Thursday, January 14, 2021

Musical Documentaries - That's Entertainment, Part 2

MGM, 1976
Starring Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly
Directed by Gene Kelly
Music and Lyrics by various

That's Entertainment! was such a smash, MGM began a follow-up almost immediately. Unlike the first film, it only featured two hosts...but considering they were Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, two of the best-known and most beloved dancers in the history of film, they were all it needed. Archivists once again dove into the MGM vaults, not only for musical sequences, but for scenes from dramas and comedies featuring popular stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood. How does this mix look today? Let's begin with Astaire and Kelly, as they introduce a sequence from The Band Wagon, and find out...

The Story: Two of the most famous dancers in films introduce a series of sequences from MGM films of the late 1920's through the early 60's. Among the subjects they discuss are black-and-white musicals, comedy teams and their work at the studio, musicals set in Paris, how musicals have depicted songwriting over the years, Frank Sinatra's career at MGM, and Kathrine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy's work as a team. 

The Song and Dance: And for all the comic and non-musical sequences, "song and dance" are the operative words here. This is the second and last time Astaire and Kelly would dance together. Kelly was 64 when he made this film and Astaire turned 77 shortly after filming, but you'd never know it from watching them dance together. They were good friends in real-life and are obviously enjoying the opportunity to work together. Kelly was right that their dances literally keep the film moving, more than a host standing in front of a set could. 

Of the non-musical segments, my favorite by far was almost the entire stateroom sequence from Night at the Opera. You can never go wrong with The Marx Brothers. The Hepburn-Tracy montage, showing off their equally fascinating appearances in comedies and dramas, is also well-done. 

Favorite Number: We kick things off with the title number from The Band Wagon, joining sequences from other films that illustrate the lyrics as Astaire, Oscar Levant, Jack Buchanon, and Nanette Fabray clown and show off their own world of entertainment. Greta Garbo gets a rare chance to wriggle to the instrumental dance number "Chica Choca" in her last film Two-Faced Woman. Judy Garland introduces one of her signature songs, "Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart," in the 1938 comedy Listen, Darling. Jimmy Durante gives us his own signature song "Inka Dinka Doo" in the 1944 film Two Girls and a Sailor

Trivia: This was the last time Fred Astaire danced on-screen, though he continued appearing in films through 1981. Gene Kelly's last time dancing on-screen would be in the 1980 cult flop Xanadu

Hanna-Barbara did the brief animated sequence. Saul Bass designed the imaginative opening credits that homages the various styles of credits in MGM movies of the 30's through the 50's. 

What I Don't Like: Astaire and Kelly's narration is a little better than the gushing hosts in the first movie, but it's still a little stiff. Not to mention, this admittedly misses the nostalgia factor of seeing all those major stars together in one film. The giant rainbow-colored blocks behind the men for most of their sequences look more like a kid dropped their blocks than the sets for a major documentary...especially compared to Gene's elegant segment in the real Paris. As much as I love Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Jean Harlow, and others, I really wish they'd focused entirely on musicals again. The comedy and drama sequences feel more than a little out of place. 

And once again, there's the fact that you can find almost all of these films on DVD, Blu-Ray, or streaming now, some of them quite easily.

The Big Finale: If you love the two hosts, the first film, or are looking for more background music at home or work, this one is definitely worth checking out. 

Home Media: Same deal here - the individual DVD is out of print, but the Blu-Ray set for the full series is available, and it's on streaming. 

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