Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.
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Title: That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
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Storyline
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers. Written by Col Needham <col@imdb.com>
Plot Keywords:
reminiscence | paris france | talking to the camera | voice over narration | slapstick comedy |Taglines:
The greatest entertainment since "That's Entertainment!"Parents Guide:
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Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
17 May 1976 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
That's Entertainment, Part 2 See more »Filming Locations:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USAEdit
Box Office
Gross USA:
$6,540,000Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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(1907) (uncredited)
Music by Franz Lehár
Danced by Gwen Verdon and Chorus
from the movie The Merry Widow (1952)
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
In the "Shubert Alley" section of the film, Astaire and Kelly dance together past marquees with famous song titles on them as a means of introducing the next selection of film clips. However, some of these song titles do not appear: "Moses Supposes" was supplanted by "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas;" "Drum Crazy" was cut in favor of "Steppin' Out With My Baby;" "The Stanley Steamer" was ultimately deleted in favor of "I Got Rhythm." None of the replacement songs are featured in marquees in the introductory sequence. See more »Goofs
During the clip from Kiss Me Kate, Gene Kelly identifies the choreographer as Hermes Pan. But the clip shown, "From This Moment On", was actually choreographed by Bob Fosse, one of the dancers. See more »Quotes
Gene Kelly: Cyd Charisse. Lovely, Cyd Charisse. How she dances. This is from "Singin' in the Rain."See more »
Crazy Credits
The opening credits introduce not only hosts Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, but mention all the other performers from the clips before the 'That's Entertainment, pt 2' title card; all are done in different styles: names drawn in the sand, scrolls, inside a book, tiles spelled out on satin, inside a file cabinet, typed on stationery, branding iron, the 'Rank Organisation' gong, etc. See more »Alternate Versions
Swedish cinema version ran only 122 min (i.e., 11 min shorter) than the original cut. Following musical numbers were removed:- The Intro music was deleted
- LADY BE GOOD ( "Lady be good" with Ann Sothern and Robert Young)
- SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS ("Lonesome Polecats")
- BROADWAY SERENADE ("Broadway Serenade" with Lew Ayres, Al Shean; "For Every Lonely Hearts": Jeanette MacDonald)
- WORDS AND MUSIC ("Manhattan": Mickey Rooney, Tom Drake, Marshall Thompson)
- THREE LITTLE WORDS ("Three little words": Fred Astaire, Red Skelton)
- THE GREAT WALTZ ("Tales from the Vienna Woods": Fernand Gravet, Miliza Korjus)
- AN AMERICAN IN PARIS ("Concerto in F": Oscar Levant)
Soundtracks
Can-Can(1907) (uncredited)
Music by Franz Lehár
Danced by Gwen Verdon and Chorus
from the movie The Merry Widow (1952)
See more »
You really would think that no other film musical documentary could possibly top THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT. Come on--it's got personal appearances by a host of stars, and some of the most famous and best-loved clips ever. Including, you know, the singing in the rain bit from SINGIN' IN THE RAIN. Could it get any better?
Well, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II certainly tries its darned hardest to be better. Not a single clip is repeated from the first film in the trilogy, and watching this film really makes you realise just how much talent was all focused in the one studio from the 30s through to the 50s. Judy Garland admiring Fred Astaire's Easter bonnet in EASTER PARADE, Garland and Astaire sailing up the avenue as 'A Couple Of Swells' in the same film, Gene Kelly and Garland dueting on FOR ME AND MY GAL, Ann Miller and Bob Fosse in KISS ME KATE, a montage of musicals before colour, a Garland tribute, a Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn love-fest... this film unabashedly brings them all (and much much more) together. There are a couple of clunkers, of course, like Bobby Van hopping like a maniacal rabbit-freak through the town, or the token Esther Williams number. But as you listen to Garland sing 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas', or Frank Sinatra croon his way through 'I Fall In Love Too Easily', and see Gene tap dance on skates as naturally as if he had been born with them strapped on... again you're struck with just how special an era this was in film-making, one that unfortunately is lost to the rest of us except through video and DVD.
And I know that this isn't the most popular of opinions, but I think THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II not only matches but far surpasses the original. There was nothing special about the first film--its only gimmick was the coup it had managed in bringing all these glorious film legends back together to talk about their work. The only caveat was that the incredible personalities behind the stars just couldn't shine through except with some pretty special people... otherwise, they were all reading off a pre-written script. Kind of dampening, really.
THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II, on the other hand, is a small but successful exercise in creativity: from the title sequence through to Gene Kelly's direction of the new footage between himself and Astaire. It's also a delight for fans of both Astaire and Kelly when these two dancing men, you know... dance together again. Sure, they're not as nimble and quicksilver as they used to be, and some of the lyrics they're singing are--well, the only word for it is corny. But there's no denying that both these men have a kind of screen charisma that doesn't disappear with time, and having them both onscreen together, singing... now that really *is* entertainment as it should be. In the final scene they tell us that the best films have the audience leaving the film with a glow. How right they are.
Quite simply, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II is sheer, perfect nostalgia bottled and kept simmering, just waiting for an audience. About the only flaw with it is that it simply couldn't be better than its source material... but that's also what's so good about this film. It makes you want to go out and rent all the others... and still watch it over again just to revel in Astaire and Kelly being onscreen together for the first time since 'The Babbitt and The Bromide' in ZIEGFELD FOLLIES almost three decades ago.
What more could you ask for?