out takes and MGM stars as guests on TV shows from the 1970's. A documentary of the making of "That's Entertainment!' is a highlight as is a "MGM Outtake Jukebox" which is comprised of musical scenes from huge stars that ended up on the cutting room floor. All in all, the box set will put a "baby boomers" in Heaven. Although, 95% of teenagers will be bored to tears. It is the 5% that will carry on the memories of these magnificent entertainers. The set was released October 12, 2004, by Warner Home Video. Each disc is fully remastered with Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. Also, the viewer can choose to watch the full-screen or the widescreen theatrical version. The set is available for $49.92 SRP, and considering the hours of entertainment available, the price is certainly reasonable. For more info, visit www.thatsentertainmentdvd.com. |
