That's Entertainment III | Gene Kelly, June Allyson | As good as the first, THAT'S ENT III is...

That's Entertainment III | Gene Kelly, June Allyson | A Look Back At MGM That's Both Honest And Nostalgic

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That's Entertainme...

	That's Entertainment III Gene Kelly, June Allyson Warner Home Video, 2004 average customer review:based on 16 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Some of the most impressive numbers from the golden era of MGM musicals are contained in this video, the third of the That's Entertainment films. Have no fear that the studio was scraping the bottom of the barrel when assembling these clips after having produced two earlier films using the same formula. In fact, it can be argued that this particular compilation would be attractive to a general audience of today, as it contains a wealth of material that hasn't been widely seen. And almost none of it would be produced today, as these complicated dance scenes would simply be too expensive to film in the modern era. An example is a lavish production number featuring the great dancer Eleanor Powell seen in split screen, so the viewer watching the video can see not only what the movie audience saw, but what the soundstage looked like as a small army of stagehands performed artful illusions by removing gigantic portions of the stage as Powell danced across it. Interesting outtakes featuring Judy Garland and Lena Horne are also featured, and former MGM musical stars who introduce the production numbers (and provide background on the filming) include Gene Kelly and Esther Williams. The title doesn't lie: it's all entertaining. --Robert J. McNamara

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As good as the first, THAT'S ENT III is cinematic heaven!

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.

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A Look Back At MGM That's Both Honest And Nostalgic

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.

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A little something for everyone

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.

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great film with fun bits of trivia and [previously] unseen film footage......

THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT 3 is the final installment of the ENTERTAINMENT trilogy, that features older versions of the stars we came to love and recognize presenting a series of clips from their best-known movies, as well as outtakes with alternative choreoography, costumes and [sometimes] performers. Some of my favorites from here include Cyd Charisse, in TORCH SONG, which was brought to film with Joan Crawford in a costume gawdy enough to make her look like a drag queen, and make-up reminiscent of minstrel shows (it really offended me, actually!), Fred Astaire's alternate version of "I Want To Be a Dancing Man," dressed as a bartender, instead of in his "standard" tuxedo, and Ava Gardner singing "Can't Help Loving That Man of Mine," in SHOW BOAT, without help from the dub artist, as the film later appeared in theatres.

What makes THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT 3 especially stand out was a great appearance from Lena Horne. I appreciate her honesty and candor with us, the audience, as she tells us, unflinchingly, about her racist experience with the film industry, how she was repeatedly overlooked for acting roles, and was usually featured as a singer in a lounge act, and then quickly hustled off of the stage. Horne also experienced heartbreak when Ava Gardner was cast as biracial Julie in SHOW BOAT, instead of herself (due to film codes against miscygenation). I would have liked to see more of Lena Horne, in this, as well as other people of color who appeared in the MGM films, to hear their perspective, and see more clips with them. Overall, this is a very engaging documentary......

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The third outing...

is on par with the two first... What a pity neither of these films have included segments from BELLS ARE RINGING 1960, Mr. Freed`s last musical for Metro.

As for the film itself, the editing isn`t as good as one would expect... We didn`t get a fourth(or a 5th, they made a 4th for cable in 1995)chapter in 2004(MGM released De-Lovely instead) and it`s a shame, because MGM STILL have a lot of magic moments in store for us.... Watching the channel TCM; you`ll be aware of that. These three films stand on their own and are part of THOSE GLORIOUS MGM MUSICALS OF THE PAST.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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