That's Entertainment! III

I figured that, after the wonderful first two films in the "That's Entertainment" series, the stock of magic in MGM's musical vaults would be starting to run dry. However, directors Bud Friedgen and Michael J. Sheridan have managed to keep the series as fresh as it ever was, by striking on a singularly brilliant idea: show 'em something they've never seen before! The series' first two entries, aside from their modern-day interludes, had been comprised almost exclusively of clips that any well-bred musical cinema buff would already have seen on numerous occasions. However, by presenting "never-before-seen footage" of deleted scenes, abandoned films, undubbed songs and behind-the-scenes action, the documentary manages to enthrall the audience with something new {of course, pretty much everything was new to me, anyway}. The style of the film's presentation is closest to Part I, with a succession of MGM stars - Gene Kelly, June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Lena Horne, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, Debbie Reynolds and Esther Williams – providing the commentary.

The films starts too much like a television special for my liking, with Generic Narrator #1 introducing the material, and thankfully throwing promptly to Gene Kelly, who has considerably more interesting things to say. A lot had taken place since Part I and II of 'That's Entertainment!' found their way into theatres; the advent of home video ensured that no household was without an assortment of family entertainment, including countless classic MGM musicals, and, among others, Fred Astaire was no longer with us, having passed away in 1987. Gene Kelly is almost unrecognisable from the Gene Kelly of decades past, and certainly didn't look as though he was going to start tappin' away any time soon; however, it's just good to hear his contribution. The other hosts, most of them "second-tier" performers (I don't intend this negatively) who wouldn't usually get such an opportunity, provide some useful information on the clips that we are seeing. There's also the usual tributes to Fred Astaire and Judy Garland, and the obligatory selection from Esther Williams.

While 'Part II' had been somewhat haphazardly edited, 'Part III' has a solid structure and good progression. Some of the archival wells do, indeed, seem to be running dry – we get the "Fit as a Fiddle" number from 'Singin' in the Rain (1952)' – but, otherwise, the footage is fascinating. Fred Astaire taps away in two alternative versions of "I Wanna Be a Dancin' Man" from 'The Belle of New York (1952),' showing such perfect rhythm and timing that, side-by-side, both Astaires are faultlessly synchronised; Eleanor Powell dances to "Fascinating Rhythm" from Lady Be Good (1941),' as a behind-the-scenes camera captures the frantic crew members shifting pieces of the stage back and forth; in an unfinished early musical 'The March of Time (1930),' an elaborate musical sequence calls to mind Elvis Presley's 'Jailhouse Rock (1957).' If you pressed me to make a decision, I'd probably rank 'That's Entertainment! III' as the third-finest entry into the series, which has been remarkably consistent in quality. I think I'll always love 'Part II' best of all – how can anybody pass up Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire dancing together?

Opening with a Gene Kelly-introduced segment concerning early efforts to develop musical stars and material, this third installment of the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT series quickly segues into celebrity-introduced film clips from MGM musicals--clips that range from familiar favorites to out-takes, rarities, 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 particularly the case with the legendary Lena Horne, who presents a casually-spoken but quite powerful narrative about the racism that limited her career. 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.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

The third installment of musical clips from the MGM vaults. I'm a sucker for musicals and "That's Entertainment! III" was a huge surprise. I thoroughly liked the first part ("That's Entertainment!"); the second installment ("That's Entertainment, Part II") was decent but not that memorable, but this third compilation towers over its predecessors. One of the riches of the "That's Entertainment!III" is that the filmmakers are very critical and passionate about the subject. As much as they are paying homage to the glory of the MGM dream factory, they are also depicting the skill and the hard work that go along with it. This is perhaps the reason serious film critics seem to rhapsodize about it. Lots of pleasant & glorious moments, featuring many musical numbers, most of them cut from the original releases. Particularly revealing are: Eleanor Powell's tap dancing in "Lady Be Good" (in split-screen while the camera moving along with her); Lena Horne speaks about the prejudiced policies at MGM, introducing a nice censored bath scene from "A Cabin the Sky"; and Debbie Reynolds' rare number "You're My Lucky Star", cut from "Singin' in the Rain".

Having seen the previous two installments of this series about MGM's great years, we hadn't seen the last one, but thanks to TCM, which showed it recently, we now have completed the cycle. The documentary, directed by Bud Friedgen and Michael Sheridan, brings us back to the golden years of the studio that boasted it had more stars than any one else in Hollywood.

This new version concentrates on the singing and dancing stars. Its 113 minutes running time flies by without noticing because of the quality of the material selected to be shown.

There is a magnificent black and white sequence showing Eleanor Powell performing a number and at the same time on a second screen we are taken to the actual filming of the routine as the technicians worked on it. Even for the time when it was filmed, it was revolutionary. Also, we see a dance routine by Fred Astaire with two different costumes and the same music shown on split screen where the "master" himself performs the exact same steps in both sequences. Amazing!

The only sad note of the documentary is to see how Lena Horne, a talented and gorgeous black woman who was employed by the studio, but was never given a starring role on films that involved other white actors. In fact, it's a shame she lost a plum role in "Showboat" because of the discrimination at the time.

It was great to watch the MGM stars narrating the different segments. Thus, we saw June Allyson, Cyd Charisse, Ann Miller, Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Esther Williams, Howard Keel introducing the different production numbers in the documentary.

Without a doubt, Hollywood was a factory of dreams and MGM was the best place where they came true.

The final instalment in MGM's nostalgia fest of old musical clips is presented in much the same way as the first one twenty years earlier, as several luminaries from the studio's past are wheeled out in front of the cameras to reminisce on their time under contract. The film also marks the final appearance of an obviously ailing Gene Kelly, who introduces and closes the proceedings with some poignancy.

Others involved are Donald O'Connor, Mickey Rooney, June Allyson, Lena Horne, Ann Miller, and Esther Williams, and the clips include outtakes and unused material for the first time (a lavish production number intended for The Harvey Girls; Judy Garland's ‘Mr Monotony' from Easter Parade, where she wears her trademark tuxedo and tights for the first time; and early clips from 1930s musicals which were junked).

We also see how an Eleanor Powell number was filmed, with stagehands rearranging the set to allow the camera to get close; and see a comparison of a Fred Astaire number in two different set-ups.

A good attempt to tidy up all the clips we hadn't already seen in TE 1 and 2, and worth a couple of hours of your time.