CORPORATE LINE: Includes That’s Entertainment, That’s Entertainment Part 2, That’s Entertainment III, and a bonus fourth disc entitled That’s Entertainment: Treasures from the Vault, available exclusively with the Giftset featuring more than five hours of exciting extras including three great documentaries, premiere night coverage and salutes to the great behind-the-camera talents, TV specials, making-of featurettes, plus an extensive video jukebox of rare, star-packed musical outtakes from classic films, and more!
THE MOVIES: Along time ago when I grew interested in films from such stars as Bing Crosby, Gene Kelly, and Fred Astaire it was mentioned that I should watch That’s Entertainment as a place to start. It was boring then and after nearly a decade of trying to be a movie connoisseur I still haven’t figured out what was supposed to be so great about That’s Entertainment. These little scenes of some of the greatest scenes in MGM history never amount to a coherent whole. That’s Entertainment is nothing more than a great promotional tool for MGM and now WB’s movie vault.
I love all the actors and actresses that they show but its better to just watch those films as a whole rather than tidbits. That’s Entertainment was nothing more than MGM trying to cash in on their glory days at a time when the studio was in desperate need of a hit.
It feels like sacrilege to disparage these films because the stars of these scenes are actors and actresses I hold dear—Bing Crosby in particular. However, it isn’t his fault that he was exploited to line MGM’s coffers. Astaire is danced around at the ripe old age of seventy-six to sell his and MGM’s wares. It’s not the way I want to remember such talent.
DVD FEATURES: Robert Osborne hosts—the host of Turner Classic Movies. There are some nice interviews too bad most of the extras are weak at best. Perhaps some real interviews, something more than putting faces on screen without anything more than a smile and a bite to eat would have made this much more interesting. There had to be more to offer than this—right? Of course, but it was too much work for a studio once again trying to make as much money while spend as little money as possible.
FRANKLY: If you really want to get into old Hollywood then get a filmography from That’s Entertainment and rent the movies contained—particularly those with Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Judy Garland. That’s Entertainment isn’t even as interesting as one movie by each of the aforementioned actors and actresses.
+ Charlie Craine
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