Customer Reviews

That's Entertainment 3 [VHS]

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As the young generation of today only swell over "Titanic" and "Jurrasic Park" at the cinema, movie musicals have long being forgotten and discarded. I live in Singapore where it is hard to find somebody who still remembers about the famous movie musicals made by MGM( or other studios). However, this collective clips of musicals made by MGM really offer me a deep insight into what was once popular and successful in HOllywood. I love all the scenes and all those dancing movements. It's a pity I have missed out on so many great musicals before my time. My advice: Forget about disaster stories or computer aided graphics for the time being and treat yourself to a world of fascinating songs and dance! YOu'll love it. Musicals are for everyone to enjoy certainly.

Opening with a Gene Kelly-introduced segment concerning early efforts to develop musical stars and material, this third installment of the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT quickly seques into celebrity-introduced film clips from MGM musicals--film clips that range from familiar favorites to out-takes, rareities, and numbers that were cut from films before their release. The narrators are well scripted, well filmed, and often interject insightful personal notes by introducing clips from their own movies.

Such is the case with the legendary Lena Horne, who presents a casually-spoken but quite powerful narrative about the Hollywood racism that limited her career and ultimately prevented her from playing Julie in SHOWBOAT. But the real power of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III is in it's "never-before-seen" footage--footage that includes memorable performances by Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Cyd Charisse, and Lena Horne among others. The film also offers the chance to see some truly rare bits of film, including Vaudeville acts hoping for film stardom, scenes from the early Technicolor and never-completed film MARCH OF TIME, and pre-code bathing-beauties. THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT III doesn't have quite the same dash and splash or variety as the original THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT, but it moves at a smart pace, and fans of movie musicals will find a great deal to enjoy. Recommended.

Gene Kelly, Esther Williams, Debbie Reynolds, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Mickey Rooney and Howard Keel all come together to remember and pay homage to the movies that made them famous, and the studio that had more stars than the heavens.

It's great to see the numbers that didn't make the final cut, like the alternate version of "A Lady Loves" from I LOVE MELVIN, "Two-Faced Woman" from TORCH SONG, which had been planned and filmed for THE BAND WAGON with Cyd Charisse (in TORCH SONG it is danced by Joan Crawford, dubbed by India Adams). Debbie Reynolds said they dropped the wrong version and they DID! Charisse's version is slinky and sexy; while Crawford's is clunky and awkward.

There is the "Lock Step" with the Dodge Twins, a rare short featuring The Five Locust Sisters, and glorious footage from GIGI.

All of the material has been painstakingly restored, so the picture quality remains relatively neutral. Also, the music and singing has been mixed for the first time in stereo.

A great sequel to THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, and a great film for classic movie buffs.

I think that the That's Entertainment videos will teach people about movies,music,and stars of long ago. It seems to me that MGM really did have more stars than in the heavens and that they did their movies better than anyone else.

For two hours of non-stop MGM musical joy, you can't beat THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! III, the third and final entry in the magnificent series of compilations that celebrate the greatest tune-fests in film history.

I'm so excited that all three films are coming to DVD, especially from Warner Home Video, who really know how to "do it right"!

Like the original THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT!, the format here is a stellar group of MGM veteran stars hosting various sequences built around classic musical numbers featuring the greatest stars of the genre: ASTAIRE, GARLAND, KELLY, SINATRA, etc., but there's a neat extra element to this fine film. The creative team wisely chose to take the viewer "behind the scenes" with fascinating footage showing how these films were made, and also providing a rare opportunity to see outtakes that were deleted from the original classic musicals, that feature people like Garland, Cyd Charisse, Debbie Reynolds and more.

It's amazing stuff, and assembled with panache, intelligence, and clever wit that never ceases to enthrall or mezmerize.

I can't wait to see this on DVD! You won't want to miss it.

Nobody made better musicals than MGM, and they certainly had reason to celebrate their legacy when THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! was released in 1974. That all-star compilation of great musical numbers from the studio's past was, and is, a non-stop whirlwind of joy and phenomenal clips. The sequel in 1976 (PART 2) had some great footage, but some curious inclusions, and there was no rhyme or reason as to what was being presented. It took almost 20 years, but the studio went back to the golden vaults again for THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! III and came up with a winner.

Although it didn't get the kind of theatrical release that it should have, T.E. III got virtually unanimous rave reviews, and deserves to be seen. (Why on earth haven't they released a DVD of this great film?). As the AMAZON reviewer indicates, anyone who feels a third entry in the series would be created from "leftovers" would be happily mistaken. There are more than 50 terrific numbers in this entry, but more importantly, THIS is the "Entertainment!" that really takes us behind-the-scenes into the process that went into making these films. The truth behind the MGM dream factory. The MGM stars that returned to the studio to host the segments are all terrific, particularly Lena Horne who deals frankly with the racial issues that subdued her career opportunities. The highlight of this picture are at least a dozen never-before-seen outtakes featuring Garland, Astaire, Debbie Reynolds, Horne, etc. that are as good as anything that they DIDN'T leave on the cutting room floor.

Produced with class and intelligence, and compiled and edited with skill and wit, this is a best-best for any fan of MGM musicals or classic Hollywood for that matter!

Hey -- don't look at me that way! They were showing it on TV, and how could I resist? Like the previous installments in this series, this scrapbook documentary patches together some of the most dazzling and outlandish dance numbers from the golden age of MGM musicals, using hackneyed narrations by old-time studio stars such as Gene Kelly, Lena Horne and Esther Williams. The numbers whiz by like lightning, deftly navigating the shoals of countless half-forgotten tossoffs and classic A-list films. Naturally, some bits will appeal more to some viewers than others... my attention began to wander when the Esther Williams and Gene Kelly sequences went on too long: her movies were too bland to merit the extra attention; his were too good to merely nibble at in a forum like this. But the clips from lesser-known films are pure gems, and since many of these films are still out of print (or better left unrented), having the best material lifted out of them is a real treat. I did feel gypped, though by the meagre sampling of Carmen Miranda's work... she had some really distinctive routines, and it would be nice to see more of her! A fluffily produced featurette, yet evocative of a golden era.

Once again, Gene, Fred, and many others remind us that great talent and art are timeless. The MGM musicals and many of their stars will be an essential part of cinematic history forever, and TE III provides a wonderful way to enjoy and remember this dazzling era.

It was some time between the release of THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT PART 2 and the third installation. The third installation could have been more of the same, but in the third part we are taken behind the scenes a bit more than the first. There are more narrators and in this regard it makes it similar to the first installment. It includes some well known scenes and lesser known scenes, but it's a bit more critical in an honest way and less a celebration of MGM's glory days. For example we see a musical scene with three sisters that's less than spectacular. We see scenes that were cut that should have been included. This installment was one of the first times we saw Judy Garland in ANNIE GET YOU'RE GUN and can make us wonder what the film would have been like had she been able and allowed to finish it. We also hear Lena Horne talk about how excited she was to be cast as Julie in the SHOWBOAT scene in TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY but how disappointed she was when censors decided that it would be too risky to cast her as Julie in the remake of SHOWBOAT.

People who are familiar with the MGM musical library and its stars may enjoy this installment best of all. It's certainly helpful for those interested in the behind the scenes of musicals and of course reminds us of MGM's great contribution to entertainment.

Y Mágnifica escogida Una serie de musicales que SE PUEDEN compara a las otras dos películas de That's Entertainment