Erase otra vez en Hollywood

I'm an avid musical fan, and I truly lapped up the first "That's Entertainment!". I've seen it at least a dozen times, and it hardly grows old. So when I taped "That's Entertainment pt 2", I was expecting the same quality. After all, my two favorite classic Hollywood stars, Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly were hosting, so what's not to love? I was extremely disappointed when I saw it, however. It was disorganized, slow, and lacked the smoothness of its predecessor. Too many scenes will have your finger stuck on the fast-forward button in boredom. Though it's nice to see Fred and Gene dance so well at their age (they were 77 and 64 at the time, really!), their commentaries and quips are cheesy and sound terribly phony. The backdrops, special effects, and routines in between clips are silly, outdated, and reminiscent of a '70's kid show (like "Romper Room"). Why would they put two great and talented performers through such garbage? Another complaint is that some clips that looked like they were edited with a butter knife. Great scenes such as the classic stateroom scene from the Marx Bros' "A Night at the Opera" and the "Good Mornin'" number from "Singin' in the Rain" are unforgivably hacked up. And the tribute to Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy left out their final (and finest) movie together: the now classic "Guess who's Coming to Dinner". What a terrible, inexcusable waste. Still, there are some highlights: nice clips from Lena Horne singing "Lady is a Tramp", Kathryn Grayson singing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes", Gene Kelly wooing Leslie Caron in "An American in Paris", Fred Astaire and Judy Garland's collaboration in "Easter Parade", and more Judy from "Meet Me in St. Louis". Overall, I grade "That's Entertainment, pt 2" a C-. If you want to see it, I can't stop you, but it's such a shame that Astaire and Kelly's talents and personalities were so misused in this film. My advice? Rent any of their movies or at least the ones mentioned in the documentary. Trust me, those choices, now they're entertainment.

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire introduce more wonderful numbers from MGM musicals. This time drama and comedy clips have been added.

OK--there was no way this could be as good as Part 1. Most of the good material had been used there already. Also Astaire and Kelly were given some dreadful new lyrics to classic songs to sing and their introductions to segments were just terrible. It was NOT a good idea to have them dancing either. And I could have lived without the travelogue of Paris. Still, there's plenty of incredible material here.

Among the highlights: Wonderful opening credits (done by Saul Bass); Eleanor Powell tap-dancing; Greta Grabo dancing (!!); Robert Taylor singing (!!!); the Marx Brothers stateroom sequence from "A Night at the Opera" (unfortunately edited); From This Moments On from "Kiss Me Kate"; early Bing Crosby; Abbott & Costello; Tales from the Vienna Woods (which is actually pretty funny); Judy Garland singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"; clips of dramatic and comedic stars; the I'll Build A Stairway to Paradise number; Bobby Van from "Small Town Girl"; etc etc.

The clips are put together without rhyme or reason--but that helps. You never know what's coming next. Worth catching but try to see the first one too.

This film was another excuse to look through those old MGM film vaults and get out some old film reels, to enjoy once more. This excuse cetainly pays off with over 2*hrs of stunning musical/dance performances. It is even more enjoyable than the first, as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly even entertain us with numerous dance numbers during the films intervals - the last time they were to dance together on screen. The clips are indelible as they are precious, which includes rare footage of Greta Garbo dancing!, Robert Taylor singing!, and Esther Williams Skiing!.

Overall it is action packed enjoyment throughout, simply bursting through the screen. Fans of musicals and any of the old stars, will relish with the opportunity to see the talented MGM stars in action once more. Lots of MGM glitz and Glamour thrown in too!!!

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?

Like its predecessor, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT II offers two hours of film clips from memorable MGM movies featuring the likes of Judy Garland, Bing Crosby, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, and Doris Day. Unlike its predecessor, which organized the film clips into thematic sequences introduced by different MGM stars, THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT just throws the clips out willynilly without much rhyme or reason--and saddles narrators Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly with some of the clunkiest, corniest material imaginable. In consequence, it lacks the cohesion and the excitement of the original.

But it still has its charms. Many of the individual clips are knock-outs: Ethel Waters performing "Taking a Chance on Love" from CABIN IN THE SKY, Bobby Van doing the famous "hop dance" from SMALL TOWN GIRL, Judy Garland belting out "I Got Rhythm" from GIRL CRAZY. In addition to such musical treats, the film also offers a look at the Marx Brothers with the famous "State Room Scene" from A NIGHT AT THE OPERA, a sequence of famous lines from famous films (such as Garbo's "I want to be alone"), and an extended tribute to Spenser Tracy and Katherine Hepburn. Most viewers will probably feel the film drags due to the uneven way in which the scenes are introduced and edited together, but just about every one will find plenty to enjoy. Recommended with reservations.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer